Long Distance Relationships – Do They Work?

Finding yourself in a long-distance relationship is never an ideal situation. But what can we say, you can’t always help who you fall in love with. Whether you met someone while travelling, your partner gets a job offer somewhere else or you moved home to be close to family – there are so many different reasons you might find yourself trying the long-distance thing. It may not be what you envisioned when it come to your relationship, but don’t give up without even trying. The truth is, long distance relationships can and do work, as long as you both are ready to put the work in.

Here are some tips to help your long-distance relationship work:

  1. Stay connected

This one goes without saying, but it’s important you communicate at a level you both feel comfortable. When making a relationship work long-distance, many couples go above and beyond and end up talking more than they would if they lived together. Don’t place this stress on your relationship. If you are normally the type of couple who only properly chats in the evening after work, then keep this same schedule. It is about finding what works for you, and not feeling the pressure to do more, just because of the distance.

  1. Plan ahead

If there is one thing you need to know about making it work long distance, it’s that you need to plan ahead. You should always have a trip booked in, whether you go to your other half, they come to you or you meet somewhere in between. It gives you both something to look forward to, to talk about and to plan together.

Sit down together and map out the next six months. When can you make trips happen and where will these trips be? Having a plan in place makes it easier on everyone.

  1. Embrace technology

When it comes to a long-distance relationship, technology really is your new best friend. There are so many different ways to communicate, and you can do it with video. You can have plenty of fun with it too. Here are some ideas for you to try:

  • Set up a video call at dinner time. Plan for the both of you to get the same takeaway from the same place and enjoy a meal together. It will almost feel as if you are sitting at the table together.
  • Do you have a show you always watch together? This doesn’t have to stop. Press play at the same time and call each other at the end to talk about it. You can even have them on a Zoom call on mute while the show is playing.
  • Keep missing each other on the phone? Record a video with what you wanted to say and send it across to them. It’s the perfect way to stay in touch when your schedules are working against you.

 

  1. Focus on the positive

There are going to be times that the long-distance thing just seems too hard. Don’t give up! You may be tempted to pack up your life and jump on a plane to go live with them, or possibly even break up with them, but it’s important to soldier on.

Remember why you agreed to this in the first place. Think about why you are doing it and respect your decision. Now start to think about the positives. With more free time on your hand, perhaps you can take up a hobby that you had never considered before? Maybe you can go out and spend more time with friends. Focus on the things that matter and not on how hard it is.

  1. Keep it interesting

Living far away doesn’t mean you can’t still spice things up a little. You simply have to be a little more creative with how you go about it. Now here it is the great thing about online shopping, you can have anything you like shipped to your other half.

Send them a little massage oil, some bath salts, and a candle to set the mood, with a little note of what time you will be making a video call. There are plenty of ways you can keep that spark alive, even with distance between you.

At the end of the day, long-distance relationships can and do work. In fact, most couples find themselves separated by distance at some point in their relationship. You have every chance of coming out stronger the other side.

But there’s no sugar coating it, they are hard and it takes dedication and commitment from both people to see it through. Make sure you talk about it together. Establish your why (why are you doing this), the time (how long for?) and how you plan to make it work (calls, trips, etc). With a solid plan in place, there is no reason you long-distance relationship can

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