Are you facing the possibility of having to be in a long-distance relationship?
Don’t worry. It doesn’t mean your relationship is doomed.
Thanks to technology, maintaining long-distance love is easier now than it’s ever been.
This isn’t to say that a long-distance relationship is easy though. There are unique challenges that come with sustaining one.
So we’ll take a look at nine tips that will help your relationship stay afloat – no matter what the distance.
- Have an Overall Plan in Place
In any relationship, couples that make plans for the future are more committed to one another and have longer-lasting relationships.
This is especially important in long-distance relationships.
The assumption is that the situation that has made your relationship long-distance is temporary and that it will be resolved. In other words, you will eventually be in the same geographic location again.
In the meantime, create a timeline working toward that so that it’s clear to both of you that you’re moving forward. Have some idea of when you’ll speak to one another or even see one another.
And if you have something in your relationship you’ve been working on, don’t let it go by the wayside because of the distance. Make a plan to keep working on it.
- Take Advantage of Tech
If you don’t know how to use FaceTime yet, you’ll be quick to learn how once your partner is far away.
That’s the amazing thing about technology – the ability to see and talk to your partner in real-time through apps like FaceTime and Skype. You can even use them to watch a movie together.
Of course, you’re likely to do your fair share of texting too. With a long-distance relationship, it important to share more details when communicating. This doesn’t mean you have to overload your partner with every last detail of your day.
But rather than just dropping a casual text that says something like, “I went shopping and it was okay,” tell him or her where you went, what you shopped for, and what made it merely “okay.”
This gives your partner a sense of being part of your everyday life – even if they aren’t actually there to witness it.
In essence, tech allows you to keep interacting with your partner in a more emotionally intimate way.
- Do Not Rely SOLELY on Tech
Of course, technology is likely to be your primary way of communicating. This does not mean you’re limited to it, however.
There’s a lot to be said for increasing intimacy and bonding through simple acts of love.
For example, you could send your partner a care package filled with the things they might miss from home. Or send a special gift – something that they mentioned in a previous conversation.
Even just a simple card or hand-written letter speaks volumes. It lets your partner know you’re taking the extra time to think about them.
- Know Each Other’s Schedules
When engaged in conversation with your partner, take note of any mention of important events such as business meetings, classes, or anything else that you don’t wish to interrupt.
By making each other aware of both the small and big events in your lives, not only will you feel more of a connection with one another, but you’ll know the best time to communicate uninterrupted.
And if you live in separate time zones, don’t forget to figure for the time differences.
- Develop a Sex Strategy
If you haven’t talked yet about how you’ll deal with sex while apart, it’s high time you did. Sexual dissatisfaction is one of the biggest reasons people cheat when in long-distance relationships.
There’s no one right way to go about this one. But there is a right way for you.
Some couples find they’re satisfied with regular video and/or phone sex. Others are comfortable with an open relationship while apart.
Whatever the case, you need to come to some sort of agreement that works for both you and your partner. No matter how weird it might feel to talk about it.
- Establish Rules and Boundaries
If you or your partner are doing things that you don’t want the other to see on social media, then you haven’t set up clear cut rules and boundaries.
Discuss what works and what doesn’t work with your partner. Then steer clear of situations that might make them feel uncomfortable or threatened.
This isn’t to say that you need to get permission from your partner for every action you take. Just be sure to set clear rules and boundaries. And then stick by them.
It will make things easier for both of you.
- Find Constructive Strategies to Resolve Conflict
This tip is true for any relationship.
Every relationship experiences ebbs and flows. This is to say, there will be times when you fight.
With a long-distance relationship, it can be especially troubling to not feel on steady ground with your partner.
The best thing you can do is not blow things out of proportion and really listen to one another. Disconnecting from a conversation out of anger only makes that geographic distance feel even bigger.
Plus, it distances you from one another emotionally.
- Enjoy Your Alone Time
If you’re new to the whole long-distance thing, you might be feeling lonely and uninspired.
Re-frame your perspective though and you’ll see it’s a time for you to do some of those things that your partner doesn’t like to do.
Perhaps you go to a live performance or a sporting event with some friends. By looking at it this way, you’ll begin to relish some of your time apart.
- Plan to Visit One Another
When couples are together all the time, they start to take for granted little things like holding hands and snuggling.
When denied these – as well as other physical connections – there’s something almost explosive about having them again.
So if possible, make a plan to actually get together. It’ll be like falling in love all over again.
Long-Distance Love Can Work
Despite the challenges that come with long-distance love, you can actually sustain a healthy and meaningful relationship if you’re willing to put in the extra time and work.
Who knows? It could just make your relationship even stronger.
And for more inspirational articles on love and relationships, keep checking back with us.
