‘We’ve made our 24/7 marriages a success’

REAL LIFE INCIDENTS

- SANDRA WALSH

The idea of mixing work and romance is a nonstarter for Gen Z types (under 24s), according to recent data. But they could be missing a trick.

Yes it can be tricky to leave the professional side of your partnership behind at the end of the working day, especially with the digital age making you available quite literally anytime, anyplace, anywhere. And it can leave that crucial work/love balance seriously out of kilter.

But for some there is an upside to the set-up, especially for those who work in the same industry or join forces to run a business.

It’s called the “power-couple hypothesis” and it states that when a couple work together, their wellbeing increases. Mutual understanding of the demands and schedules is just one of the positives of what could otherwise prove to be a challenging situation.

Three couples who have what’s called a “24/7 marriage” reveal whether it’s taken them close to breaking point or has made their relationships stronger…

‘At times we’ve wanted to kill each other!’

Imogen Tinkler, 39, launched a pop-up restaurant with her husband of nine years, Duncan, 39, in 2017. The “co-preneurs”, who live in Whitstable, Kent, with daughters Xanthe, four, and Athene, eight months, say “alone time” is key to the survival of their marriage.