55% of Americans claim they feel closer to their partner because of their long-distance relationship. Did you know that? It can be emotionally and mentally exhausting to work on a relationship from a distance, but it will ultimately be well worth the effort. Finding what works best for you and your spouse is crucial, followed by complete commitment. We’ll be talking about some of the finest strategies for sustaining a long-distance relationship in this blog. Keep an open mind and keep in mind that nothing is impossible, even though some of these suggestions might be difficult for you at first. You’ve come to the perfect place because everyone has to start somewhere! Take out a pen and paper so you may jot down any thoughts or ideas that occur to you. Let’s now read our 13 suggestions for a successful long-distance relationship and learn how to put them into practice!
Talk about the expectations.
Understanding one another’s expectations for managing the distance is crucial when you first start a long-distance relationship. You might decide to have a face-time call in the morning and at night, or you might plan to talk on the phone once a day and text the other times. Recognize that there is no right or wrong answer and work together on this. Your ability to communicate in the partnership will improve as you gain a greater understanding of the expectations.
Interaction
Nowadays, there are a lot of ways to communicate, so it’s critical to figure out which ones are most effective for you both. Selecting a few different communication channels will also help you keep things interesting. Over time, using just one method of communication can frequently become monotonous or redundant. Fun messages can be shared in a number of ways via SMS, Facetime, Snapchat, and many more.
Discover Each Other’s Languages of Love
Your relationship will be lot stronger if you can identify your partner’s love language and share your own. Words of encouragement, service, receiving gifts, spending quality time, and physical contact are the five languages of love. When dealing with distance, these are immensely beneficial. In an LDR, it might be challenging to act on your or your partner’s love language, which may be physical touch or quality time, but there are still things you can do. You can talk on the phone for a long time, make quick films with positive messages, or occasionally give a modest present. There are a lot of alternatives, so be creative and enjoy yourself!
Statements of Confirmation
One of the most crucial things you can do in a long-distance relationship is to send affirmations. The lack of physical contact and body language interpretation is exacerbated by the inability to interact face-to-face. Every day, communicate your feelings and show your lover how much you value them. This can be a fantastic opportunity to share affirmations and work on communication skills. Simple phrases like “I love you,” “I miss you,” “I love our phone calls,” “I can’t wait to talk about our days together,” and many more can give your relationship a sense of validation and significance.
Plan Your Calls Every Day
Discuss your schedules and determine a time that is convenient for both of you to conduct regular FaceTime or phone calls. The ability to talk on the phone every day is crucial to maintaining the relationship! Additionally, setting out a specific time each day for conversation creates something exciting to anticipate. Even if you might not be able to spend every day together in person, you can make interesting phone calls to make up for the lack of time.
Make each other a priority in your schedule.
It’s quite easy to become so preoccupied with your own schedule that you forget to put each other first. Recognize early on that the relationship must be a top priority if you want it to endure. You can accomplish this by keeping in mind the prior expectations and informing others of any scheduling modifications. There may be days when you feel that your priorities aren’t met, but that’s okay; remember that you can try again tomorrow.
Consider Alternatives
Don’t be alarmed by the fact that long-distance driving occasionally requires a lot of “thinking outside the box.” A creative virtual date night that involves making dinner or doing a craft together can make a big difference. Grand gestures aren’t always important; sometimes, what matters is the thought. Maybe you have a toy or small stuffed animal that you turn off every time you spend time together. When you want to do something enjoyable that you wish your spouse could join you, bring it along. Show them you are thinking of them by taking pictures to share.
Consider everything as a teaching moment.
Being in a long-distance relationship teaches you a lot. More than anything else, you’ll discover more about who you are and what you need! You’ll have more time to spend with loved ones and take care of yourself while you’re still in a committed relationship. Seize those chances! Relationships, family, and friends can be difficult at times, and you might want to give up. Simply remind yourself why it’s all worthwhile and reflect on your personal development.
Set aside time to visit one another.
This advice could be a little more sporadic, but it’s crucial! The time you spend apart is shortened when you have planned visits to each other. It gives you both something to anticipate; you could even display a countdown on your phone or in your house. Setting aside time to see one another demonstrates your commitment to the relationship and your willingness to give up other things in order to spend time together. When spending time together feels sacred or unique, so many wonderful memories can be created.
Remain upbeat
Recognize that there will be challenging and annoying moments. Additionally, resolve to maintain your cheerful attitude to the best of your ability. Being optimistic gives you the will to keep going, but it does not imply ignoring the difficult things. It’s okay to have bad days; keep in mind that your emotions are real! However, you might receive the greatest prize of your life if you persevere and maintain your positive outlook.
Express Your Feelings Directly
It’s common to be reluctant to express personal emotions, particularly when doing so hurts you. It might be hard and uncomfortable to talk on the phone, so try to be honest with each other. Don’t shy away from difficult talks. Pay attention to your emotions and express them. It’s possible that you are simply having a rough day and are missing your partner more than normal. You should help one another through the difficult times because you are all in this together.
Have faith in one another.
Perhaps the most crucial piece of advice of all is to trust one another. Trust is the cornerstone of fulfilling and long-lasting partnerships. Your relationship may suffer if you and your partner are unable to trust one other. Talk to each other and discuss trust: do you already trust each other? You or your spouse may need to work on trust issues if you have experienced them in the past. Although it doesn’t have to be achieved right away, discuss how you can both gain each other’s trust.
Be Available to Help
It’s crucial to have assistance of any form in life! Relying on your support network is important in long-distance relationships. Encourage one another to discuss difficulties with friends and family and support one another when times are tough. You may want to keep some parts of your relationship private, but when you are having difficulties, it can also be helpful to talk to close friends or family. Getting an outside viewpoint could be exactly what you need!
