Top 7 Tips: How to make a long distance relationship work?
Falling in love (in this case with a person, not a place) can be one of the many amazing side effects of traveling and studying abroad.
But after you return, not allowing physical distance to become emotional can be a challenge.
Sure, you don't have to shave your legs every day or clean your apartment all the time, but it will take determination, optimism, and effort to turn a temporary long distance into a long-term, permanent love affair.
Nothing is impossible, though, and these tips should help your romance flourish, no matter how many miles separate you. (Take it from a long-distance professional—a little effort really goes a long way.)
Know more: How long distance relationship works?
1. Find the best time to communicate (regularly)
Although text messages and emails work 24/7, sometimes you just need to talk and get immediate feedback.
Depending on the distance, it can take some time to find the best times to chat, but practice makes perfect and fun voicemails can make up for missed connections and bad timing.
And no, it doesn't matter if they can only call on Sunday mornings; the key here is simply spending that time with each other.
2. Find the best channels to stay in touch
Once you've figured out the moment, it's also important to find the perfect channels. Fortunately, it's never been easier or cheaper to stay in touch with the world: a Wi-Fi connection is usually all you need for Skype, chatting, and texting.
Make sure your main communication tool is easily accessible to both of you, and don't forget that a combination of different channels will make communication that much more exciting.
3. Be creative
Record an overnight audio message, write a letter, send a postcard, or put together a care package or mixed tape.
Use your imagination and find new and surprising ways to let the other person know that you are thinking of them.
This doesn't mean you have to clean out your bank account: instead of chartering a plane to write poems in the sky, why not hide cute post-it notes during your next visit?
4. Don't avoid fights
If you only see each other every few weeks or months, and maybe even speak a different language, it's easy to ignore problems or concerns.
No one wants to spend time arguing when you only have 48 hours together, but avoiding fights and staying away from arguments can be detrimental in the long run.
The more you talk about the things that are bothering you before they become major roadblocks in your relationship, the better.
However, don't fight over text or email (too much reading between the lines), but try to discuss it in person or over the phone as soon as it comes up. Having said this…
5. Talk it out
Always try to be open and honest about your feelings. Not knowing where the other person is right now or who they spent Saturday night with can lead to overthinking and needless panic.
Just because social media makes it easy to see (or imagine) how much fun someone had, it doesn't make it any easier.
It's important to trust each other enough to share your thoughts and feelings and find ways to deal with jealousy, anxiety, or self-doubt together.
6. See the glass half full
The fact that you'll basically be living your regular life while in a long-distance relationship can be both a blessing and a curse:
You may feel like you're missing out because it's harder to do "normal couple things," like choosing to get up from work or have lunch together.
However, it can also be a great advantage to be able to do your own thing: if you are studying or working long hours, you will not have to disappoint your partner and cancel dinner plans or movie nights, for example.
7. Do boring things together
When you only see each other a few times a year, everything feels like a vacation. Heck, it's probably a vacation because you'll be taking time off from work or school.
There's nothing wrong with taking it easy and sleeping in, eating lunch, and sightseeing, but it's also important to include some boring activities, you know, everyday things like folding laundry, running errands, or mowing the lawn.
Trying to make mundane activities fun and exciting together is a real test for any relationship, isn't it?
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