How To Make A Long-Distance Relationship Work
Long-distance relationships are tricky - there's no doubt about it. Not being able to see your love for weeks can take a toll on any relationship. The most important thing you need to understand, is that it requires serious effort from both parts to make it work. You can't ignore the problem, and hope for better times.
These are the most important points you need to know about how to make a long-distance relationship work:
1) Communicate with each other. Always. Don't leave your partner in the dark. Tell him or her how you feel and don't bottle up your feelings. It's easy to hide your thoughts when you can only speak once in a while on the phone or instant messages, but don't get fooled by this. You may think that you don't want to bother your partner with how you feel and risk upsetting them, but think about: Would you want your partner to hide his/her feelings from you?
These days staying in touch doesn't require a lot of effort either. Just a simple text message or e-mail, letting him/her know that you think about them goes a long way to keep the relationship alive. Make sure you talk to each other every day, even if it's just via text or a 2-minute phone call.
2) Plan ahead. Make sure you schedule enough time to visit each other. You'll have to prioritize, and it will cost a bit of money, but it's worth it. The more time you can dedicate to meeting, the better chance your relationship has of surviving.
Also make sure you don't try to fill the whole days with events when you finally meet. You also need time to just relax, curl up on the coach or enjoy a pleasant dinner together. Sometimes people think they need to make up for lost time when they finally meet, and get stressed out by all the expectations. Just take it slow.
3) Trust each other. This one goes hand in hand with the point about communication. If you don't trust your partner fully, then a long-distance relationship is probably not for you. It's normal to wonder what your partner is up to, maybe even get a bit jealous at time, but you need to be able to control it. No one likes to feel like their partner is keeping tabs on everything they're doing.
Show interest in your partner's life instead of asking suspicious question. Make sure he/she feels that you really care about what they're doing, and that they're on your mind at all times.
4) Don't lose hope. Sooner or later the long-distance ordeal will be over and you will be able to be together again. Worried that it might end before that? Don't be. Sure, the possibility is there, but that doesn't mean you have to dwell on it. Just take things one day at a time, and try to stay positive. If you feel like you're getting overwhelmed with negative feelings, talk to your partner about it. Sometimes we get all worked up about little things, but a good talk with your partner can get right back on the right track.
These are the most important points you need to know about how to make a long-distance relationship work:
1) Communicate with each other. Always. Don't leave your partner in the dark. Tell him or her how you feel and don't bottle up your feelings. It's easy to hide your thoughts when you can only speak once in a while on the phone or instant messages, but don't get fooled by this. You may think that you don't want to bother your partner with how you feel and risk upsetting them, but think about: Would you want your partner to hide his/her feelings from you?
These days staying in touch doesn't require a lot of effort either. Just a simple text message or e-mail, letting him/her know that you think about them goes a long way to keep the relationship alive. Make sure you talk to each other every day, even if it's just via text or a 2-minute phone call.
2) Plan ahead. Make sure you schedule enough time to visit each other. You'll have to prioritize, and it will cost a bit of money, but it's worth it. The more time you can dedicate to meeting, the better chance your relationship has of surviving.
Also make sure you don't try to fill the whole days with events when you finally meet. You also need time to just relax, curl up on the coach or enjoy a pleasant dinner together. Sometimes people think they need to make up for lost time when they finally meet, and get stressed out by all the expectations. Just take it slow.
3) Trust each other. This one goes hand in hand with the point about communication. If you don't trust your partner fully, then a long-distance relationship is probably not for you. It's normal to wonder what your partner is up to, maybe even get a bit jealous at time, but you need to be able to control it. No one likes to feel like their partner is keeping tabs on everything they're doing.
Show interest in your partner's life instead of asking suspicious question. Make sure he/she feels that you really care about what they're doing, and that they're on your mind at all times.
4) Don't lose hope. Sooner or later the long-distance ordeal will be over and you will be able to be together again. Worried that it might end before that? Don't be. Sure, the possibility is there, but that doesn't mean you have to dwell on it. Just take things one day at a time, and try to stay positive. If you feel like you're getting overwhelmed with negative feelings, talk to your partner about it. Sometimes we get all worked up about little things, but a good talk with your partner can get right back on the right track.