Tips For A Long Distance Relationship
Long distance relationships are never ideal, but life is unpredictable and you may find yourself at the other end of the country, or even the other side of the world to your partner. Maybe one of you has to move for work or college or you met while traveling and you want to continue your relationship when you get back home. Whatever the reasons, a long distance relationship is tough to manage. There are people out there that say that they just don’t work but that isn’t the case. As long as you maintain the relationship in the right way, there’s no reason why you cannot have a fulfilling long distance relationship.
If you are already in a long distance relationship or you are about to enter into one, these are some of the best ways to successfully navigate it and make sure that you and your partner are both happy.
1. See It For What It Is
When you are in a long-distance relationship, it’s important that you see it for what it is. You need to understand that you are not in a normal relationship and a lot of the things that you expect from a relationship will simply not be possible. One of the main reasons that people struggle with long-distance is that they compare their relationship with other people around them that are not doing long distance. It can be disheartening when you see your friends in relationships that are progressing faster than yours, and that leads to tensions in your own relationship. But you have to recognize that a long-distance relationship will always progress slowly, and it will be tough because you can’t be together. Once you learn to see it for what it is and accept the shortcomings of a long-distance relationship, it will be a lot easier to manage.
2. Set Expectations Early
Problems often arise in long-distance relationships because you both have different expectations. Maybe one of you thinks that you will talk on the phone every night and message constantly, while the other one is happy to speak every couple of days. It’s important that you set expectations early so both of you are on the same page where communication is concerned. Have a conversation and discuss how committed you both are to the relationship and how often you expect to communicate. It’s likely that you will both have different expectations but if you come to a compromise, you will find it a lot easier to improve your relationship. The important thing is that you are both on the same page from the very beginning.
3. Talk Less Often
This may seem like the opposite of what you should be doing, but talking less often can actually help with long-distance relationships. If you are constantly messaging all day long and speaking on the phone every night, you will run out of things to stay and it can feel like things are going a bit stale. It’s better to focus on the quality of conversation rather than quantity. If you only speak every few days, you will have more to talk about and you will feel more connected to one another because your conversations are deeper than simple chat about how your day went.
4. Set Aside Quality Time
When you do have time to talk to one another, you need to make sure that you are not distracted by other things. Even though you are physically not spending time together, you should still treat it in the same way that you would if you were. Don’t have a conversation on the phone while you’re trying to do something else because your partner will be able to tell that you are not giving them your full attention and this will lead to tension. Make sure to be a gentleman and put time into your schedule for phone conversations, and when you do have free weekends, always make sure that you prioritize the relationship, use that time to visit one another, and do fun things as a couple. If you start to take one another for granted and you don’t set time aside in your schedule for one another, that’s when things will start to get difficult.
5. Maintain Trust
Trust is essential in a relationship and trust issues are more common in a long-distance relationship. If you know that your partner is out spending time with friends, you may worry about whether they are being faithful to you or if they are going to meet somebody that they like more than you. But if you let these kinds of thoughts take over, resentment will build and trust issues will drive you apart. It’s important that you maintain trust in your relationship and have faith that your partner is as invested as you are. Don’t question them about who they are with or what they are doing because this will just drive a wedge between you. If you really feel that you cannot trust your partner when you are not there, you need to question whether this relationship is right for you or not.
6. Don’t Neglect Other Areas Of Your Life
It’s very common for people in a long-distance relationship to neglect other areas of their life. You don’t want to be that person that spends all of your time on the phone to your partner because it will damage relationships with friends and family, who may feel that they have been shoved to the side. It also damages your relationship with your partner because you don’t have any experiences outside of your conversations with them, so you have nothing to talk about. Eventually, you may feel like your whole life is taken up by the relationship and trying to maintain it, and that leads to resentment.
Navigating a long-distance relationship is always tough, but if you follow these tips, you can make it through difficult times and build a strong relationship.
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