Long Distance Relationship Ideas: 4 Ways to Show You Care

In many ways, long distance relationships thrive on ideas.

Long distance couples aren't together in person as often as non-distance couples can be, and lacking that physical component can challenge the relationship sometimes.

But fortunately, long distance couples have ideas to share with each other, and sharing those ideas can help close the gap created by physical distance. Sometimes your ideas may be profound -- like hopes and dreams. Other times, sweet gestures of affection that show you care can can do the trick.

In a long distance relationship? Here are ideas for kind gestures to share with your loved one.

1. Send snail mail. We can communicate faster than ever, often caught up in a blur of emails, texts, and video chats. While all that stuff is great for keeping a relationship live and well, there is something special and personal about receiving a hand-written note. Consider writing one to your significant other and sending it their way.

2. Give them something they can keep with them. You may not be there in person, but you can send over a gift that would be easy to carry. Of course, the ideal gift would depend on your partner. They may like a necklace, or a picture, or maybe even a personalized key chain that expresses how you care. In short, something simple and portable.

3. Suggest a date night. Rather than relying on daily catch-ups, try having a "date night." Share a meal via Skype/FaceTime/etc. Follow it with a movie you watch at the same time. In other words, have a leisurely evening together, even if you're far apart.

4. Surprise them with a visit. Not everyone has the cash to pull this off (or the time, if you're really far away), but if you can pull it off without too much duress, consider a surprise visit. Have an idea of your partner's schedule for the weekend before starting your travels, though. You don't want to drop by on a really busy weekend!

Don't let physical space get the best of your long distance relationship. Simple ideas can go a long way in showing you care, which forges an emotional connection that can overcome miles.

Ex has PTSD? Recent breakup? 3 tips on how to heal.

It's no secret that ending a relationship is difficult, even if it's an amicable split. But if you're fresh from a relationship where your partner suffered from PTSD, the breakup can be downright disorientating.

Here, we're going to talk about healing. Not bitterness, or anguish, or woulda-coulda-shoulda. It's healthy and expected to experience some of those things during a split, but getting stuck there too long can do a number on your well-being.

While some of these tips can apply to any and all breakup woes, others are geared toward partners who may be experiencing indirect effects of being close to someone with post traumatic stress disorder.

Supporting someone with PTSD can sometimes compromise psychological state (especially if the sufferer is not receiving treatment), and breakups are notoriously difficult, but you can heal from all of it. Here are three tips to get you started.

1. Get help.

Of course, the default advice is to reach out to someone who can provide professional help. For many leaving relationships with post traumatic stress sufferers, this is important and critical advice. More often than not, PTSD affects both the sufferer and the care-givers. An honest self assessment about the extent of the impact can help you determine whether you could benefit from more structured care as you move on.

Even if you don't seek face-to-face professional guidance, there are many resources available for better understanding PTSD and its possible effect on you, the care-giver. Some examples are the book Shock Waves and Courage Under Fire. Even though these books are positioned towards individuals and families working through the complications of PTSD, they're still useful resources for unpacking some of the complicated emotions and reactions that may be swirling around your head.

A quick note, though. Don't get too hung up on this stuff. Get educated, yes. Work through it. But also try to recognize when education is slipping into obsessive thinking about the past.

2. Write a letter. Don't send it.

One of the most challenging hurdles for relationships and PTSD is feeling an inability to connect. It affects sufferer and partner alike. In the aftermath of a breakup, this lack of connection can manifest into icy cold silence that haunts the partner.

A gut reaction may be to reach out. Get answers. Tie up loose ends.

In most cases, that won't happen. And it sucks. Chances are, the no contact rule will be your best option.

This is where writing a letter you don't send comes in handy. Scribble down all your feelings. Reflect on your past. Tell them what you want, what would make it all better.

An interesting thing may happen when you go to write your request that you think would solve it all. You may notice the request is not possible, really. That it's a wish for a person who, if you're being honest, isn't there anymore. At least, not for the foreseeable future.

You may then slowly accept that, while your pain is valid, your wishes are unlikely to happen. And that you may gradually accept the relationship's demise.

3. Ground yourself. (In a good way.)

We're not talking punishment here -- we're talking about staying in the moment.

Chances are you've grown accustomed to navigating a world where flashbacks can throw everything off kilter. And now that you're away from the relationship, you may be having flashbacks of your own, trying desperately to make sense of what happened and what went wrong.

Caught up in an episode from the past? Ground yourself in the present.

Near a chair? Touch it. Grab a cup of coffee, perhaps. Maybe you would benefit from focusing on something in front of you. Others prefer to return to a mantra, or perhaps the lyrics of a song they really love.

Whatever brings you back to the present, use it. And stay with it. Allow thoughts of the past to fade.

PTSD is notoriously difficult on relationships, and the aftermath of a breakup where a partner was suffering from post traumatic stress can be similarly demanding. These tips are far from conclusive, but they should be a decent start for developing a new stage in your life that you can celebrate.

Unable to Sleep After a Bad Breakup? 5 Tips to Help You Snooze

The worst breakups do more than affect your thoughts during the day -- they can leave you unable to sleep at night, too. And restless nights just add to the negative cycle!

If this is happening to you, don't despair. Here are five tips for helping you get to sleep after a breakup.

1. Cut the caffeine

This is pretty standard advice, but at no time is it more important than when you've got a lot on your mind. You can't afford to be amped up from caffeine when you're struggling to sleep. Cut out caffeinated drinks four to six hours before you plan to get shut eye.

2. Get exercise

Again, this advice is pretty standard for those seeking better sleep, but you should take it very seriously in the aftermath of a romantic split. Not only can exercise help you get over the breakup, it forces you to expend energy so you're thoroughly tired at the end of the day.

3. Write down your feelings

Turns out, jotting down emotions can be good for your health. While there is a bit of a divide about how social media plays into this -- does publicizing your emotions have the same benefits, or can be there be backlash? -- most researchers have found that private, expressive writing sessions have physical benefits.

Here's a tip: a few hours before you plan to sleep, write down how you're feeling in a private journal. This can help get toxic emotions off your chest relatively close to when you're going to sleep, but the process won't be so close to bedtime that you'll be wrestling with fresh wounds as you attempt to slip into slumber.

4. Cut yourself some slack

We exist in a society propelled by benchmarks. Often, folks dealing with a broken heart also have the anxiety of wondering: Why am I not over this yet? Shouldn't I be feeling better now? 

This anxiety often compounds the stress of heartbreak!

Next time you're unable to sleep, breathe. Stop judging yourself. You're on your own path -- abandon the benchmarks. This isn't a matter that's resolved "quickly" or "slowly." Focus on recovering one day at a time.

In the quiet stillness of your bedtime routine, remind yourself of this fact.

5. Stretch deeply.

Deep stretches -- like what can be found in yin yoga practice (although they're not referred to as stretches) -- can help you work through darker periods of your life. First, by holding a stretch (or asana, if you're doing yoga) for a long time, you're forced into stillness. You're at one with your mind, forced to contend with the thoughts frantically whirling around and, with practice, you learn to acknowledge and then let go of them.

But there are additional physical perks of deep stretches. Stretches trigger tiny tears in muscles, which releases endorphins and often makes the experience pleasant. It also makes muscles feel more relaxed, which can make sleep more easily attainable.

Next time you find yourself unable to sleep after a bad breakup, try out these tips for getting much-needed slumber.