The pandemic has made us more open to a serious relationship

The pandemic turned our love lives upside down. It made finding a serious relationship or simply dating casually, even if we were on all the best online dating apps, almost impossible. It caused relationship breakdowns and led to a very lonely, sexless year for many of us. 

But as we move towards normal life again, it turns out that the pandemic has actually made us more open to a serious relationship and made us value loyalty above all else.

Dating is great, of course, but having to keep up with all the game-playing and dating trends such as cookie jarring and situationships makes the idea of an actual relationship sound much more appealing.

In fact, according to a survey from Legal & General, 57% of UK adults are more open to a serious relationship. 

It seems our values have also shifted, as the research found that 47% of respondents value loyalty most in a partner, closely followed by honesty and a sense of humor. Surprisingly, only 16% of women and 21% of men said appearance was the most important thing.

Which makes sense, because if we ever go through something like this again, we need to know our partner will stick it out with us and keep us entertained.

Rachel MacLynn, founder of The Vida Consultancy matchmaking agency and a chartered psychologist, explains: “Finding a partner has become more important than ever. From a psychological perspective, loyalty is an emotional concept, but it provides security, which tends to be one of the most important needs when people think about significant relationships.”

This shift in our view on relationships could stem from feeling lonely and having a limited social life throughout the pandemic, plus a lack of intimacy and physical connection.

Legal & General Insurance managing director Paula Llewellyn says: “Whilst love lives were put on hold for many, it is clear that COVID-19 has changed the way we feel about future relationships.”