Have you ever had a long-distance relationship? What advice do you have for couples who are about to start a long-distance relationship?

Long-distance relationships are difficult. Physical intimacy is often lacking, and depending on both of your schedules, you may not always be able to talk to your partner when you want to. If it's a new relationship, distance can also make getting to know each other a challenge. Despite these challenges, long-distance relationships can be successful. Here are a few tips for making your long-distance relationship work.

1. Be creative with online dating.

You can have creative dates even if you are not together. Try virtual date ideas, like cooking the same meal together, or going to a virtual museum, or you could even try a virtual escape game. These types of activities keep excitement in your relationship and give you something to look forward to. There are some things you have to plan ahead of time, but you can also just wing it.

2. Plan to meet every once in a while.

Being in a long-distance relationship doesn’t mean you’ll never see each other. Depending on how far you are from each other and how expensive it is to travel to each other, you can plan to visit each other every once in a while. If it's expensive for one person to travel thousands of miles to find the other person, you can make plans to meet in the middle, or at a completely different destination where you can go on vacation together.

3. Don’t chat with each other all day long.

When you are far apart, you should definitely take the time to chat via text, phone, or video. However, you don't need to do this all day, and you definitely shouldn't! It's important to give each other space to do your own thing. That way, when you talk, you'll have more interesting things to talk about. You'll also miss each other more, so the conversation will be even more special. Long-distance relationships require space as much as close-distance relationships.

4. Give the other person a gift and let him hold on to it.

You may not be able to hug each other as often as you'd like, but you can give each other something huggable. This can be something that reminds you of the other person or it can be a sweet gift. Such as a digital photo frame with a photo of the two of you together, a teddy bear or a piece of jewelry.

5. Have an end date in mind.

It might make your relationship easier if you have an end date in mind. Knowing that a long-distance relationship won't last forever can motivate you to stay in your relationship. Discuss how and when you can close the distance, whether that means one of you has to move or you both move to different places.