During quarantine, every relationship should be a long-distance relationship unless you and your significant other already live together. With such drastic changes in the way we live, there is a good chance your romantic relationship is going to see some type of strain, especially if you aren’t used to not spending time with each other physically. How are you supposed to work together to keep things happy and healthy?
Zoom dates!
Apps like Skype and Zoom are superior to Facetime in a situation like this, because of the ability to share your screen with other participants. So just because you can’t go to your significant other’s house to cuddle while you watch TV, doesn’t mean that you can’t stay caught up on your favorite series together. Get on a private call, share your screen, cuddle up to one of their hoodies and laugh at an episode of The Office or maybe even watch a movie together.
You could also have a meal on camera, play a game like Battleship or Guess Who, craft and honestly anything you can think of! There are also a ton of online adaptations to classic board games that can help if for whatever reason you or your partner threw away their Chutes & Ladders game when they turned nine.
Bob Ross date but over Zoom? Yes please!
More frequent phone calls
We already know that communication is quite literally the key to a healthy relationship. Now is the perfect time to make up for time lost while you two were at school and talk every day or every other. It’s okay to call just to hear your partner’s voice. There’s a lot more free time in the day now that classes are coming to an end and non-essential businesses still aren’t open. Call to check in with your significant other and see how they are doing. Life is a little bit harder for everyone right now so it’s never a bad idea to just ask if they are okay.
Go hiking (6 feet apart please)
At least in Pennsylvania, you are still allowed to go to trails and parks to do things like hike and walk. This should be the last on your list of things to do, because we are in a stay at home order. But, fresh air is good for you as long as there is a responsible distance between you and any other person on the trail. Plus, Zoom dates and phone calls can only go so far. While you should still refrain from physical contact, hiking and exercising together will do good for your bodies as well as give you an opportunity to talk face to face for a few moments during the week.
Support the postal service and mail a letter
Boost the romance and send a letter through snail mail. That’s right, hand write what you want to say (bonus points if you know calligraphy), buy a stamp and send it through the mail. Long texts are amazing to wake up to but imagine what it’s like to wake up to a letter with your name on it that’s not a loan statement or something from your insurance company! I haven’t felt that adrenaline rush since senior year of high school when I was still receiving college postcards. You could even get real fancy and try using wax to seal the envelope, or instead mail the letter as part of a package with other gifts (try creating something yourself).
This isn’t an easy time for anyone. But I know that if you and your partner put in the effort everything will be okay in the end. You’ll come out stronger than you went in and think of the stories you’ll be able to tell your kids and grandkids (if you want them) about what it was like dating during a pandemic.