11 Tips On Making A Long Distance Relationship Work

No one’s ever said that long distance relationships are easy, but the distance doesn’t have to ruin your relationship either. With the right commitment and communication, long distance relationships can actually be more stable than geographically close relationships. Simple adjustments to your attitude and lifestyle can help you keep your loved one in your life.

In this age of video call, messaging and texting, it seems that maintaining a long-distance relationship would be easier than ever before. Gone are the days of paying such sky-high rates for long-distance calls that they need to be rationed like precious jewels. But ask anyone who’s in a long-distance relationship: Technology can’t make up for everything. The lack of regular physical proximity still seems to make many long-distance relationships as emotionally tough as ever.

It is going to be easy – the extra distance makes many things unachievable. Things could get complicated, and you could get sad and lonely at times.

Long distance relationships may be tough but they have their own surprises too. To keep your love alive and strong, here are 11 tips to make your long distance relationship work:

1. See it as an opportunity.

View it as a learning journey for both of you. See it as a test of your love for each other. As the Chinese saying goes, “Real gold is not afraid of the test of fire.” Instead of thinking that this long distance relationship is pulling you two apart, you should believe that through this experience, both of you will be bound together even stronger.

2. Set some ground rules to manage your expectations.

Both of you need to be clear with what you expect of each other during this long distance relationship. Set some ground rules so that none of you will do things that will take the other party by surprise.For instance, are you two exclusive? Is it alright for the other person to go on dates? What is your commitment level? It’s better to be open with each other about all these things.

3. Avoid excessive communication.

It is unwise to be overly “sticky” and possessive. You two don’t really have to communicate 12 hours a day to keep the relationship going. Many couples think that they need to compensate for the distance by doing more. This is not true. And it might only make things worse. Soon you would get tired of “loving.”Remember: Less is more. It is not about spamming – you are only going to exhaust yourselves. It’s really about teasing at the right moments and tugging at the right spots.

4. Try to communicate regularly, and creatively.

Greet each other “good morning” and “good night” every day – this is a must. On top of that, try to update your partner on your life and its happenings, however mundane some of the things may seem.To up the game, send each other pictures, audio clips and short videos from time to time. By putting in this kind of effort, you make the other person feel loved and attended to.

5. Talk dirty with each other.

Sexual tension is undoubtedly one of the most important things between couples. Sexual desire is like a glue that keeps both parties from drifting apart. Not only is sex a biological need, it is an emotional one as well.Keep the flames burning by sending each other teasing texts filled with sexual innuendos and provocative descriptions. Sexy puns work pretty well too.

6. Avoid “dangerous” situations.

If you already know that going to the club or going drinking with your group of friends late at night will displease your partner, then you should either 1. Not do it or 2. Tell your partner beforehand so as to reassure him/her.Don’t be careless about this sort of matter because your partner is only going to be extra worried or extra suspicious, and of course, very upset, because you are putting him/her in a position where he/she feels powerless or lacking in control.Also, It could be easy for you to fall into the trap which you, unconsciously or not, set up for yourself by “hanging out” with your office eye-candy after work, or going out with a girl or guy from your past who has been flirting with you. You need to recognize the dangers before entering into the situation. Don’t just listen to your heart. Listen to your mind too.

7. Stay honest with each other.

Talk about your feelings of fear, insecurity, jealousy, apathy, whatsoever. If you try to hide anything from your partner, that secret will sooner or later swallow you up from inside out. Don’t try to deal with things all by yourself. Be open and honest with each other. Let your partner help you and give you the support you need. it’s better to look at the problem during its initial stage than to only disclose it when it’s all too late.

8. Know each other’s schedules.

It’s helpful to know when the other person is busy and when he/she is free, so that you can drop a text or make a call at the right time. You wouldn’t want to disturb your partner when he/she is in the middle of class or halfway through a business meeting. Know the small and big events that are taking place or will take place in each other’s life e.g. college mid-terms and exams, important business trips and meetings, job interviews and etc. This is especially essential when the both of you are living in different time zones.

9. Keep track of each other’s social media activities.

Like each other’s photos on Facebook and Instagram. Tweet each other. Tag each other. Share things on each other’s walls. Show that you care. Be cool about stalking each other.

10. Stay positive.

You need to be constantly injecting positive energy into the long distance relationship to keep it alive. Yes, the waiting can be painful and you can sometimes feel lonely but you need to remind yourself that the fruits at the end will be sweet as heaven. One good trick to staying positive is to be grateful all the time. Be thankful that you have someone to love — someone who also loves you back. Be thankful for the little things, like the hand-made letter that arrived safely in your mailbox the other day. Be thankful for each other’s health and safety.

11. Video-call whenever possible.

Because looking into each other’s eyes and hearing each other’s voices can make everything feel alright again.

This article is an excerpt from: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/21-best-tips-making-long-distance-relationship-work.html