Ways to celebrate a long-distance Christmas

Christmas can be a bit miserable when you’re missing a loved one – regardless of whether they are halfway around the world or just a few hundred miles away.

But wherever they are, physical absence needn’t put a dampener on your celebrations. Okay, they’re no big kisses and cuddles under the mistletoe, etc but there are still ways you can enjoy the day together. And, here are some top-notch ideas:

Set a time to meet online

Don’t be vague and tell him or her that you’ll meet them online ‘at some point’ over Christmas. Instead, have a definite time plan so that it becomes an important part of your day. Arrange to watch a film to give you both something to talk about. If you download the Chrome extension Netflix Party then you can watch it together at the same time and pause it when one of you wants to discuss something.

If you’re not keen on a film, then what about a book you can discuss? Then again, you could just do a bit of reminiscing and talk about what Christmas was like when you were both younger.

Do things together online

You could, for instance, both cook the same thing at the same time and then eat together online. That would certainly add a sense of connection.

Jonathan Bennett, a certified counsellor and dating expert @doubletrustdate says: “You can exchange presents with your partner. Even though you can’t open them together, exchanging a little somethin’ will help you feel closer. Plan ahead and have a gift mailed to your partner’s house and ask that they wait until the holidays to open it.”

Appreciate each other

Share what you like about each other. Every time you meet online, tell one another why you like each other. This is a form of practising gratitude and it’s a great way to remain positive and to feel close, even though you may be hundreds or even thousands of miles apart.

Not only can practising gratitude help to boost both your moods, but it’s another great way to connect with each other even when you’re apart.

Discuss your feelings

Not an easy thing to do – talk about feelings online, but it’s a good way to maintain and bolster a connection with your other half. Choose a time to do this, when you are both prepared to open up, rather than just spill over emotionally when the feeling takes hold. After all, being apart at Christmas isn’t easy and is going to make you feel sad.

An important part of sharing feelings though is to listen to the other person, without interrupting. Prompt them too if you feel they’re holding something back that would do them good to speak about.

Make future plans

Talk about what you will do when you finally get together. And not just immediately, but maybe make plans for further down the line too, e.g. exotic holidays, fabulous date nights, tackling personal challenges together such as running a half marathon, etc.