No one has ever said that long distance relationships are easy, but the distance doesn’t have to ruin your relationship either. With the right commitment and communication, long distance relationships can actually be more stable than non-long distance relationships. Simple adjustments to your attitude and lifestyle can help you and your loved one stay together blissfully.
Are you currently in a long distance relationship? Here are a couple of tips we hope will help:
Stay in Touch
Since you won’t be seeing each other in person, it’s important to communicate as often as you can. These don’t always have to be long, in-depth conversations but frequent communication, no matter how minor, will show that you care enough to put in the time and effort into the relationship. It’s easier to keep up to date with each other’s lives because if you allow days to pass by without connecting, your everyday experiences fade into the background, and you will have to start from scratch every time you speak.
Thankfully with technology and digital media, communicating and staying in touch has become so much easier.
Visit as often as possible
Try to take out time to visit each other as often as your budget permits. You need to see each other in person at every opportunity. Make a regular visiting schedule or at least make plans for the next visit as soon as each one ends. Face-to-face communication is just as important as having trust and commitment in a relationship. You can also create your own rituals around your visits, like eating at a favorite restaurant, enjoying a quiet night together at home, or sharing a favorite activity.
Support each other despite the distance
Be there for your partner if your partner is ever in trouble, hurt, or in need of a shoulder to lean on. You need to make yourself available to help so your partner knows you care. If your partner ends up dealing with important issues alone, over time, he/she will eventually not need you. Supporting each other irrespective of physical distance, creates an interdependence that is crucial for a long distance relationship.
Honesty is vital
Trust in a relationship is vital, regardless of the distance. Try your best to be faithful and avoid temptation. If you do make a mistake, it’s especially important to be honest and tell your partner the truth even in cases where lying would benefit you. For example, if you put yourself in a position of temptation (like hanging out with a person your partner doesn’t know about), lying about your whereabouts would benefit you personally, but won’t benefit your relationship because of your dishonesty.
Be committed to each other
Committment means taking time out to be there for each other irrespective of distance and schedule. It means making sacrifices and being devoted to loving someone even when sometimes, you may not necessarily feel lovey-dovey at the time. Also important to note, is that you should both be morally committed to each other and be willing to continue the relationship because of personal values, not because of social pressures.
Do the same things at the same time
This will make the distance between you seem smaller and more bridgeable. You’ll feel closer together and you’ll be bonding at the same time. If you’re unsure of things to do, try one or more of the following: Plan to cook the same meal on the same day, read the same book or article, watch a TV show, use video calls while having meals or watching movies together, etc. Doing all these occasionally can make you feel closer. If time zones are too different, try instead to be online to say good morning or good night to your partner.
Make each other feel special
Try to do little things that let the other person know that you care. You may write love letters and send them in the mail. Or, send small gifts, cards, or flowers for no reason.
Talk through doubts, uncertainty, and fear together
While it’s understandable that you might only want to focus on the positive, explore the scary and difficult subjects along with the good. Consider this as a chance to explore your feelings together honestly. Recognizing your partner’s ups and downs while you are physically apart will make you more accepting and comfortable with their low points when you see each other and will eventually be with each other in person.
Remember that your partner is human
Distance makes the heart grow fonder, but can also make you idealize your partner. While this can make your relationship stable, extreme idealization (thinking your partner is perfect) will make it more difficult to reunite with the actual person.
Stay positive
Focus on the positives of the distance, such as the ability to pursue your interests, hobbies, and career objectives. Realize that the distance will also push both of you to be more creative when it comes to communicating and expressing your feelings. Look at this as a chance to test your communication skills and emotions. As long as you see the long-distance relationship as a temporary state, you will keep your chin up and send that feeling of security and happiness your partner’s way too.
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