How to Be Romantic On the Phone

With your smartphone in hand, you can text, instant message, email or whisper those sweet nothings to your sweetheart. And fear not: even if your phone includes only a few bells and certainly no whistles, you can still convey your romantic feelings by devoting undivided attention to your call, asking your significant other get-to-know-you questions and arranging phone dates.

Express your deepest feelings in type. Texting can provide a way to test the depth of your relationship sans the shaky hands that can accompany in-person "big talks," according to psychologist Theresa DiDonato in the Psychology Today article "Is Constant Texting Good or Bad for Your Relationship?" Send a succinct, sweet message, such as "I find myself thinking about you more and more." You can test out a romantic endearment -- "my love" -- or let your special someone know you've been thinking of the future in terms of "we." Texting allows you both the time, and privacy, to express your true feelings.

Quiz your sweetheart. Partners should spend 30 minutes a day talking in order to forge a bond, suggests psychologist Ryan Howes, quoted in the Psych Central article "15 Ideas for Keeping Romance Alive Year-Round." Whether you've known each other for a couple weeks or a decade, there's plenty you don't know about each other. Ask your girlfriend about the most unusual thing she saw that day. Ask her opinion on the book she's reading. When you focus on your significant other, you show you aren't just killing time on the phone -- communicating with her matters.

Leave a romantic voice mail message. If you know your man has silenced his phone while he gives a presentation at work or finishes a challenging exam, have a message waiting for him when he's done. Tell him you're proud of him for making it through. If you know he's been feeling tense -- put a little pep in your message to help him cheer up. Sing a couple bars from a cheesy song he likes -- no matter how off-key. Do your best Daffy Duck impression. Letting him hear your uplifting voice will underscore that he's important to you.

Make phone dates when you can’t be side-by-side. Whether you’re separated by a short-lived business trip or attending separate colleges, your phones will likely take on new importance. Phone usage was positively associated with relationship maintenance, commitment and satisfaction, according to a 2009 study conducted by La Salle University researchers and published in Communication Research Reports. Plan ahead to call your sweetheart before you both press "play" on a timeless romantic movie. You can also phone-date as each of you take a walk down a city street. Describe interesting places you want to visit together soon.