No one ever said long distance relationships were easy, but they don’t have to be so hard either. They don’t have to ruin your relationship; neither do they have to be the end of it. Distance makes the heart grow fonder and sincerely that’s one of the truest statements in existence. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 6 ways to make a long distance relationship work.
Stay in Contact
A lot of people miss the point of this and believe this means you have to talk every single day the two of you are apart, but the truth is it depends. What are you and your partner comfortable with? Talk about it. The point of staying in contact is to nurture the emotional connection between the two of you. You and your partner should define what ‘staying in contact’ is for the two of you and how best to do it based on what the two of you are comfortable with.
Remember That Your Partner is Human
Distance makes the heart grow fonder, but unfortunately you grow so fond of your partner that you begin to idealize him/her and forget that they are human. No one is perfect, they are going to have tough days and might not be able to talk to you as much or as enthusiastically as they once did. Don’t be so afraid of this and don’t think the relationship is over because of this. Be understanding, be supportive, be a listening ear and be there for them. Give them what they need, even if what they need is sometime on their own to deal with things.
Don’t Be Afraid
There is no relationship that can survive without trust. Honestly, a long distance relationship is a true test of trust because in that period you have to believe in the person you say you love and trust them to be good. Pray for them if it makes you feel more comfortable (that is, if you are the religious type) but by all means learn to trust them. Stop thinking every change in their attitude, voice or demeanour is because they are tired of you or the relationship. Such fear isn’t good for your blood pressure, heart rate and general well-being.
Visit Each Other/Regularly keep in touch
If there are opportunities for the two of you to visit each other, then do so as often as you can but it should be as agreed between the two of you. If there is no opportunity for the two of you to visit each other, then you two should regularly keep in touch and do things together at the same time over apps or softwares like Facetime, Skype, IMO, WhatsApp video call among others. This is done to promote bonding and basically just to see each other. This largely helps to deal with loneliness in the relationship on both ends.
Make Each Other Feel Special
The lovely thing about long distance relationships aside the fact that they can make you grow fonder, is that they help you become more attentive to the little things in your relationship. Just doing little things like surprising your partner with a sweet message, ordering something nice for your partner online etc. can help you make each other feel very special and keep the fire burning in your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
As much as you remain positive, also be realistic. Long distance relationships can fail, then again what relationship can’t fail? You should understand that every kind of relationship needs work, dedication and attention, so you should invest these in your relationship. Prepare yourself for bumps along the road, but never fear them. You can talk about it with your partner and prepare yourself to avoid or navigate through possible bumps along the way. In the end, the challenges can contribute to a better relationship; it just depends on how the two of you manage it.
