Being long-distance in a relationship can be a hurdle to work through, but it’s not impossible and many couples do go through it. There are many reasons for long-distance relationships, such as one person might have gotten their dream job in another state and the other partner can’t join them just yet, or you two just graduated college and have jobs pulling you in different directions.
Whatever the reason may be, it’s no secret that long-distance relationships can be difficult. Not being physically with someone can be hard, especially when thinking about what each person’s love languages are.
Dr. Gary Chapman, the creator of the infamous five love languages, has written books on these love languages and the significance they hold in not only romantic relationships but all relationships that we as humans experience. Those five love languages are as follows:
- Quality time
- Physical touch
- Gifts
- Acts of service
- Words of affirmation
If your partner’s primary love language is quality time, being able to do this at a distance can be a challenge, but with the right amount of effort and love, it’s absolutely possible. Each person has a natural way in which they feel loved in a relationship, as well as how they give love to someone else. Knowing your partner’s primary love language for how they feel loved is essential to know, especially if in a long-distance relationship.
With distance comes natural struggles such as feeling disconnected from them since you aren’t able to be physically with them. Some days, you guys will be playing phone tag, always missing each other by a few minutes. On those hard days, it can feel overwhelming.
Staying emotionally connected to your partner who is miles away can be difficult at times, but it’s more than possible, and thousands of people do it every day. If you’re wondering how you can ensure you’re staying connected with your long-distance partner, don’t feel discouraged, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got some great tips and tricks (and even gifts) for how you and your partner can maintain a happy and healthy relationship even miles apart.
Communication Is Key
One of the main pillars of any relationship is communication. Without communication, no relationship will be able to be maintained. Though communication is important when you’re in a relationship with someone who lives down the street, it could be argued that it might be even more important when you’re miles and miles away.
Due to the distance, you won’t be able to just go to their house and talk about your day. You’ll have to talk on the phone or Facetime instead, and with busy days, these will most likely need to be coordinated to a specific time.
With any relationship, being open and honest in communication is vital for keeping a happy and healthy relationship. Luckily, the era and generation we’re currently living in makes having consistent communication even easier.
With our phones in our hands for most of the day, being able to text your partner a good morning text or “I love you” is an attainable and quick way to keep in tune with them. Smartphones give us the ability to see our loved ones face to face even when they can’t be in the same room. Now more than ever communication can be had with your partner that helps you two to feel connected.
With that, it’s important to note that although communication is super important, healthy communication is even more important. An example of this could be being aware of what your partner needs to feel appreciated when you’re far away.
For someone who has the love language of words of affirmation, they would probably need affirming words so that they can feel loved. Another example of healthy communication is when a disagreement or argument happens, knowing how to properly handle it and not saying something irrational over text that could be misconstrued.
Healthy dialogue in a long-distance relationship is vital in ensuring you two are remaining on the same page and doing what you can to let the other one know your love for them.
Hangout...Even Miles Apart
Is this even possible? Absolutely! There are lots of ways that the two of you can feel as if you’re doing an activity together even when you’re not physically together. Having these shared experiences with one another can help to increase unity in your relationship.
Try any of the following:
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Use Teleparty: Now you guys can watch a movie at the exact same time with no struggles of lagging or being off by a few seconds. Better yet, there’s a chat box in the streaming service where you both can chat about the movie and give your live reactions.
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Have a designated date night: These date nights can look different each week or you can keep a tradition going. Whether it be going to the same takeout place and eating it at the same time or making your favorite meal on Facetime, these previously set dates are a great way to stay connected.
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Mini Book Club.:Are you two book worms? Create a mini book club that’s exclusive to just you two. Agree upon a book for you both to read for that month and at the end of the month, Facetime or talk on the phone about all the juicy details. This creates anticipation for that end-of-the-month call to talk about all your thoughts on the book.
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Online Gaming or Video Game Night: Maybe instead of books, you guys love to play online games. Whether that be something as simple as Solitaire, Animal Crossing, or Minecraft, or something a little more intense like NBA 2k or Super Smash Bros, having a night where you guys can get competitive and spend time together in this way is a great way to maintain your relationship.
Stay Positive
This might be the last thing you want to hear, but staying positive about a situation that most people view as negative can actually be helpful. Changing your perspective on how you see long-distance will help the two of you not be negative about the situation as much and instead enjoy one another and the time you do have together.
