Ask anyone who is in one, and they will tell you it’s not easy to make a long-distance
relationship work. Long-distance relationships are tricky and even messier in most cases.
They require immense patience, faith, trust, and maturity to
keep them going strong. Hi viewers and welcome back to another Bestie video!
With people becoming more ambitious and career-oriented,
long-distance relationships are the order of the day. It can be really hard to not see your
partner and be with them physically on a regular basis. But there are ways by which
you can keep your long distance relationship fresh, exciting, and intimate. In today’s video,
we will tell you what they are. From creating rituals, having a schedule,
prioritizing each other, establishing expectations to sharing your calendars and more.
Communicate regularly:
Good communication is the key to any healthy relationship. To stay emotionally connected in
a long-distance relationship, you need to really let your partner know your feelings and emotions.
If you have a bad workday, your partner should be there to lend an ear, despite the distance.
In the physical absence of your partner, it is inevitable that you will have mood swings.
In that case, you need to share those feelings with your partner and keep the
emotional intimacy going. The daily exchange of texts and messages along with video calls
whenever possible will keep you connected and take the edge away from the distance.
Set an appropriate end date: Research suggests that when the partners know that the distance
is temporary, the relationship is more likely to survive long-distance. The
fact that you will be together in some months or years makes the entire journey
worth it. It will help you look at the bigger picture and be fully committed.
Create rituals: Rituals are valuable in relationships because they can help
create some structure and predictability. In order for rituals to be successful,
they must be repeated and have shared meaning.
You can have rituals for when you're together and when you're apart. For example,
you can decide on something to do each time you reunite,
such as visiting your favorite bakery. If you are consistent in the way you come back together,
you will be excited to do so, and it will create meaning at the moment.
When you're apart, you can create virtual rituals. For example, you can text each other something
that you love or appreciate about one another. This helps you both stay connected and feel loved.
Have a schedule: It won’t work for every circumstance, but if you and your partner
have consistent schedules, try to plan when you’ll Skype or email. It’ll help reduce
stress for both of you and give you something to look forward to. Most importantly, it will help
untether you from your phone or computer, which is important for your mental and physical health.
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Create a bucket list: It’s really easy to feel despondent during time apart. Create a list of
things you want to do—from books you want to read to places you want to visit to foods you want to
try. Whatever you love to do, make it a point to add it to your bucket list. Then start checking
your adventures off. It’ll give you something to look forward to and you’ll find you’ll have
plenty of interesting things to talk about when the Skype sesh with your partner rolls around.
Leave messages for the other to wake up to:
In different time zones, when you don’t have the opportunity to align your mornings and evenings,
leave your lover messages to wake up to. There’s nothing nicer than to start your
day with an extra dose of love and to know a special someone has been thinking about you.
Also, don’t underestimate the value of a voice note. If you’re not quite
at the letter writing stage, voice noting is definitely a step towards
wholesome. Hearing the voice of someone you care about can really make your day.
Get real honest and commit to understanding each other:
Long distance relationships can make for a whole lot of emotional confusion,
misunderstandings and challenges. There’s no doubt about it and we all deal with them differently.
For one of you it might not feel good to speak every day on the phone,
for the other that might be what they love. The best thing you can do is open
up a really honest conversation to establish how you’re both feeling.
Long distance relationships require a great deal of understanding,
patience, love, honesty and reevaluation. Keep checking in with each other and you’ll
find your groove. This is why video calling is a great tip for long distance relationships,
as a lot of emotion and intention can get lost through text.
Visit one another: When you’re in a long-distance relationship it can be tempting to plan fun,
exciting trips to see each other. Or it can feel practical to meet one another
in the middle of the two places where you live. But make sure you visit each other
in your hometowns so each person can see how the day-to-day works.
Prioritize each other: Long distance relationships take work, and it’s important that both partners
are prioritizing one another. If someone starts to distance, does not commit to plans,
starts to withdraw, it’s important to talk through
that. It’s imperative for both people to feel like they are being made a priority.
Establish expectations: How much contact do you want to have with your partner each day,
and how much do they expect from you?
Don't assume you and your partner are on the same page. Different people will have
different expectations around the frequency of texting, phone calls, and communication.
So it's good to have a direct conversation about what type of communication feels good for both.
Surprise each other: Another way to keep the excitement alive is to prioritize surprises, big
or small. You could have a gift sent to them, or perhaps even a carefully orchestrated visit. Other
ideas include sending flowers, a nice photo, an extended appreciation list, or tickets to an event
you can attend together in the future. This also gives both of you something to look forward to.
Do things together: It’s important to continue making new memories with your partner,
even when you aren’t physically together. Stream movies or shows, arrange for virtual dates, play
online games, recommend books to one another or share food recipes, there’s a lot that you can do.
Hobbies are the best way to bond. Make sure to choose something that both of you enjoy.
After all, a relationship is about compatibility.
Make an effort to stay in tune with your partner’s surroundings:
Stay informed about your partner’s local news and weather forecast. Be aware of any exciting events
or festivals happening in their city or town. This will give your partner the feeling that
you’re with them in spirit—dodging the rain, being blasted by the sun or navigating the traffic.
Travel together: Long-distance relationships work best when the couple commits to meeting
in person. Meeting in each other’s home countries might first come to mind,
but it might be even better to meet in the middle or at an exotic location. For example,
a couple split between New York and Jamaica could choose to meet in the
Bahamas or Florida for the weekend. They could even take a Caribbean cruise together.
Traveling can be therapeutic, especially for new couples. Learn more about the best flight
hacks by watching “Frequent Fliers Should Do This To Make Flights More Comfortable”
Take photos: We’re not just talking about duck-lips selfies, although if you’re good
at them go for it. Take photos of your day— where you eat lunch, what you wore, the book
you’re curling up with tonight. Think from your partner’s perspective—what do you think they miss?
And remember to keep it G-rated. Sending risqué photos is a great way to flirt with disaster.
Accept the distance: It is important to make peace with the fact that during this phase
of your relationship, your partner is not going to be around you physically. For this,
you need to fully understand the various reasons that caused this phase such as a job switch,
financial needs, family circumstances, whatever. Acceptance will make this a
much easier process for both of you. It’s gonna be hard, so try to go easy on yourself.
Share your calendars: Sharing your calendars or creating a shared calendar
for your relationship will help you feel more connected. This is especially helpful
when you're in different time zones and makes day-to-day communication that much smoother.
Plus, it also helps you avoid sending them a naughty text during an inappropriate time.
While these strategies can definitely make a long distance relationship work, it is very
important you keep the spark alive in your regular relationship as well. Learn more by watching:
15 Proven Ways To Build A Strong Intimate Relationship
Or
14 Ways To Keep The Spark Alive In Your Relationship
So go ahead and watch one or both the videos if you want to build a
strong intimate relationship full of life. Have you ever been in a
long distance relationship? Let us know in the comments section below!