Married At First Sight: Quarantine Q&A With Jessica and Austin

By Thad Morgan

As life has changed for families across the globe during the pandemic, participants in "Married at First Sight: Couples’ Cam" (Thursdays at 8/7c) have had to make adjustments to their daily lives too. We spoke to a few of the show’s couples to learn how they’re dealing with balancing their work life, personal life and married life under quarantine. Find out what this week’s featured couple had to say below.

Find out how the other couples deal with life under quarantine by watching the full playlist here.

Lifetime: How have you adjusted to living at home with your spouse for an extended period of time?

Jessica: It’s kind of different for us because we’re still newlyweds and adjusting to living with each other anyway.
Austin: [There’s] a lot of adjustments. And also [Jessica] is still working extended hours...on the COVID unit. I have to find ways to support you throughout the day. Things I don’t always agree with supporting-wise, but I still do it. Like cleaning.
Jessica: He is doing more of the household chores.
Austin: That’s an adjustment I made—more cleaning.
Jessica: I am learning that it’s OK to work at home in your pajamas. So if I come home and Austin happens to still be in his pajamas when I’ve been at work for 10, 12 hours, that’s OK too.
Austin: I’m in pajamas, you’re in scrubs.
Jessica: Which are practically pajamas.
Austin: That you need to wash as soon as you get home.

Lifetime: What is your biggest pet peeve about your spouse while in quarantine?

Jessica: We kind of have the same pet peeve.
Austin: I know my pet peeve.
Jessica: Mine is Austin’s cleaning habits. I am somebody that really likes to have everything very clean and tidy.
Austin: All the time.
Jessica: The carpet vacuumed, and the laundry done and the dishes not sitting in the sink.
Austin: But now, with [Jesica] being at work more, I am trying to take on more of these responsibilities… Trying... There’s been some good weeks.
Jessica: There have been a lot of good days. And I will say that he does make the bed if I’m home.
Austin: Even with all those silly pillows.
Jessica: We have some decorative pillows.
Austin: I’m trying to support you, make you feel at ease when you come home.
Jessica: I definitely feel that and I definitely appreciate that.
Austin: [She] gets a little bit anxious when it’s not.
Jessica: That is true, I do get a little bit anxious if I come home and the house feels a little more untidy than I would like.
Austin: Before it was a little bit more of a pet peeve. Now it’s just like, ‘OK, this is important. I’m going to do it.’
Jessica: I’ve got to do this to keep Jess sane. *laughs*
Austin: Yes, that’s pretty much it.

Lifetime: How do you make time for yourself when isolated with your spouse?

Austin: How do you get away from me?
Jessica: To get away and get some alone time from Austin, I enjoy going on long runs, especially with my sister.
Austin: Some of those runs are pretty long.
Jessica: I enjoy a Sunday run [where] I get to talk to my sister on the phone and we get to catch up on life. How does [Austin] get to spend some alone time from me? Besides the fact that I’m away from the apartment...
Austin: [She] is away a lot. But if I do need to get away, I’ll go into the [home] office or something like that. Play some video games. I’m still working from home, [but] just to space out a little bit does help.

Find out how other "Married at First Sight" couples have adjusted to quarantine life by checking out the full playlist here, and watch "Married at First Sight: Couples’ Cam" every Thursday at 8/7c on Lifetime.