For certain people, long-distance relationships actually work best. They have busy schedules, whether with school, a demanding job, or family, so having someone that they can call on the way to work and catch up with could be the best scenario for them.
There can be positive factors of a long-distance relationship, such as more time to spend doing a hobby you love, seeing family, or working out more. It gives a lot of people independence while at the same time having a loving relationship with someone who is a little farther away. It also makes the time you guys do have together in person even more special. You cherish those moments and as the saying goes, “distance makes the heart grow fonder.”
The Perfect Gift: Lovebox
Gifts that can be given a twist of personalization and also serve as a constant reminder to your partner that you love them and are thinking of them seems like the perfect gift for a long-distance relationship. And no, it’s not too good to be true, this kind of gift does exist! And it’s called Lovebox.
Lovebox is known as the world’s first love note messenger. This messaging device is able to pair to an app to go beyond regular communication and deliver special expressions of affection. It does this by being able to directly send to the Lovebox photos, drawings, love notes, personalized stickers, and more! You can even plan ahead and schedule messages to send.
When your partner receives their message, the heart on the front of the box will spin, indicating that they’ve got mail. All they have to do is lift the lid to see the sweet message or drawing you sent to them.
With the integration of the app, you can create your own stickers to send, schedule your messages to go out every day at a certain time, or get reminders on your phone to send a message, and even save all of the love notes you create in the app forever. And when they receive their message, they can spin the heart and it will send a flood of hearts to the app back to you.
Ensuring you and your partner are staying emotionally connected in your long-distance relationship can be hard at times. That’s why gifts like the Lovebox are a great and unique way to remind your partner you’re thinking of them throughout the day. Keeping communication fun and different while you’re apart can help to make the circumstances of long-distance not as difficult. Sure, texting is fine, but a personalized love note sent to a box is even better.
Plan Ahead
Try to see each other every once in a while, whether it be every three months, every six months—whatever it may be, plan ahead!
Depending on where you two are on the map, it can be pretty expensive to fly out to see each other or drive all the way to them. Create a special savings account just for travel expenses, that way you can always be making sure that that special time you do get to spend together can happen.
Planning a few months ahead for travel doesn’t have to be hard: book an Airbnb, rent a car, get tickets to their favorite concert, and the list goes on for all the possibilities of things you could do together.
Speaking of planning ahead, surprising your partner once per year would be incredibly special and make them feel extremely loved. It could be a birthday, anniversary, or just a random Tuesday that you can pop in and surprise them at work. Surprises do take a lot of planning, so keep that in mind, but it would be a moment they would cherish forever.
Find Your Specific Groove
The first few months of your long-distance relationship might be a tad bumpy as you guys are trying to navigate this new lifestyle. Don’t lose hope! Try and find the “groove” that works specifically for you guys.
Everyone’s schedule is different with jobs, family, and social circles. Finding your specific partner’s schedule can be super beneficial for staying emotionally connected. This way, you aren’t texting them a million times while they’re at work and can’t answer, and you’re left feeling as if you’re being ignored when really they’re just working.
Finding the groove of your specific relationship will go a long way in making sure you both are feeling loved and attuned for in the long-distance relationship.
Long Distance Doesn’t Mean Far Away
Long-distance relationships pose their challenges, but so do every other relationship. All it takes is two willing parties willing to make sacrifices to make it work. No relationship, whether down the street or long distance, is perfect and without its struggles. But when you love someone, you make it work.
Make sure to communicate your needs and wants to your partner and do it in a healthy, respectful way. Still make date nights happen by planning a hangout of an online card game or a movie night with popcorn.
Try to stay positive about the whole situation and look for the good qualities of a long-distance relationship. Buy them a gift like the Lovebox that will make them feel special and make love notes relevant again. Plan ahead your trips by saving or planning a sweet surprise weekend. Find what works best for you two—no one else.
Staying emotionally connected while in a long-distance relationship is absolutely possible, and implementing any of the above tips into the relationship will ensure that.
Sources:
Discover Your Love Language |The 5 Love Languages®
Therapists Share How to Make Long Distance Relationships Work | Lasting
8 Best Tips to Make a Long-Distance Relationship Work | Time
