Kristen Bell is sharing how she and her husband Dax Shepard are continuing to evolve in their relationship.
Over the last year, the Hello Bello co-founders have been spending more time at home than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic — and the actress tells PEOPLE it's brought them even closer together.
"We've learned everything about each other because we haven't been able to leave!" she says. "The main thing I've learned is something I learned from Glennon Doyle, which is that we just need to give each other grace under circumstances."
In a difficult year, "everyone's proclivities are kind of bubbling over because we're all caged in with each other," she continues. "Dax and I, when we started this pandemic, were at a point in our marriage where we definitely needed a little therapy brush-up."
For more on how Kristen Bell is giving back and her life at home with Dax Shepard and their two daughters, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.
A big advocate of therapy, Bell — who shares two daughters, Lincoln, 7, and Delta, 6, with Shepard — says putting the work into their marriage has been crucial to their success as a couple.
"Every couple of years, we're like, 'We're being very antagonistic towards each other,' and we don't want that," she says. "We go back to therapy and figure out what I'm not doing that's best for you and what you're not doing that's best for me, and how we can serve this team goal better. It's been incredibly helpful."
While stuck in quarantine, the star says she's felt restless, like others who have had to adjust to a new routine.
"In this pandemic, I have wide eyes and I like to start a lot of projects. My knitting's on the table all the time, and I'm switching purses even though I'm not going anywhere, or I'm deciding that I need to refold my jeans and they're on the floor," says Bell, 40. "He's been very gracious in the fluttering around the house in order to console myself. Most of the graciousness has been coming from him!"
While being separated from their family and friends hasn't been easy, the star acknowledges she and Shepard, 46, are "lucky" compared to many others struggling economically throughout the pandemic.
Through their baby products company Hello Bello, the couple is dedicated to giving back to deserving families. Through the end of 2021, one family a week from all 50 states will be chosen to receive a year's worth of diapers — and also given the opportunity to nominate another family to receive the same present. (To nominate a loved one, visit giving.hellobello.com.)
The company will also be highlighting a charity weekly doing good in each state with a community call-to-action to maximize their giving.
"It's so important for us to acknowledge the families and individuals and caregivers that are receiving the Hello Bello bundles and any gifts we can give them," says Bell. "We don't just as a company want to say, 'Oh, we donated to charity or gave stuff away.' There's a human being on the receiving end, and that person deserves some acknowledgement."
Especially in a difficult climate, "just acknowledging other human beings is so vital to our souls," she adds. "The more we can remind one another to do it, the better off we'll all be."
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