Communication is key!

Sounds cheesy enough, but it couldn’t be any more true. Relationship scientists have done extensive research on the best ways relationships work and communication has been found to be one of the most important factors to establishing a strong relationship.

Talk dirty: Physical intimacy from a distance

Being physically apart from the person you are closest with is never easy. Opening up and being honest about your needs and your struggles can help strengthen bonds. Plus, your partner will better understand how they can help you to achieve your needs.

Find a time that works for the both of you and have some fun! If you or your partner are longing for some physical intimacy, do what you would normally do together if you were in person. Simply make adjustments for the distance that exists between you and your partner. This might mean sharing descriptions of intimate activities and sparking some excitement with your partner. It may take some experimenting to see what works for the both of you but just be patient, you’ll figure it out together!

Try to video chat instead of texting! A lot of times texting can cause misunderstanding in the interpretation of messages. It might also be difficult to convey what you mean using just sentences because nonverbal communication (tone, rhythm, gestures) also plays an important role in the way you want to talk to your partner.

Set up some ground rules:

Together with your partner, discuss the expectations and boundaries that you would like to establish within your relationship. This conversation might include discussing topics such as how often will you be communicating with one another, how often you will spend time with friends, so on and so forth. Essentially, make sure that you and your partner have established a clear understanding of what you’ll be expecting from the other person. This discussion may not be easy to bring up, but once you’ve kicked off, it’ll be worth the 5 minutes of discomfort. Trust us!

Show that you care!

Showing understanding and how much you care for your partner is so important in a relationship because it reinforces the level of intimacy that you share between one another.

Don't forget to update each other: As you spend time apart from each other, it’s also important to let each other know what you have been doing to show that you are still a part of each other’s lives. This could be a good way to start your phone calls with your partner before going into deeper topics. Text messaging or phone calls are ways to continuously stay in touch with your partner and seemingly be a part of each other’s lives without actually physically being there.

Send each other surprise messages: even though you know how your partner feels and vice versa, send them a surprise message to let them know how you feel! You don’t have to do it daily, but every now and then - it will make your partner feel good and strengthen your relationship.