All over the globe, countries are facing the debilitating impact of COVID-19 as it challenges our healthcare systems, closes our borders, and puts communities and countries under lockdown to slow its spread.
Many of you have planned and have eagerly looked foward to trips this year to visit your partner or even had planned to meet for the very first time. As flights and plans are canceled, the excitement is replaced with heartbreak and not knowing when this will all end so you can see your loved one again. For that, I’m so sorry. Being in a long distance relationship is already hard enough without the unpredictability we are all facing with this pandemic.
As heartbreaking as it is to cancel long awaited trips, it protects you and your loved one from contracting the virus. Your health and lives are much more important. It may be several months before you can make any solid plans again, and that’s hard, but we can all get through it together.
So how can you cope with being apart with the uncertainty of not knowing when you will be able to see each other again?
Don’t stop making plans.
I know planning visits is crucial for some people because it gives you something to look forward to, so definitely plan those visits and the things you want to do together – you may not be able to set an exact date, but it will still give you something to look forward to while we all wait for lockdowns and travel bans to be lifted.
Find new things to do together while apart.
In many parts of the world, nonessential workers are being asked to stay home. People who have the ability to work from home are being encouraged to do so. College students are being asked to move off campuses and go home, switching over to online classes only. The silver lining of being stuck home, is more time to spend with your partner (virtually). Make good use of the time by finding new things to do together while apart. Start a new series on Netflix or find a home workout program you can do together since many gyms (at least in the US) have closed their doors. Be sure to check out our list of things you can do together while apart. Also check out our list of online multiplayer games.
Stay informed.
Knowledge is everything. At least for me, I find that the more I learn about something, the more control I feel in a situation. As a result, I’m not panicked and I am prepared. When I first heard about the situation in Wuhan, China, I started paying attention and followed the news closely. Listening to experts who warned COVID-19 would inevitably spread to the US, we decided to stock up on food and essentials gradually, starting the first week of February, so we’re prepared to stay home for a long time.
I watch most of the World Health Organization and US-based press conferences daily now to know how the world is changing around me and what I can expect to happen in my own community as far as recommendations and restrictions. In doing so, I avoid being blindsided and have already psychologically prepared myself as much as I can for the changes in my life that have taken place and may potentially take place in the coming days and weeks.
So make it part of your routine to check the news in the morning. It’s okay to take a break from coronavirus news, maybe make your evenings coronavirus-free if you feel it is stressing you out too much. Just make sure you are staying up to date and informed every day so you know what to expect and the latest recommendations to keep yourself safe.
I personally follow these Youtube channels since they both compile the most up to date information and research about COVID-19.
Know you are not alone.
Many other long distance couples are going through the same things as you right now and have the same worries and concerns about when they will be able to see their partners again. Read their coronavirus stories and share your own here on our forum: Thread: Coronavirus Stories. Post yours here. Support and encourage each other. As they say, “misery loves company” and if anything, it is helpful to vent and know you’re not the only one whose relationship is impacted by a pandemic.
Be supportive and understanding.
You or your partner may feel an incredible amount of stress as this pandemic affects your life in more ways than one. Be careful not to take the stress out on each other, but be extra forgiving and understanding if it happens; I’m sure at some point in the coming weeks or months the stress of the situation will get to all of us to some degree. You need each other more than anything. Like any other challenge you will face together, let this make you grow stronger as a couple – don’t let it tear you apart. On the other side of this is going to be an amazing reunion – keep that in sight.
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