This year everything went digital, even friendships and relationships. Hence being in a digital friendship or relationship comes with its own set of issues. “It’s only natural for two people who aren’t living in the same area to experience feeling the distance at times. To expect otherwise, you’d be kidding yourself,” said Neely Steinberg, a dating coach. Because this year nothing else has stopped, be it work, stress, family but having fun has, so it is natural to be distant to someone you are not seeing often.
It is no surprise that people often associate closeness and comfort with friendships and relationships. Sometimes it is important to see and talk to other people in person in order to feel better. But everything is different this year, and everyone is still learning to cope up with this.
Communicate and Listen more.
“Relationships may start to feel extra distant when one or both partners aren’t communicating enough,” said Alysha Jeney, a therapist and owner of Modern Love Counseling in Denver. “Maybe they are struggling external to the relationship and don’t want to communicate about it and resort to pulling away to cope. Maybe partners are struggling with building intimacy from a distance and need to prioritize the uniqueness of their relationship.” Talk about small things in your life. Tell your partner what challenges you face, don’t just let them make assumptions.
Talking and expressing is important and so is listening. You both should know what the other person wants and expects in a relationship. “From a self-improvement perspective, make sure you are focused on building your listening skills so your partner feels connected and supported when you speak,” said Damona Hoffman, a dating coach. Listening to the other person offers them emotional intimacy, they know that if they want to talk, someone is there to listen.
