Being Together Apart

Thanks to technology, spending time together at a distance has become a whole lot easier! Take advantage of this and get to know your partner on a deeper level by virtually being together.

Find things to do together

Did you know that personal growth is an important factor to consider when strengthening relationships? According to Aron et al., a team of psychology professors, the self-expansion model describes our human desire to constantly expand ourselves through the inclusion of others in the self. We often self-expand when we involve ourselves in our close relationships. In other words, finding new activities and challenges that will broaden our experiences can not only increase the happiness within ourselves but also within our relationships. With your partner, create a list of activities that interest you both that you can do together at a distance. Here are just a few ideas of activities that you and your partner could do together without being together:

Chat platforms that can facilitate your time together

Take advantage of modern day technology and call each other through Zoom, Google hangouts, Facetime, Skype, Discord, etc. We cannot stress how important it is to have face-to-face interactions with your partner. This type of interaction is essential to developing satisfaction, commitment, and trust within a long distance relationship. Video chatting with one another is a wonderful way to maintain the conversations that you would normally have in person while being able to see each other’s faces. Through these chat platforms, you can complete many of the activities that are listed just above.

1. Netflix Party: when you want to watch videos with your partner, Netflix Party is a great way to simultaneously watch a movie together without being next to each other. There is a chat bar on the side to communicate with your partner and discuss the show or movie as you watch it together.

2. Baking/making food together: a way to spend time together inside for a date night. You can video chat each other while you are baking or cooking and then eat them together! You can have lighter conversations with your partner while you are having fun at the same time. It will allow you to feel like you and your partner are hanging out without actually being physically together.

3. Playing online games: This is a wonderful way include your friends and your social circles within your relationship. Gather up a few of your friends and play a game or two!

• Jackbox Games: Jackbox Games are full of virtual party games that you and your partner can play with!

• The Escape Room: Just like the real life version of escape rooms, this computerized escape room is full of puzzles and clues that you and up to 3 other players can work together to solve.

• Tabletopia: With more than 900 virtual traditional board games, you and your partner can play together without ever getting bored!

• Houseparty: Houseparty is a video chat app that allows you to play games within your chat rooms.