When coronavirus lockdowns ended in cities across China last month, there was one thing a lot of people couldn’t wait to do: get divorced.

Newspapers reported record numbers of people turning up to government offices to start the process of legal separation.

The Global Times reported that the Chinese city of Xi’an has seen a record-high number of divorce requests in recent weeks, with some districts even maxing out the number of appointments available at local government offices, resulting in long queues outside.

“Trivial matters in life led to the escalation of conflicts, and poor communication has caused everyone to be disappointed in marriage and make the decision to divorce,” said Yi Xiaoyan, the registration centre director in the city of Miluo.

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Meanwhile, Shanghai divorce lawyer Steve Li told Bloomberg Businessweek that people wanting to separate after lockdown had boosted his business by a quarter.

“The more time they spent together, the more they hate each other,” he said. “People need space.”

Across Australia, many couples are suddenly finding themselves together 24/7, with no idea of when it will end. Some are struggling to keep up with work while also overseeing their kids’ schooling. Others are dealing with the stresses of being unemployed. Tensions are high.

So will we see the same situation in Australia as in China? When restrictions on leaving our homes are finally lifted, how many of us will want to walk away for good?

Nick Tebbey, the national executive officer of Relationships Australia, says this is a stressful time, in a lot of different respects.

“Being in each other’s pockets is bound to exacerbate tension and potentially bring to the surface niggling things or things that might not have become such a big issue if the normal daily order was in place,” he tells Mamamia. “It’s just about trying to work through those as a team as much as possible so as to avoid any long-term consequences.”

Here are some tips for couples who want to ease the strain on their relationships.

Tebbey says patience and understanding are important, and the more people communicate with each other, the better. But that’s not always enough.

“We shouldn’t tell people the only option is to ride it out.”

Feature Image: Getty