Handful Tips | How to Make a Long-Distance Relationship Work
Working on building trust and intimacy despite the distance is key for those who wish to know how to make a long-distance relationship work.
You might have met them through a matchmaking service or through other means. Then, one day, they happen to receive an incredible job opportunity abroad. Now, you’re faced with the numerous challenges that long-distance relationships bring to the table.
Figuring out how to make a long-distance relationship work can be frustrating, especially if it’s your first experience with one. Let’s not beat around the bush: long-distance love is difficult. It requires you to learn about time zone differences, adapt your schedule to theirs, and manage the emotional rollercoaster of worry, anxiety, and trust.
But can long-distance relationships work?
It absolutely can.
Backed up by one recent study, there are not many differences between people who date locally and those who love from a distance. In fact, due to their efforts to communicate, be romantic, and express their feelings, long-distance couples seem to perform even better.
With the right LDR relationship tips, yours can thrive despite its flaws.
What Can You Do to Make an LDR Work?
There is much more to managing a long-distance relationship than simply counting down the days until you can get back together. What you can do to make your relationship flourish is as follows:
Set Expectations
Set clear expectations for how to communicate and how frequently. Determine which schedules work best for you both and which method of communication you prefer. Take into account your other obligations and pursuits to avoid overcommitting, disappointing one another, or adding to your relationship’s stress.
Different time zones can make this tricky, so make sure you give grace to each other. For example, you may just be starting your day while they’re about to go to bed.
Prepare for the Uncertainties
You can’t always predict what communication problems will arise in a long-distance relationship. Their working tasks may be too demanding for them to check their phones during the day, the Wi-Fi may be poor, or the bad weather may be interfering with their signal.
Talk about the very real potential for issues so that you won’t be caught off guard. Pay attention to their stories as well to see if they all add up.
Be Emotionally Supportive
Since you can’t be physically together, make it up by being emotionally there for one another. Keep tabs on your partner’s life so you can send comforting virtual hugs when needed, or check in after a stressful day. Share any new developments in your lives with one another.
You can discuss any new food you’ve tried, new connections you’ve made, and hobbies you’ve taken up. Passing along these details will make your partner feel like they are truly a part of your day, even if you are thousands of miles apart.
Have Shared Experiences
Shared experiences bring you closer together. Thanks to technology, you no longer have to wait months or years for a response. Numerous apps are available for you to try in order to make your relationship enjoyable. These apps allow you to play games, stream movies, and even share a calendar of events.
Make thoughtful gestures to convey your commitment. Every experience you make together is a step towards a shared future.
Know When to Step Back a Little
Chatting or video calls can become overwhelming. You can talk less if your routines are becoming too much to handle or if you are having trouble coming up with topics to discuss. This will help your conversations stay fresh and will make every virtual meetup more special.
Realizing that relationships are not always upbeat does not imply that the love is waning. It all comes down to finding solace and trusting in one another.
The Harsh Realities of Long-Distance Relationships
The 3 harsh facts about long-distance relationships include increased jealousy, becoming emotionally distant, and having an unclear future together.
Understanding these 3 harsh facts about long-distance relationships is crucial to sustaining and strengthening your bond from afar. Here, we look into the negative elements and key strategies that can help you through them:
Increased Suspicion and Jealousy
Your imagination can run wild since your partner is away and will be interacting with new people. You may even measure yourself against your partner, brewing jealousy and lowering your self-esteem. This also intensifies fear, such as fear of being replaced, betrayed, or abandoned.
How You Can Deal With This
Be honest with your partner about your feelings. Work together to build trust, focus on developing your confidence, set clear boundaries with each other, and respect their personal space.
High Risk of Becoming Emotionally Distant
Even though nothing noteworthy occurred, it is common for couples in long-distance relationships to feel alienated from one another. During some days or weeks, you would feel a strong bond with them, but at other times, you would feel distant and unconnected. The risk with this is that you may lose your willingness to put forth effort in the relationship, resulting in a loss of intimacy between you two.
How You Can Deal With This
Make an effort to call each other on a regular basis. Set dates when you can catch up, make plans to see each other as soon as possible, and be more expressive of your affection through sweet words and gifts.
Unclear Future Plans
Because of the lack of physical intimacy and the compromises to manage communication with them, long-distance relationships face uncertainties in moving forward. LDR is a better option if you have specific plans to move in closer within a few years. Would you even try to maintain the relationship if you are not sure if this is something you two can accomplish?
How You Can Deal With This:
Communicate openly and frequently. Establish clear expectations and find ways to spend time together even when you are apart. Look into future plans to get closer, support one another’s interests, and frequently use positive affirmations about your relationship when speaking.
Every relationship, whether domestic or international, benefits from effective communication, generosity, and respect for one another. Treating them with the utmost love and kindness is something we firmly believe in when it comes to learning how to make a long-distance relationship work.
So, if your lover is thousands of miles away, do not give up hope. You most likely have a good chance, if not a better one, than the other people in the dating pool as long as you keep these in mind.
References:
Church, C. (2024). “Long-Distance Relationships: Can They work?”. UF/IFAS Extension SMARTCouples.
https://smartcouples.ifas.ufl.edu/dating/coping-with-problems-and-challenges/long-distance-relationships-can-it-work/#:~:text=Scientists%20have%20taken%20a%20look,average%2C%20that's%20not%20true%20either.