According to recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, divorce rates have spiked in the wake of the global pandemic.
For the couples who survived lengthy lockdowns, but now feel the need for some change, an extended solo holiday or marriage sabbatical might just be the answer.
World renowned relationship expert Esther Perel was on The Quicky this week to discuss why many of us might benefit from taking an extended sabbatical from our primary relationship, and how we should ask for it.
Listen to Mia Freedman and Esther Perel on The Quicky. Post continues below.
"Pandemics, lockdowns, disasters all act as relationship accelerators," Perel, host of the Where Should we Begin? podcast, tells Claire Murphy.
"When you are faced with your mortality, when you are faced with danger and you think life is short, you rearrange your priorities.
"And when you rearrange your priorities, you basically either say, 'What am I waiting for? I've waited long enough, let's get together'. Or, 'What am I waiting for? I'm out of here as soon as I can'. And now we are seeing all of that unfold in front of us.
"There's a saying that when you have disasters, you have more babies - and more divorces."
Perel says that being open to creative ideas - like taking an extended break - is good for long-term relationships. Especially after prolonged periods of being stuck at home together, without surprise or adventure.
"We each need some fresh air, and we each need to experience ourselves separately from the structure of our relationship," Perel says on The Quicky.
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