Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich Social-Distance Apart: They 'Do Their Own Thing,' Source Says

Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich are both abiding by social-distancing rules amid the coronavirus — just not together.

A source tells PEOPLE that the couple is not longer living under one roof during the global pandemic.

“They are still together, but just not quarantined in the same place. Their relationship has always been like this, though — they like to do their own thing,” the source explains.

Hough is staying at their home in Los Angeles, while Laich is “living the simple life in nature, which makes him happy,” the source says. According to his past Instagram Stories, Laich is in Idaho; he has been posting photos showing off the snowy location in the woods with the couple’s husky dog, Koda.

And while the arrangement might seem unconventional to some, it’s what works best for the stars.

“Their marriage is not perfect, but they continue to work on it,” the source says. “They speak all the time. Brooks is coming back to L.A. once the stay-home order is lifted.”

RELATED: Brooks Laich Mourns Wife Julianne Hough’s Dogs Lexi and Harley 6 Months After Their Deaths

Last week, Hough admitted that she was having a hard time adjusting to the major life changes brought about by the coronavirus outbreak.

“Feeling my internal fire raging with my deep and raw emotions this week…That combination has made for one wild ride,” she wrote on Instagram. “There have been some super intense highs and then the pendulum must swing to the intense lows…Staying true to the path and gradually settling in.”

Ali Buck

“Giving myself permission to take the space and time to find my way back to the middle — The Space Between! #kreatingkinrgy,” she added, a reference to her dance-based fitness program, KINRGY.

And Laich honored his wife’s late dogs Lexi and Harley, two Cavalier King Charles spaniels who both died last year, with a lengthy Instagram post Tuesday.

“Words cannot describe the gifts that they gave, and I still feel their presence to this day,” he wrote.

While Laich is no longer hunkering down at their Los Angeles home, they did spend time together in early March. A source told PEOPLE last month that the couple, who insiders said had hit a rough patch in their relationship earlier this year, have been working on things.

“They are spending more time together and seem happy,” the source said. “They actually seem to have figured out how they can stay married. Both have had to make changes, Brooks especially so.”

RELATED: Julianne Hough Says the Past Week Has Had ‘Super Intense Highs’ and ‘Intense Lows’

According to the source, “when things were rough around Christmas time, Brooks refused to give up on their marriage.”

“He didn’t even want to think about a divorce. He instead decided to figure out what needed to change, so they could both be happy,” the source said. “Their marriage isn’t perfect and they are very open about this. But it seems both really want it to work.”

Hough briefly addressed their marriage in a FaceTime interview with Extra on March 20 after being asked about a potential baby boom during the outbreak.

“I knew you had to ask … I think the best part about this … this is gonna be a time for a lot of healing, whether it’s personally, in relationships and friendships and families,” she said. “The universe was just like, ‘Let’s put people at home and figure their s— out.’ … And I’m not just saying Brooks and I, I’m saying life in general and this is the time to do that.”