Couples may feel closer than ever, despite the lack of sex. Why is this?

My husband and I are good in a crisis. We’ve navigated miscarriage, redundancy, and postnatal depression like Olympians. It’s the greyness we’ve struggled with – the banal discourse around tax returns and school pickups that peppers your every day. Right now there’s something bigger happening and the insignificant quibbles are falling to the wayside.

That said, I still want to flick him really hard on the forehead when he leaves his beard trimmings in the sink.

What does this mean for our relationships going forward?

Whether you’re having sex or not, this is a make-or-break time for many. There has been a renewed sense of what’s important. The common denominator at the moment is support – for each other and our communities. And if we aren’t getting that from our partner in the context of a pandemic, then it’s unlikely to happen outside of lockdown.

We’re seeing each other’s true colours and that can only be a good thing. Divorce is OK, breaking up is OK, being alone is OK – what is not OK is being somewhere you aren’t loved, listened to, and respected. That is not OK.

UK lockdown: it’s OK if you and your partner aren’t having sex right now