The Do’s and Don’ts

Long-distance relationships can be tough, but they can also make your bond with your partner stronger. I researched some expert dating ideas and came up with some tips to keep your long-distance relationship healthy and strong. Even though your partner might be miles away, there are plenty of things you can do to stay connected.

Stay Connected

• Try to maintain consistent communication with each other through text, phone calls, or video calls and provide updates about your life.
• Make time for quality activities, such as virtual dinner dates, movie nights, or deep conversations.
• Schedule visits as often as possible and discuss the future of the relationship.
• Long-distance relationships lack physical contact, but a real connection and spark can be maintained.
• Communicate regularly through texts, calls, and video calls.
• Avoid excessive communication to prevent suffocating your partner.
• Establish a schedule for regular contact.
• Get creative with your communication methods.

Give periodical updates about your day 

In long-distance relationships, regular communication is crucial.

Go beyond surface-level talk by sharing mundane daily details.

This offers insights into your personality and lifestyle, bridging the physical gap.

It creates shared memories, fosters intimacy, and strengthens the emotional connection.

Have deep and meaningful conversations.

• Explore topics to gain insights into your partner’s thoughts and beliefs.
• These conversations can reveal shared interests or highlight differences.
• Discuss topics like goals, faith, politics, fears, and cherished memories.

Get involved in each other’s lives.

• Share thoughts and feelings.
• Ask for advice.
• Include them in plans.
• Celebrate successes.
• Be there in tough times.
• This strengthens relationships and builds a sense of community.

Tips for Quality Time in Long-Distance Relationships

• Have a virtual dinner date over a video call.
• Watch a movie together and discuss it over a video call.
• Bake something together while video chatting.

Be honest with yourself about what’s taking up your time outside of the relationship.

• Consider how you can adjust your schedule to make time for your partner.
• Think of ways to adjust certain hobbies and activities to do things together.

Engage in shared activities to enhance closeness with your partner.

• Reading the same book, cooking the same recipe, or having a virtual dinner date can create a sense of togetherness and foster special memories.
• Starting a new hobby together, like exercising, crafting, or painting.
• Learning a foreign language together.
• Going to restaurants with similar cuisines and giving reviews to each other.
• Share experiences and activities virtually to feel closer to your partner.
• Create special memories by reading the same book, cooking the same recipe, or starting a new hobby together.
• Make time to be intimate.
• Spice things up through texts, video calls, or phone calls.
• Long-distance couples can maintain intimacy through video calls, such as taking a bath together or engaging in role-play.
• Support and encourage each other:
• Send encouraging messages throughout the day.
• Support them when they try new things.
• Offer reassurance when they have doubts.
• Remind yourselves that you’re still a team.
• Be sure to listen attentively and show true care and genuine concern.
• Offer Words of affirmation and remind each other how much you appreciate them:
• Compliment and express your gratitude.
• Remind them how precious they are to you.
• Tell your partner “I love you” often.
• Be direct and sincere.
• Surprise your love with small presents to show you’re thinking of them.
• Swap out technology for romantic mail every now and then.
• Plan to visit them whenever you can and do.
• Set boundaries for your relationship.
• Make your relationship wants and needs clear to avoid conflict
• Discuss frequency of calls and texts.
• Share personal details only if comfortable.
• Listen without judgment.
• Set expectations for sexual needs.
• Be honest with each other.
• Honesty fosters trust in relationships, especially in long-distance ones.
• Open and honest communication improves the quality of relationships.
• Stay committed to your relationship.
• Prioritize your partner in a long-distance relationship.
• Show commitment by scheduling time together, supporting them, and addressing issues promptly.
• Come up with a long-term goal for your relationship.
• Set an end date for your long-distance relationship and discuss future plans with your partner.
• Address relationship problems promptly to prevent resentment and frustration.
• Spend time working on yourself.
• In a healthy relationship, both partners should maintain their independence and personal freedom.

• Do things that make you happy, then share your experiences with your partner.
• Be realistic with expectations.
• Acknowledge that long-distance relationships have unique challenges.
• Prepare to address them to ensure success.
• Stay positive.
• Focus on the benefits of a long-distance relationship:
• Stronger emotional connections
• Chance to be more creative in expressing affection
• Maintain a positive attitude and believe in the success of your relationship.
• Foster trust.
• Be faithful and avoid temptation to engage in other romantic interests.
• Be honest with your partner about any flirting, temptation, or mistakes.

The Don’ts 

• Don’t let time pass.
• If you don’t talk for a long period of time, you miss out on sharing everyday experiences and will have to play catch-up when you do speak.
• Don’t assume their schedule.
• Just because you’re free for a phone call doesn’t mean your partner is.
• Find out their schedule and work with them instead of assuming that you’re more important than whatever it is they’re doing.
• Don’t idealize them.
• While distance may make the heart grow fonder, thinking your partner is perfect will make it harder to reconnect with them in person because you’ve already painted them up to be some ideal version of themselves.
• Don’t lie or manipulate.
• Lying to your partner or trying to manipulate them will break down trust in your relationship and likely lead to a messy breakup.
• Don’t do anything out of anger.
• If your partner has said something that hurt your feelings, avoid retaliating with your actions (e.g., don’t cheat on them because they mentioned a coworker was flirting with them).
• If something bothers you, honestly share your feelings with them the next time you talk.
• Don’t focus on the negative.
• Thinking that you’ll never see your partner again or crafting stories in your head about their whereabouts will only drive you crazy.
• See the time spent apart as a temporary situation and look forward to the next time you can be together.

“Love is space and time measured by the heart”

Marcel Proust