The Rock Says Social Distancing Has Made a "Positive" Impact on His Marriage

The Rock and his wife are doing just fine. The stressors of adjusting to new realities amid a global pandemic are different for every couple, but according to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, broaching the challenges with empathy and patience has actually resulted in a net positive for him and his wife, Lauren Hashian.

"I have found that the quarantine has had a very positive effect on my relationship and my marriage, and certainly my relationship with my daughters," Johnson, 47, said in a video Q&A he posted to Instagram on Saturday, April 18. But that positive effect, he explained, has come as a result of hard work on the part of both himself and Hashian, 35.

"I gotta be honest with you, when this thing first started, the first two weeks of quarantine for me, I was really wobbly at times," he admitted. Johnson explained that for the first few weeks of quarantine, he found himself "consistently apologizing" to Hashian for his behavior, with arguments going "from zero to 10 very quickly." One incident in particular stuck out in his mind.

At breakfast last Friday, Hashian and Johnson had gotten into a tiff, and Hashian ended up walking away to eat breakfast in the bathroom. The actor felt guilty for how he had responded to Hashian and thought to himself, "You ruined it today, didn't you? You could have had a great day."

Johnson said that he joined his wife in the bathroom, but was too stubborn to apologize; he began shaving his face instead. The tension between the couple finally broke when the pair started joking about the family dog, which led to them laughing "so f---king hard" and finally apologizing to one another.

In a caption that accompanied the video post, the former professional wrestler added that he's realized just how important it is to be "ultra considerate" during these trying times. "Recognize that during these times, we're not operating at full brain & emotional EQ capacity as we usually are," he wrote. "You're gonna get snippy, short tempered and you guys may erupt at each other over some silly shit like we did. When that happens, grab your partner by the shoulders, like I grabbed Lauren. Look them directly in the eyes and say with full 💯 conviction, 'Baby, you're not wrong … you're just not used to being right' and then count the seconds it takes for you both to belly laugh your a---es off."

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Johnson and Hashian married last August in a stunning sunset ceremony in Johnson's native Hawaii. They share two young daughters together—Jasmine Lia, 4, and Tiana Gia, 2.

The actor's advice rings true given findings in a recent study conducted by The Knot and Lasting, which revealed that of a surveyed 1,200 engaged and married couples, a majority say that their relationships are actually benefiting from more time spent together (according to the study, 75 percent of respondents have been spending more time with their partner since quarantine measures have been put into place). Sixty-six percent of engaged users said that their relationship has strengthened since quarantine measures have been put into place, while 56 percent of married couples feel similarly.

Issues that couples are finding in their new reality are very much centered around communication and trying to carve out space for each individual partner, which also aligns with Johnson's advice about being "better listeners" and "even better communicators."

According to the study, 40 percent of married respondents are experiencing an increase in small arguments—which could revolve around household responsibilities or shared child/pet care—as compared to 20 percent of recently engaged or newly married couples. The solution? Be patient with one another and address issues head on as soon as they arise. Map out schedules that can help to delineate tasks and responsibilities so that they don't all fall on one person's shoulders. Schedule movie nights and "off hours" to decompress at the end of a long day.

And above all else, it's important that couples remember that, like Johnson mentioned, they're in this together. "Now is the time to really try and do your best to communicate and articulate your feelings as best you can," he said, adding, "Stay healthy and stay safe."