Long-distance relationships might currently seem simpler to maintain with the availability of new communication technology — long distance phone calls, video chats and even online dates are no longer a luxury. Staying connected 24/7 is now easier than ever before, as people in relationships no longer have to depend on postal delivery to receive news that is three days old. They also no longer wait for their partners to check their email when they return home from work. Even while they are out, working, playing, shopping, watching a movie, or doing anything else, instant messaging lets them feel connected.
Technology, sadly, cannot substitute every human interaction in a long-distance relationship. With the lack of constant physical presence, many long-distance relationships appear emotionally challenging. People frequently think that such relationships are hard to maintain. It may be opposed by your family, and some of your best friends or colleagues at work may advise you not to take it to heart in case you end up devastated. Many things are impossible owing to the distance and long periods of separation, no one can guarantee it will be simple. Things may get challenging, and you may feel loneliness and sadness at times. However, it matters most if both of you want to keep this long distance connection that obviously has its pros and cons.
Here are 5 main pros and cons of a long distance relationship:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| You have more time for yourself You will appreciate your partner more You remain flexible in your daily activities You can hardly be annoyed by your partner You will have more leisure time | You may feel lonely often and lacking real emotional connection Jealousy may become a big problem You and your partner may go in different directions very soon You may feel insecure Physical intimacy will be completely missed |
However, going an extra mile makes the simplest things taste much better. Being able to fully understand the other person’s hand, dine at the same table, feel each other’s touch, go on a stroll together… In long-distance relationships these tiny things may suddenly mean so much more, so you learn to appreciate the little moves and gestures. Distant relationships may provide you with many challenges, but if you are ready to grow and move forward with this connection, it may bring you more joy and contentment than you could ever expect.
How to have a successful long distance relationship for life? Is it possible to build something of value in a distance? In this article we provide you with 12 strong distance relationship tips to help you act with confidence when building a long-distance relationship you strive for.
How to keep a long distance relationship?
11 actionable tips:
- Don’t be possessive
Being extremely possessive is not how to have a successful long distance relationship with one partner. You don’t need to converse 24 hours a day to keep your relationship functioning. Many couples think that they must compensate for the distance by doing more. This is not quite true, thus it may just worsen the situation. You’d become tired of “loving” in no time. Always remember that little, but consistent effort is much more than rushing. One of the best things to help a relationship is giving time to yourself and your mate to get to know each other, letting in some personal space.
- Manage expectations of your long-distance relationship
You should both be clear about what you anticipate from one other throughout your relationship. Establish some ground rules so that neither of you do something that will catch the other party off guard. For example, are you two exclusive? Is it okay if the other person goes on dates? What is your commitment level? Be honest with each other about everything. It is important to have your expectations in mind and share them to prevent disappointing each other. If you have trouble figuring out your expectations, seek expert advice.
- Get creative
Greet each other every day: “Good morning beautiful, how was your night?” or “Good evening, did you have a good day?”. Furthermore, strive to keep your spouse up to speed on your life events, no matter how boring some of them may seem to you. Get creative about your life, send each other photographs, audio samples and even short films from time to time to boost the ante. By making such an effort, you make the other person feel loved and cared for. Forgetting to greet your long-distance partner may make them feel that your attention is focused somewhere else, and you don’t think of them much.
- Do things together
While you may not be living in the same city, it is possible to have time together. This is also one of the most important pieces of long-distance relationship advice. Recommend and share books, movies, music, news, and other items to one another. When you read, watch, and listen to similar things, you have more subjects to discuss. Even if you don’t live together, it’s great to have some common experiences. You can also use video calls to share experiences such as swimming, hiking on the beach, or walking dogs. Both of you can do similar things at the same time while interacting through video chat. If you have a habit of jogging, calling and discussing the day is a great way of communicating and sharing experiences.
