25 Expert Tips To Make a Long Distance Relationship Work
Navigate the challenges of long-distance love with these 25 expert tips to keep your relationship strong, connected, and full of love—no matter the miles!
If you’ve ever been in a long distance relationship you know that it comes with its own set of challenges and rewards. You want your relationship to flourish, but sometimes the miles in between you can make you feel distant. Whether cities, countries, or continents separate you, maintaining a strong emotional connection is essential for success, but you’ll both have to want to put in the work.
From living in different time zones, mismatched schedules, missed calls, and busy calendars–it can feel almost impossible at times to carve out a few minutes with your loved one to connect. But stay hopeful! According to Deborah J. Cohan, Ph.D., “we can live apart well and still be fully, deeply in love and committed.” Check out these tips to enhance communication, build trust, and ensure emotional reliability.
After sustaining a long-distance relationship (LDR), you may begin to realize that what would be considered “the little things” in a normal distance relationship, are really the big things. Scheduled check-ins, sending love letters, mailing each other thoughtful little gifts, and being very intentional with each other’s time are all ways you can express just how much you love your person.
Keep reading to find out how to make a long distance relationship work, strengthen your bond, and keep the romance alive, no matter how far apart you are. Turn miles into mere numbers with these expert LDR tips.
Let each other know what you need from the relationship in terms of communication frequency and visits. Establish a routine for calls, video chats, or texts that help you stay in touch.
Build trust through transparency and reliability. Stay honest about difficulties. It’s okay to admit when things are tough as long as you’re working together to ensure that you both feel cared for and loved.
This shows your partner you’re thinking about them, even when there’s physical distance between you. Think of your partner’s reaction when they receive a personalized gift, like a photo book of your memories as a couple, as a surprise piece of mail!
When couples schedule visits and have a good idea of when they’ll be spending time together, they can plan activities and social life independently while not together.
Keeping an open mind and knowing that life happens is important. Be adaptable to changing plans.This requires trust and clear communication.
Take advantage of phones, reliable Wi-Fi, a car, or other means of transportation to stay connected regularly.
It’s normal to disagree from time to time. However, it’s crucial to find ways to talk about negative feelings without causing more harm. Reactions such as passive-aggressiveness, withholding, or berating hurt relationships, especially when physically far away. This is why communication and trust are so important to ensure both parties feel heard, secure, and loved.
Deborah J. Cohan states that “it’s important to hold onto each other in ways that cultivate closeness and profound intimacy while giving each other necessary breathing space.”
You can still share experiences when you live far apart. Plan cute virtual dates like cooking the same meal while video chatting, watching a movie at the same time, participating in virtual museum tours, and playing online games.
This seems to be the most common piece of advice from experts. Make sure you’re sharing your feelings, worries, and experiences openly and honestly. Make an effort to understand each other’s point of view and actively listen.
Call each other and exchange virtual surprises, gifts, or handwritten letters on anniversaries, birthdays, and other milestones.
Encourage each other to follow personal goals and passions outside the relationship. It’s important to use time apart for self-improvement and hobbies, and be excited for each other when there's an accomplishment. Don’t neglect your own life.
Visits are a must to keep intimacy, connection, and romance alive. Arrange get-togethers to make fun memories and spend quality time by each other’s side. This should be a priority to both of you. Try new things, see new places, and get closer in person.
To continue to share these special moments together once a trip comes to an end, consider creating a vacation photo book so you can relive these one-of-a-kind experiences together. Get creative with these 13 Awesome Tips for Making Special Travel Photo Books.
Keep a positive attitude. Even if temporary, distance can be hard, so it’s important to remember why you’re in the relationship in the first place, why you love each other, and how happy you are when you’re together.
Stay focused on your promising future together and your long-term objectives. Discuss future plans, like the possibility of closing the distance, to stay motivated.
Be mindful of each other’s schedules and time zones, and plan times to talk when you both have free time.
Plan activities you want to do together in the future (think new foods, fun travels and more).
Keep photos or mementos of each other nearby to remember the super-romantic moments you spent together!
Understand that challenges will arise and LDRs take time and effort. Stay patient, resilient, and supportive of each other during these times.
Small gifts, notes, love letters, photo books, or even an unexpected text can make your partner’s day. Be thoughtful and get creative to keep the romance alive.
Address feelings of insecurity openly and constructively, and listen to each other’s needs.
Show genuine interest in your partner’s daily life and the little details. Ask thoughtful questions.
Surround yourself with a supportive community.
Discuss what’s acceptable in your relationship.
Enjoy the unique aspects of your relationship!
Making a long distance relationship work requires commitment, communication, and creativity. By following these LDR tips, you can navigate the challenges of distance while keeping the romance alive. Remember, it’s all about staying connected and supporting each other through the ups and downs.
Something as simple as sending a photo book filled with photos from your relationship (and captions of your inside jokes), or a subscription photo book so you can keep your memories together (even when there’s physical distance between you). So, if you ever find yourself wondering how to survive a long distance relationship, just lean into these strategies and stay hopeful! With dedication and love, you can bridge the distance and strengthen your bond even further.
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