Supplement video calls with physical letters, voice notes, or surprise deliveries.

Focus on your own hobbies and goals; it makes your conversations more interesting and lessens the "waiting" fatigue.

One evening, her internet cut out. In the past, she would have panicked, feeling disconnected and lonely. Instead, she took a deep breath, lit a candle, and wrote a physical letter. She described the smell of the rain outside and the progress on her latest canvas.

Maya lived in London, while Leo was finishing his degree in Tokyo. Their relationship was a series of pixelated video calls and the constant calculation of time zones. In the beginning, Maya struggled; she felt like she was living half a life, waiting for a screen to light up.