- Visit each other when possible
There is no rule as to how often a long distance couple should see each other, but visits strengthen every long-distance relationship. After all of your waiting, wanting, and abstinence, you finally get to meet and satisfy all of the small things like caressing, holding hands, and so on. These are common and very special things to help a relationship for long distance couples. Visiting each other once in a while also shows some level of seriousness and both of you will get the feeling that the relationship is headed in the right direction. Actual meeting is a best tip for long distance relationships and a simple way of showing effort and commitment to be with each other.
- Enjoy Your Alone Time
You may feel alone, but you are not lonely unless you want to be. You don’t have to center your life around your spouse, you still have life. Take advantage of this time apart to spend more time with your friends and family, go to the gym and find new interests. Spending some time alone also helps you to focus on other areas of your life such as your career and personal wellbeing.
- Honesty matters
Any long distance relationship trust advice will tell you that honesty comes first in relationships. So discuss your sentiments of dread, jealousy, insecurity, indifference, or anything else with your partner. If you try to hide anything from your significant other, that secret will eventually destroy and disconnect your relationship. Don’t try to fix everything on your own. Be upfront and honest with each other. Allow your spouse to assist you and provide you with the necessary support. It is preferable to address the issue early on rather than waiting until it is too late. If you need it, talking to a relationship coach may be beneficial too.
- Gift each other
Every person’s love language is different, but every online relationship advice will suggest you demonstrate some gestures of affection for your spouse. Physical gifts can create powerful memories. Whatever it is a necklace, keychain, ring, music, video collection, or perfume bottle — everyday objects and things have importance to all of us. Gifts are one of the ways to get reassurance in a long distance relationship and a way to recollect our experiences. This is why something so insignificant may mean so much to someone even though to others it seems absurd. Send postcards and handwritten love messages to each other. From time to time, consider exchanging gifts as a surprise. Birthday, anniversary, and Valentine’s Day flower delivery and online shopping vouchers allow you to surprise each other with fun things like fashionable T-shirts, attractive lingerie, and other memorable items.
- Keep it updated
While dating someone who lives in another country is complicated, regular life updates will help you in becoming familiar with other cultures, understanding each other’s small habits and develop understanding and mutual trust. Chatting about family and friends provides you as a couple with additional topics to discuss. Your common interests, favorite TV shows and music are the finest topics to discuss. You don’t have to wait until something important or serious happens to update your partner about it. Even simple things matter. Updating each other about the simplest things is also one of the most important long distance relationship tips you shouldn’t ignore.
- Hop on a video call
Looking into each other’s eyes and hearing each other’s talk may sometimes make things seem okay. A video chat isn’t the same as being around someone special, but it’s the greatest thing to do to get closer in a long distance relationship. Video calls enable you to share emotions and experiences with each other. You can share your activities live on a video call. For example, if you enjoy cooking or painting, you can let your partner watch as you are performing your favorite activity. This will also give you a new topic to talk about.
- Set common goals
“For how long will we be apart?”, “What does the future hold?” — these are the questions for long distance relationship couples. In essence, a couple cannot maintain a long distance relationship indefinitely. It is advised to come up with a plan together. Create a timeline, put down the approximate times apart and times together, and establish a target at the end. It is critical that you and your partner are on the same page and share the same goals. So that even if you are not in the same location or time zone, you are both driven to work together in the same direction toward a future that includes both of you.
- Use messaging apps
This is critical because texting is one of the most regular and common modes of contact. You’ll need a good messaging program that allows for interactions beyond words and emojis. Messaging apps are a quick way for long distance couples to send simple but special greetings, check up on each other and share photos or funny videos and laugh together. WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are some of the best free messaging apps you can use to communicate.
Is it that hard to be in a long distance relationship?
Love is indeed a force that is beyond your control. Love just happens. Suppressing your emotions is just as difficult, even if you land the perfect job halfway around the country. A long-distance relationship is not something that anyone anticipates. However, in case you’re in a relationship like this, you’ll just have to make the most out of a complicated situation to become an even stronger couple. Use these 11 long distance tips to stay solid and accountable while being in a distance with your loved one.