Long Distance Relationship: 10 Ways To Successfully Navigate An LDR, According To Real-life Couples
What does it take to navigate a long distance relationship successfully? GQ spoke to a number of people currently in long distance relationships, who were happy to share their tips. Here’s what they had to say.
1. Virtual date nights
Although Ashanti Purkayastha, a 31-year-old Chartering Manager at Norden has been in a relationship with her now fiancé, Joshua for 15 years, the past three have been long distance: her in Dubai and him in Kolkata. But that didn’t stop them from planning and having the best virtual date nights.
“We have dinner dates over video calls. We even dress up fancy for a night out, only to sit in our respective living rooms for date night — sipping wine and virtually sharing a meal. It’s always special,” she says.
2. Making plans for the next outing
The anticipation of the next meet is a big motivator to making a long distance relationship work smoothly.
Rahul (name changed) tells us how his partner and him always figure out ways to meet as much as possible to have those moments to look forward to.
“I see him almost every weekend. And we lived together for the first two years of the relationship and then moved to a long distance relationship. So we had our foundation set,” he said.
Sayani Bagchi, a Deputy General Manager at Godrej, has been in a long distance marriage in two parts — first for a year, and now again for the past nine months. Currently, she lives in Mumbai while her husband Udit Patwardhan is in Bangalore. “Being great friends makes life easier in a long distance relationship. We meet each other once or twice a month for the weekends, and also plan our travels in advance to be able to meet midway,” she says.
3. Having your independent lives
Almost everyone we spoke to who is part of a long distance relationship emphasized the need to have a life outside of it. It’s not just healthy, it’s instrumental.
For Disha Doshi, a Project Manager at TAG, both partners need to have their own individual routines. With her partner, Remit, being in the Merchant Navy, he’s away for several months in the year.
“You need to communicate and have patience, but also have your own routine and life in place. It’s vital that you do your own thing,” she says.
Bagchi expands on this point. “Having individual social circles and being secure in the same is another savior for us. So there are no insecurities or suspicions when my partner goes out. It’s important to cheer on your partner every single day and create a safe space for the both of you to grow together and have fun and learn — and not necessarily always together.
4. Watch shows/movies together
Saratha (name changed) is in Delhi, while his partner is all the way across in New York. The couple has the additional task of navigating different time zones when it comes to their long distance relationship. But even with that, they make it a point to watch a particular movie or show together at the same time, so it’s almost like they’re watching it side-by-side.
Top 25 Exciting Long-Distance Relationship Games For Couples To Play
Would You Rather? Is a game of situations that you can play with your long-distance partner. The game is almost similar to This or That, only with a slight variation. In this game, you have to put a proper situation in front of your partner, ranging from intense questions to ridiculous ones. For example, “would you rather not shower for a month or use dirty water to clean yourself?” Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
25. ATLAS
ATLAS is actually an extremely simple game to play with your partner. Starting with the letter A, say a place (city, country, continent, district, or island). For example, you say Afghanistan. Then your partner has to pick the last letter of the word (N in this case) and proceed with a place, let's say Nigeria. Keep alternating chances, until either one of you falls short of a place and loses!
Conclusion
Long-distance relationships do not have to be strenuous — you can make it a lot easier with the right tools. We understand that for long-distance couples, it is crucial to have some fun and create new memories together. Long-distance relationship games for couples such as Truth Or Dare, Ludo, Monopoly, Never Have I Ever, Roleplay and Dumb Charades are designed to help you do just that! So pick your favorites to make fun-filled and intimate memories, and simply forget the distance while enjoying the moments you spend together in cheer and laughter.
