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Being in a long-distance relationship can be tough, but there are ways to make it a bit easier for all involved.

1. Video Chat Lots

Thankfully, we live in an era where it’s much easier to stay in contact with your significant other while away. Make time to Face- Time or Skype each night if possible. Fill one another in on your day, gossip or just enjoy the company of one another, albeit through a computer screen.

Spending time with your significant other is important to keeping a relationship alive and this is just as true when you are in separate cities. Try not to get distracted by your phone, emails or work and stay invested in the time you spend talking online and you’ll find that long distance gets that much easier.

If you start to get bored with the same old same-old video chat routine, find some activities to make the calls more fun and interesting. Order food and have a romantic meal by laptop light, cue up a Netflix show at the same time to watch together or find an online game you can play together while chatting. You’ll soon find that most things you enjoyed doing while hanging out can still be done online, one way or another.

2. Trust

One of the biggest reasons relationships fall apart is a lack of trust between partners. It’s a natural and human reaction when two people who are used to spending so much time together, are suddenly so far away and out of the loop of that person’s life.

However, if you’re going to try to keep things going long distance, the trust has to be there. It’s important to understand that you and your partner’s schedules will not always line up and there can be long periods of time where you will not be able to talk to each other simply due to the nature of settling into a new school routine.

Although they may not always be chatting with you and you don’t know everything going on in their life, it doesn’t mean they aren’t thinking about you however. If you’re in a healthy relationship, there should be a mutual understanding of trust that can keep any negative thoughts from getting to a breaking point.

3. Go Old School

Even if you’re texting, Snapchatting and talking on FaceTime every day, there’s still something special about sending your significant other a physical letter that the digital world can’t compete with. A hand-written message takes effort and shows that you care enough to spend the time putting your thoughts and emotions down on paper.

While you’re at it, why stop at letters? Put together a small package of candy, trinkets or other items your significant other would enjoy and send it to them as a surprise. If you’re strapped for time, call a flower shop, restaurant or other business that delivers in your partner’s city and order a small surprise to their house to remind them that you’re thinking about them.

4. Make the Most of the Time You Have Together

Whether you’re seeing one another once every couple of weeks or once every few months, you should try to find ways to make the most of the days that you do get to be with each other.

Try to finish any school work or studying ahead of the visit, if possible, so that you can spend the majority of your visit spending time with each other.

Planning a fun-filled weekend of exciting dates can also be a great way to pass the time apart and get excited for everything you’ll do when you finally do see one another.

This is not to say that there’s anything wrong with a good old fashioned ‘Netflix and Chill’ however. Sometimes a quiet night in is necessary, but when you only get to see each other every now and then, it’s good to spend your visit making up for lost time and doing the things you can’t do through texting, Face- Time or mailing letters.

5. Work at It

Obviously, a long-distance relationship can be a lot of work but if you truly care about the person you’re with and want to be with them, the extra effort won’t be a chore. On the other hand, if you’re not fully invested in each other, long distance can be exhausting and difficult to maintain. So, it’s important to be open and discuss these things with your significant other.

Done properly, it can be a rewarding, growing experience and will take a long-distance relationship and make it a long-lasting one.