Can Long-Distance Relationships be Successful?

Can long-distance relationships last? Or I will end up alone again? 

With the evolution of social media, now everything is possible if you have a good internet connection, a smartphone, or a tablet with you.

For many people, social media is also a great way to meet new people, make friends, and fall in love. It may sound crazy, but meeting the right person at the right time doesn’t ask you, “Hey, from which city are you?” or “Hey, are you also from Australia?” If this sounds a bit too familiar to you, then you’re going to be interested in reading the following lines.

You have finally found someone worth keeping after too many failed relationships or maybe even a divorce. And you two are truly happy.  However, it couldn’t be all sunshine and rainbows, so you end up being miles and miles away from the person you love.

Even if you are deeply in love and you manage to travel to see each other a lot more often than expected, there’s probably a part of you that questions, “Can long-distance relationships be a thing? If so, for how long can you do it without one of you moving closer?

Here is some advice from professionals in couple therapy to help your relationship endure, improve your emotional bond, and minimize the pain of geographical distance.

Communication is very important

…And by communication, we don’t mean texting because that’s the bare minimum. We live in an era where we have incredible access to each other at all times, but sending cute emojis and reels or funny GIFs isn’t exactly a way to stay in touch with someone you’re in a relationship with, especially if we’re talking about long-distance relationships.

Understanding one another’s expectations to deal with the distance is crucial when you first start a long-distance relationship. You might decide to have a FaceTime call in the morning and at night, or you might expect to talk on the phone once a day and text the other times.

There is no right or wrong answer, so work together on this. Your ability to communicate in the relationship will improve as you gain a better understanding of the expectations.

The overall frequency and duration of your daily or weekly texting, talking, or video chatting sessions should be talked about with each other. Additionally, another communication advice is that both of you be willing to adjust your communication style when life presents unplanned or new challenges.

What is your love language? Be willing to discover it together

Depending on your relationship experience until now, you may already know what you expect from someone. What is your love language? How do you express your feelings and emotions, etc.?

To make your relationship stronger, you should find out what your partner’s love language is and share your own. Positive affirmations, support, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch are the five love languages listed by research. And these are even more important, especially for the long-distance relationships.

Since having physical contact isn’t always possible, you can talk on the phone, make short videos with positive messages, or even send each other a small gift every once in a while.

Solve the issues whenever they appear

In any relationship, this is crucial, but in long-distance relationships, it may require immediate attention. To avoid blowing up in your partner’s face when you finally meet after many weeks or months, talk about the thing you’re bothered by immediately after it happens, even if it’s on the phone.

Try to be open with each other even though talking on the phone can be a bit awkward. Don’t avoid having tough talks. Pay attention to how you feel and let other people know. Maybe today is not going well for you and you miss your partner more than usual. You should help each other through the tough times because you are all in this together.

It takes time and work to learn how to talk about difficult topics, but it’s important for the health of your long-distance relationship that you don’t let small problems get worse.

Find a way to hang out together even if there’s distance between you two

Sounds hard, especially for long-distance relationships, right? I mean, how could you “spend time together” besides the phone calls?

Because you live far away from each other, you probably end up doing more things alone than you’d like. That’s why it is very important to find some things you can do together but from afar.

When you and your partner can do things together, you feel much closer to each other. To give you an idea, read the same book, watch the same show at the same time, or order from the same fast food chain.

It may seem like small things, but when you look at the big picture, it’s a huge win when you feel like pulling in two different directions.

Intimacy is another thing that’s very important in any relationship that wants to be healthy. Humans, by nature, crave attention, physical touch, and love. Those in long-distance relationships may find it challenging to fulfill these needs. get. However, just because something is challenging doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

The book Close the Distance: A Year of Weekly Tasks, Digital Dates, Challenges, and More to Keep the Magic Alive in Your Long-Distance Relationship was written to help and give advice to all couples who go through a relationship like this. Remember that you can still keep the spark alive, have great s*x, and still enjoy yourselves even if there’s a big distance between you two.

Build a solid foundation of trust

Every relationship goes through a jealousy phase, and this mainly happens because of the lack of trust. But when you’re in a relationship with a person who lives in the same city as you, it can be easier to manage.

For long-distance relationships, trusting one another is the vital pillar. If you or your partner are unable to trust each other, the relationship might be difficult to evolve.

Communicate and discuss trust and how important it is for long-distance relationships to work. Ask yourself: Do you already have trust in each other? Perhaps you’ve had trust issues in the past, which you or your partner should work on. Trust does not have to be earned right away, so talk about how you can build trust with one another.

Be reasonable about why you’re still apart

Your long-distance relationship will inevitably seem particularly challenging on certain days. To be with the person you love, you may even feel pressured to take an impulsive action, such as quitting your job.

Even though that may sound romantic, keep in mind that there’s a good reason you’re currently living far from the person you love. That explanation could be based on a family, work, or financial circumstance that must be resolved until the time is appropriate for you two to be physically together.

This is probably the best advice one can receive: Don’t waste months or years of hard work because you’re impatient to be together at last. Trust the process because one day it will happen!

Talk about the future of your relationship

At some point, depending on which direction your long-distance relationship evolves, you will have to have a serious conversation about the future.

You’ll need a plan to bring your worlds together if you’re in a relationship with the person you want to spend your life with. Make sure your plan takes into account the appropriate next step at the appropriate time for both parties, whether it be a wedding, engagement, job change, or relocation.

The most difficult days of being apart can be managed with the hope that one day you will be close to each other without thinking that one of you has to leave town again.

What do you feel about long-distance relationships? Are you currently in one? If so, what can you tell us about it?

You may also want to read: From Doubt to Confidence: 9 Tips to Overcome Imposter Syndrome in Your Relationship.