Making a Long-Distance Relationship Work
Long-distance relationships are more common than ever now and so many use dating apps and the internet to find love. Long-distance love can be every bit as good as dating someone who lives in the same city as you but it does have its own unique challenges, which is why you may need to put extra effort into making it work.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few things you can do to make your long-distance love last:
Set your boundaries
As soon as you start dating someone long-distance, it is a good idea to have a discussion about boundaries. How often do you want to text? Call? Meet up? Are you happy for them to continue dating or do you want to be exclusive? Think about exactly what you are and are not comfortable with and agree on some ground rules.
Don’t stop doing you
It can be tempting when you are dating long-distance to stay in every evening Facetiming your guy or girl, but this is unlikely to lead to a healthy and long-lasting relationship. You need to get out and have fun, and if a partner wants you to lock yourself sway then they probably do not have your best interests at heart, and your relationship will simply not be sustainable.
Make time
Of course, you do need to make time for your boyfriend or girlfriend too. You might not be at quite the level of applying for a fiance visa and getting married, but if you are serious about them, then you need to schedule regular dates, whether remotely or in person and you need to honor them. When you live apart, you spend so little time together that it is just not fair to bail on a date unless there is a really important reason that you must.
Switch things up
Instead of Facetiming every night, spend some time sending cute Snapchats or talking on the phone like a regular person. Meet each other online in virtual reality games, and basically do what you can to switch things up and stop them feeling same-y all the time.
Be honest
Honesty is really important in long-distance relationships because you are not around each other often and it is easy to become paranoid or suspicious. If you are always scrupulously honest, this is less likely to be an issue.
Intimacy is important
When you live long-distance, it might not be possible to snuggle and have sex very often, but it is important that you still keep the intimacy alive as best you can in any way you feel comfortable. From sending sexy texts to having intimate time to talking sexy to each other down the phone line, anything you can do to maintain intimate links will help to keep your long-distance relationship alive.
Making a long-distance relationship work takes time and commitment. You need to want it enough to make it happen. If it all feels too much, then maybe the person is not right for you after all.