5 ways to survive time apart from your partner

Long distance relationships are tough and there’s already a ton of info online about how to make them work, so we're leaving that alone for now… But what happens if you’ve always been used to closeness and something new forces you to spend time apart? Work, family, illness, a holiday apart? 

The first time I had to travel for work was 6 months after we got married and it was tough! 2 weeks apart was lonely and testing on our relationship. I know this doesn’t sound long, but going from doing everything together to being completely independent was a shock.

Since then (and since moving out of the honeymoon phase) short stints of travel have forced us to be in separate countries and we’ve adopted the following secrets to make these times easier, keeping the sadness at bay and bringing the cheekiness out to play!

• Communication - it seems obvious, but you have no idea the number of couples we know who seem to completely forget that keeping in contact is super important. Communicate even more than you would at home to show your other half they’re all you can think about and you want to make time for them. Even with a time difference you can work it out, no excuses!

• Flirting – time apart forces you to be creative with your communication style; this is definitely a plus! You’re already out of your regular routine, so why not send a text message that’s cheekier than usual or leave an unexpected voicemail. A personal favourite is describing out loud your upcoming reunion and the things you miss about each other sexually... We don’t do this enough when living together, am I right?! 

• Photos – this is exactly what snapchat was made for, couples who are forced to be apart and need a little photographic pick me up of their loved one. I mean, this isn’t a snapchat secret, but I’m pretty sure this would have been in their initial idea pitch... Don’t be afraid to build the anticipation of seeing each other again, but do be careful with each others comfort levels and make sure you're sending your snaps to the right person!

• Keep yourself busy – sitting by yourself all day is not recommended (you end up talking to the cat WAY too much). Use your time alone wisely and get things done that may usually take a back seat. Has your better half been asking you to paint that skirting board for months? Kill two birds with one stone by surprising them and keeping yourself productive and distracted. You can also invest in your friends and family, who may usually be on the bench while number 1 is at home. Catch up on that Netflix series that your partner hates! Whatever it is, be sure to share your day with your partner and try and FaceTime or call rather than just texting. 

• Plan a sexy reunion – go big! You haven’t seen each other in dayssssss, how often do you get to build up the anticipation and sexual tension? Make the most of it! Intimate candle lit dinner in, or romantic first-date-vibes dinner out. Squeeze in a cheeky quickie before your date to really let yourselves go and show you can’t wait a minute longer to be close. 

Trust us, you can turn these few weeks/months into a full refresh of your relationship if you go about it the right way. If you ignore each other and show complete disinterest in your other half while you’re apart then don’t expect it to be a breeze.

If you haven't already, make sure you're subscribed to LoveDrop so you've got the perfect date night package waiting for your reunion. It'll have loads of fresh bedroom ideas, gifts and a designer adult toy to explore together...

It'll make it worth the wait x