Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough
Todd Williamson/WireImage
"It's a hard thing to do, especially when you're so caught up in your work and bettering yourself," Hough, 23, tells Parade.com, of juggling a career and a relationship.
"I think at the end of the day you have to find a balance with what's really important."
Hough and Seacrest, who have been together since 2010, still manage to make time in their packed schedules for fun getaways, and Hough tells Parade that she's counting her blessings.
"I'm so lucky that I have a great relationship," she says. "I'm very blessed and I don't take anything for granted. I think if you alienate people and just focus on your work then it just becomes lonely and it's not fun anymore."
When they're physically apart though, there's one way Hough, who stars in the upcoming musical adaptation Rock of Ages, is sure to catch Seacrest – by tuning into American Idol.
"Heck yes," she enthusiastically told Parade when asked if she tunes in to the show every week. "It is so good. I love this season!"
