By Rebecca Strong

Has covid-19 turbo-charged your relationship? My interview with Ask Men reveals the upside of today’s fast-track partnerships (aka turbo relationships): #turborelationships

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most relationships seemed to follow a pretty similar trajectory: You meet someone, get to know them for a while before becoming exclusive, introduce each other to friends and family, move in together, and let the rest progress until it’s happily ever after. However, that predictable timeline now? Yeah, it no longer applies.

Suddenly faced with shelter-in-place orders, freshly formed couples opted to advance their relationships at warp speed by moving in together rather than quarantining alone. On top of that, many more were suddenly forced to have tricky conversations about health and safety, even being tasked with lending a hand through challenges such as losing a job or periods of anxiety and mental health struggles during this unexpected time. Enter: the turbo relationship

Relationship expert Susan Winter notes that if you had a casual situation that quickly became committed at the start of the pandemic, or if you’ve been suddenly “playing house” only since you started quarantining, those are other signs that you’re moving on the quicker side.


Why Is the Idea of a Turbo Relationship So Popular Right Now?


The general consensus when it comes to building a happy, healthy relationship is that slow and steady wins the race. But contrary to what you might expect, over a third of people who recently moved in with a partner believe the last two months feel equivalent to two years of commitment. More than half of new couples say they feel more committed to their partner than ever, and almost two-thirds say their relationship feels stronger as a result of navigating quarantine together.

“We’ve been living in a romantic time period marked by confusion and hesitancy,” says Winter. “Hookups, situationships, and friends with benefits have dominated the dating scene. Certainly, people have found their way to partnership. The warp-speed relationships that have formed during lockdown demonstrate the benefit of spending time in getting to know a person.”

In other words, while turbo relationships may progress on a much faster timeline than the typical modern-day relationship, the circumstances of quarantine have allowed people to become far more deeply connected to their partners in a shorter span of time.

“Bonds are created, issues emerge and solutions are discovered,” she adds. “Lockdown has given many individuals time to interact with their mate, and to be present when doing so. This is what creates a powerful connection and the feeling of togetherness, family, and belonging.”

Continue reading:https://www.askmen.com/dating/dating_advice/an-expert-approved-guide-to-turbo-relationships.html