Many people, when faced with the prospect of their partner being miles away from them, tend to be pessimistic about the days ahead. However, it is important for you to understand that distance is not a barrier to a good relationship but rather a hurdle that one can jump, hand in hand with their partner, and overcome with the use of the right strategies and mutual support. Here are some valuable tips on how to deal with long-distance relationships.
Communication is key
In a long-distance relationship, communication is essential and can either make or break your relationship. You should consider openly communicating with your partner and creating your own safe space within the relationship where you can talk about anything and everything. Sometimes, due to the distance, you may feel disconnected from your partner. You should not go through that alone, but instead, share these feelings with your partner and allow each other room for support. At the end of the day, you should be each other’s emotional anchors and safety nets. Overall, by promoting open dialogue in a relationship, the groundwork for a resilient relationship is prepared.
Make it fun
Who says not being physically present should mean boring? A long-distance relationship offers you the opportunity to be innovative, creative, and have unique experiences with your partner. Tailor your games, conversations, and activities in creative and fun ways that are not affected by the distance. This may mean sending silly snaps, playing silly games, or even streaming a movie together with your partner and just letting loose and opening up to new experiences within your relationship.
Don’t compare your relationship to others
As the saying goes, ‘comparison is the thief of joy’. Yearning for your loved one to be there with you is not a problem, as it is normal to miss your partner. However, the moment you start comparing your relationship to other people’s relationships is when the problems start. Naturally, comparison comes with highlighting the obvious missing pieces of a certain party. By virtue of it being a comparison, one party needs to have something ‘amiss’. This can only lead to stress, and it may make you overlook the fact that being different does not mean being less beautiful. Stick to appreciating your relationship for what it is.
Make time
It is important for you to make time for your partner when you are in a long-distance relationship. In the same way, you would clear your schedule to go on a physical date and have ‘you’ time with your partner, is the same way you should consider clearing your schedule to make time to talk with your partner. Depending on the different time zones separating you and your partner, you may find it very difficult to find time to chat and just be there for each other, but compromise is essential. Make time for your partner and treat it as a priority. Just because you aren’t physically there does not promote either of you being emotionally absent.
Have something to look forward to
Having something to look forward to keeps the optimism going in the relationship. It may be as simple as milestones, birthdays, a vacation, or your next visit to see your other half. This gives both you and your peace, as it replaces the feeling of ‘not knowing what the future holds’. Having these small milestones to look forward to also keeps you and your partner in sync, making the relationship healthier.
Trust and be trustworthy
Trust is essential in a long-distance relationship as it fosters emotional security, reduces anxiety, and enables effective communication. Although trusting someone may be hard, it is important to challenge negative thoughts and negative assumptions that may lead you to trust your partner. Remind yourself of your partner's positive actions based on your prior experiences, and allow them the room to properly love you without being micromanaged. You also need to be trustworthy and cultivate tendencies that make it possible for your partner to trust you. These tendencies range from honesty to consistency, transparency, and owning up to your mistakes.
Keep the romance going!
It is easy to overlook the romance aspect when you are miles away from your partner. However, distance is not a barrier to romance. You should consider unique ways to be romantic with your partner tailored to your relationship. This can be sending care packages, making the same meals virtually, or even falling asleep together on video chats.
Understand how your partner wants to be loved
A common mistake that many people make is assuming that everyone wants to be loved in the same way that they themselves want to be loved. People receive and give love differently. Love can be versatile, and because of this, it is important to understand what makes your partner feel most loved. Is it through words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or other tailored ways? Make an effort to understand how your partner wants to be loved and make use of that invaluable knowledge by implementing it.
Don’t overthink it
A common hindrance to the success of a long-distance relationship is overthinking. This can mean reading too much into anything and everything that is happening in the relationship. Just because your partner did not answer your call does not mean they love you any less. Relax, breathe, and let it flow. There is no such thing as a perfect relationship, and even after everything is planned for and catered for, there are always new, unexpected scenarios that emerge. Allow room for mistakes without overthinking, as this will only stress you and, in turn, strain your beautifully flawed relationship.