Creative Ways To Close The Gap Between You And your partner
Whether you’re in a long-distance relationships or you spend long periods of time apart, the distance between you and your partner can really, really suck. The silver lining? Research shows absence really does make the heart grow fonder. A study conducted by Jeffrey T. Hancock, a professor of communication at Cornell, concluded that long-distance couples form more idealized relationship perceptions than geographically close couples.
Looking for new ways to keep the connection alive? Try one of these tactics to keep your relationship fresh and fun.
- Play a long distance game, like Legs: Take turns picking a letter, and then name all of the things that start with that letter that have legs. (IE for ‘B’: Baby, Baseball Player, Bluebird, etc. Pick the letter in the morning and designate a time that evening to email each other your lists. The person with more ‘legs’ gets treated to brunch next time you two are in the same place!
- Strip poker is so boring - we much prefer Strip Crazy Eights. Actually, any game can be made naughty by adding the word “Strip” in front. (Seriously.) Schedule a Skype date, pour a glass of wine, and have a good time!
- Mystery Picture Game! This one is an idea we got from a Relisher who is currently in a long-distance relationship. He told us he and his partner would send each other pictures that were really zoomed in body parts, landmarks, or everyday things like sidewalks or stop signs. They each had 3 guesses to get it right!
- Make each day of the week something special. IE: On ‘Monday Oneday,’ send them one little treat to get their week off on the right foot, like room service to their hotel room or even an emailed Starbucks gift card. On ‘Twosday,’ text them first thing in the morning to tell them two things you miss about them right in that moment. On Friday, email them the five best parts of your week. Not only will this keep you in a positive mindset (it’s easy to feel pessimistic when you’re separated from your love) it’ll help your partner feel like they was there with you.
Now, while none of these options will make you feel as close as jet-fueled backpacks that get you from point A to point B, they're still pretty effective. Fun conversation, laughter, and curiousity shrink the gap between you and increase your connection. Also, stay tuned for the jet-fueled backpacks, science will catch up with our ideas in the next few years.
