It’s hard to be away from your significant other, whether you now have to do long-distance because your college shut down for the COVID-19 crisis, or you have to quarantine yourself from them despite living a few miles apart.
First off, it’s important to remember why you’re doing this. Even though you want to see them and hold them, it’s not worth going outside and risking you and your families’ health for it. Here are some ways to maintain your relationship when everything needs to be virtual.
1. FaceTime, FaceTime, FaceTime!
We live in a digital age, so take complete advantage of it by video-chatting with each other. If you don’t have FaceTime, use Skype! I’ve even heard of using Zoom for social reasonings. Whatever platform you choose, it’s important to have face-to-face interaction with your loved one. Sure, it’s not as nice as seeing them in person, but we need to compromise in order to stay safe.
2. Start a show together.
Starting a show with a significant other is a great way to bond. You two can watch the characters in the show develop, the plot becoming more complex, and when you finish the series, you both have that shared experience. It can be hard to only watch the show when your significant other is watching it with you, but it’s nice to have someone there who you can discuss the show with.
3. Make a meal together.
My boyfriend did this to surprise me and I loved it. When you both go to the grocery store, try to coordinate some ingredients that you can both use to cook the same meal in your own homes. Remember to be safe and distance yourself from the other people in the grocery store when you do this, as well as, only going to the grocery store when it’s an absolute necessity. You can throw the ingredients in your cart along with the other groceries that you were there to get. Or, you could also use the grocery delivering services that are available online if you want to get the groceries for your boyfriend/girlfriend but can’t go to them. Remember to tip generously because these people are risking themselves.
4. Plan for the future together.
It’s hard to be away from your special person, but it’s important to remember that this is all very temporary and it will be over soon. So planning for future plans and dates is a great way of reminding ourselves that we will see each other soon.
5. Make time for each other.
At the end of the day, the most important thing to do is to make time for each other. Being isolated away from your love is not the end of your relationship and as long as both of you are working hard to make time for each other and show the other that you value them, it will be okay. The reason that not seeing a boyfriend or girlfriend for a long period of time hurts is that they can’t physically give you affection and attention. Put in the effort to adjust to the situation and it’ll make all the difference.
