Okay, I get it, the phrase “long distance” is one that holds many negative stereotypes when it comes to relationships. Time away from your significant other can be hard, trust me. However, it’s not all infrequent phone calls and tissue boxes. When you are forced to spend time away from your partner, you are granted a period to really reflect upon the value your relationship adds to your life. While you are away from one another, you have ample time to talk and continue to learn about one another more than you would have when just relaxing and watching Netflix. You are even granted more time to fully involve yourself in your own interests and passions. Even though this all may sound great, it only is if you are able to make this type of relationship work best for you!
There are many factors necessary to build confidence in your relationship. Communication, first and foremost, is key. We have such incredible access to tools like FaceTime, texting and social media that it has become much less difficult to reach out to those we love. Personally speaking, FaceTime has been a life saver. I can’t tell you how amazing it is to be able to see my partner’s face throughout the day. Every emotion and giggle helps me get to the next time we see one another. By communicating regularly, you are building trust within your relationship by talking about your daily activities, who you are spending time with, what your dreams are, so all of the “what-if” thoughts about what your partner may be doing gradually fade away.
When in a long distance relationship, it is essential to have some sort of a schedule. When I say “schedule,” I mean a loose timeline of when you will see your partner again. My partner and I both feel that we want our expectations to be the same, so we establish when we will see one another next while we are together. This also helps each of us plan when we need to get ahead on school work and balance the other facets of our lives in order to maximize our time together. By setting expectations, you are better able to manage your emotions, activities and overall wellbeing. This year especially, it has been difficult to see my partner with lockdowns. Even though this may sound silly, we started doing FaceTime dates and let me tell you, I am living for them. We find a time when we are both available and set up a movie or make some hot chocolate and just watch and talk with one another. Given the circumstances, it’s a wonderful way to ignite the spark and mix things up. By creating this virtual ambiance, you can choose what you do and when to do it while building a unique moment with one another.
At the end of the day, all relationships are different. Long distance relationships may work for some and not others. That’s okay! In any type of relationship you may have, you both must be putting in equal amounts of effort. It takes a lot of time and emotional strength, and you should not be the only one trying. For me, long distance has been more than worth it. I encourage anyone who’s reading this to do what is best for you. Every relationship is unique and as you have read, there are a multitude of ways to make it work best for your circumstances.