A Gift-Giving Guide For Long-Distance Relationships

Perhaps you and your significant other are temporarily far apart. Maybe you met online and have yet to see each other in the flesh. Or perhaps you expect to be apart for the foreseeable future and need some ideas to keep the relationship healthy across the distance. Even in non-long-distance relationships, gifts are a great way to demonstrate that you are thinking about someone and care enough to let them know.

Why Are Long-Distance Relationships So Hard?

In the past, long-distance relationships were much more difficult to maintain than they are today. Travel took longer and communication was slower, meaning that couples couldn't always stay in touch while one of them was away. This doesn't mean that it is easy to be in a long-distance relationship now. Even though the internet makes worldwide communication quicker and cheaper, not having your partner with you in person can take its toll. Most people thrive from being close to other people, even if for a brief time or with someone unfamiliar. Being in the same place as a loved one can significantly elevate a person's overall mood so it stands to reason that, when a couple becomes longdistance, it is challenging. Couples who met while living far apart can still feel the strain of long-distance despite the fact that they are accustomed to it from the start.

What Can Make Long-Distance Love Easier?

Fortunately, current technology is powerful enough that the obstacles to long-distance relationships, such as lack of communication and expensive, difficult travel, have been mostly overcome. It is still costly to take a trip far away but not as perilous as it once was. The internet allows couples who are physically apart to not only communicate but see and speak to each other in real time. Staying in touch and sending each other gifts helps to keep the spark alive even when there are miles between you.

Why Are Gifts Important in Relationships?

Different people have their own way of showing love and expecting to receive love. These different ways are usually referred to as love languages. Love languages include:

• Physical touch;
• Words of affirmation;
• Quality time;
• Acts of service;
• Gift-giving.

As you can tell, some of these are easier to do in a long-distance relationship than others. Physical touch is practically impossible for long-distance couples, but the other four love languages can be fulfilled using modern technology. Gift-giving can be a person's love language in that they express their love for someone by giving them gifts. They could also feel loved when receiving gifts, although how someone expresses love and how they prefer to receive love don't necessarily match up. Discuss with your partner what your love languages might be. Gift-giving can be particularly useful for long-distance couples compared to the others.

Gift Ideas

Here is a quick list of possible gift ideas for your long-distance partner. Think about what they care about, what matters to them most, and how you hope they'll react to your gift when you first start to plan it.

Write a Love Note

In the days before instant international communication, long-distance couples wrote each other love letters to remind each other of their feelings. This tradition may have waned and warped into other forms, but sending love letters still goes on. A hand-written note with real, authentic sentiments in your own words could be more touching than you expect.

Record a Song

Whether you are musically talented or not, writing a song specifically for your partner is another traditional act of love. Go a step further and record your performance of the song to send to your partner. That way, they can listen to it whenever they miss you too much.

Send Something Sweet

Studies keep showing that eating sweet foods releases happy chemicals in the brain. It's no wonder, then, that couples often give each other sugary treats to be romantic. Companies such as Sweet Bouquet Emporium make sending a special edible gift to your partner incredibly straightforward. Your loved one receives a delicious gift and associates the positive feelings with you and your relationship. Extra points for sending the treats they love most.

Compile a Photo Album or Scrapbook

Collect photographs and memories of important times with your partner and compile them into an album. You could add thoughtful captions or create a narrative with the images to depict the timeline of your romance. Consider how to bind or decorate the album so it has maximum impact.

Try a Subscription Box

There are plenty of unique subscription boxes you could send to your loved one while they're far away. Books, clothes, games, toys, and so much else can be curated by a professional service and dispatched to your partner on your behalf. Every time they wear that scarf or play that game, they will think of you. You can choose how frequently to send the box so that your partner never has a chance to feel lonely.

Share a Virtual Date

Switch on your webcams, light some candles, and invite your partner to a virtual date. Set a time that works for you both and prepare your meals to sync up with each other. Make it special by dressing as you would for an in-person date. You'll be surprised how romantic a video call can be with the right preparation.

Surprise Them with Yourself

When gift-giving is a substitute for another love language, especially physical touch, it might make sense for you to make arrangements to travel and meet up with your partner. Your circumstances may or may not allow for this, but when gifts are merely stand-ins for your real self, then it could be worth taking the leap and surprising your partner with your presence.

Trying to make a long-distance relationship work is undoubtedly tough. Not only does it come with the normal stresses of romantic relationships but also the added element of physical separation for prolonged periods of time. Giving gifts is a great way to help the space between you feel shorter, if only briefly.