With the rise of online dating, an unreliable job market and military deployments, more and more people find themselves in long distance relationships. In the US alone, there are 3.5 million married couples who live apart.
Most people say that long distance relationship doesn’t work. I disagree. It does, but it’s no secret that maintaining a healthy and happy one takes a lot of hard work, dedication and patience from both parties.
That being said, here are the secrets to a happy, healthy and successful long distance relationship.
Commitment
First thing’s first – be committed. Unlike other types of relationships, LDR requires twice the effort, twice the patience, twice the love… etc. Make sure that you are ready to face and overcome the challenges of not being able to be with your partner physically. In order to develop and maintain your long distance relationship, both of you should be equally committed. Why waste each other’s time and effort if you are not even on the same page?
Trust & Honesty
It’s hard to trust your partner when you’re miles apart but without trust, your long distance relationship will not work. It will just result to insecurities, jealousy, and lots of fights. At the same time, you need to show your partner that you are trustworthy and 100% honest in your relationship. Keep in mind, no secret stays hidden forever.
Open Communication
Communication is one of the pillars of any long lasting relationship, and the key to a successful long distance relationship. Now that it’s 2017, there are tons of ways to communicate despite the distance. Fill in the void of not being together physically by constantly updating each other by your whereabouts through chat, exchange of pictures, calls, video calls, etc. Without constant communication, your relationship is doomed to fail.
Fun
Look for ways to spice things up and have fun even when you can’t be together physically. Whether it’s watching the same movie/tv show while talking to each other on the phone, play online games together, listen to the same music, eat together while on Skype… you just need to be creative.
Goal-Setting
I think the most important thing that makes a long distance relationship is to have a mutual goal of eventually being together. Whether it’s just a plan to visit each other, travel together, move in together, etc. Having a dream for your future and having something to look forward to can definitely help strengthen your relationship.
Being in a long distance relationship can sometimes make you feel alone and depressed but think of this as an opportunity to focus on yourself and spend more time for your own personal needs.
