More people than ever have spent the last few years working from home. Travelling or working far from home can feel like a shock to the system, especially after spending so much time in one place. It may seem impossible to maintain your relationship with your partner when you’re so used to being together all the time. But fear not: there’s loads you can do to keep your relationship strong and healthy, even when you’re not at home. Read on for our top tips for keeping connected, no matter where you are.
Don’t forget the little things
A ‘good morning’ text first thing and a ‘goodnight’ text before you go to bed shows you’re still thinking of your spouse, but don’t just leave it at that. Compliment them; especially if they’re looking after kids at home solo and encourage them throughout their day.
Communication needs to be open and honest when you’re interacting long-distance as you’re often left without the ability to read body language or tone and misunderstandings can occur easily. When you do receive a text or other message, read it twice and consider it from the perspective from your partner to ensure you don’t misread it – and ask if you’re unsure on anything.
Plan something nice for when you’re home
We all love having something to look forward to, and after a period of being apart it’s nice to make plans with your other half (and kids if you’d like) to utilise your time well when you’re back together.
Your plans don’t have to be anything grand or expensive, but even a night on the sofa in front of a movie or a trip to the park with the kids and the dog can make memories. Just being together after a trip is special but taking some time to do something that isn’t your standard daily routine can help to make it more memorable.
Use tech!
Whatsapp, FaceTime, Zoom and video calling can be a great way to connect face-to-face wherever and whenever you are, without having to travel to see the other person. Using tech to speak to your partner can provide a useful substitute for seeing them in real life. Try showing them where you are or what you’re up to; seeing their face is likely to help you feel more connected and make you both look forward to your return home.
Tech solutions like this are also fantastic to help maintain bonding with children, especially younger ones who aren’t very used to the concept of talking on the phone. For babies or toddlers, why not give them a quick call when you see their favourite animal, a flag with colours they like on, or if you’re with a colleague they’ll recognise the face of? For slightly older children, remember to ask them lots of questions so they feel important and interact more. Bath times can be witnessed without the fear of getting splashed and bedtime stories read, wherever you are.
Do things together
Where you can, utilise your tech to do some of the routine things you normally do together long-distance. If there’s a TV series you’re watching, video call and watch it together to hear each other’s reaction and commentary, or cook and eat together while chatting.
You don’t have to limit these interactions to being at home. Try calling when you’re walking the dog or heading to the pub – or, if limited by distant time zones, take videos or voice notes to send later.
Use your time apart
If you’re the partner at home with the children and suddenly find yourself solo parenting, you’ll probably be swept immediately into the ‘days go slowly but the weeks go fast’ time sphere where you’re wildly busy and the days feel long, but time passes quickly. However, if you’re alone, time can really drag – particularly if you’re not enjoying your work.
Fill your days as much as you can. Head to the gym, read a book, visit a new place or catch up with friends that you haven’t seen for a while. The more you do, the faster the days will fly by and the sooner you’ll be reunited. If you don’t already have a generic ‘countdown’ app on your phone, get one and watch the days go by together, remotely.
Plenty of couples and families manage extended periods of time apart, and it’s hard for everyone involved: but it is manageable and it need not harm the relationship dynamic. A little effort goes a long way and with some thought, love and care, you can nurture your family no matter how far from them you are geographically.
