Relationships are tough but long-distance relationships are even harder! No one tells you what to do when your relationship becomes long-distance out of nowhere. I naively figured all long-distance relationships were agreed upon at the very start, possibly due to the couple in question meeting online.
I learned the hard way that not everyone who ends up in a long-distance relationship knew they would have to be apart for long at all at the beginning of their relationship. Anything can happen, really, from transferring schools or simply graduating and beginning a new chapter of your life. Sometimes life just intervenes and you just have to deal with it.
But whether you are the one moving away or the one being left (momentarily), there are a couple of ways to help cope with this sudden time apart.
Focus on Yourself
Like I mentioned before, I’ve been there. And while time apart from your partner is always difficult at first, it also opens up the opportunity to be more independent. Don’t get me wrong, relationships are a beautiful thing, and having someone to get through life with is awesome, but it’s easy to lose yourself if you’re with someone else 24/7.
If you’re anything like me, you want to spend time with your partner every chance you get, but moments of distance like these will help you remember that you’re your own person too! This gives you the chance to focus on things you enjoy that you might’ve neglected having spent all your time with another person. These moments allow you to spend that extra time you would’ve spent with your partner doing other things. This could include forgotten hobbies like painting, drawing, writing, or even the schoolwork you might’ve fallen behind on. Not to say you can’t share these activities with another person, but this gives you the opportunity to learn to enjoy your own company again and remember you can have fun on your own too!
Communication is Key
That being said, you also shouldn’t neglect your partner during this time! Without your partner at arms-length, it’s easy to forget they even exist at times. Maybe that’s just me, but it’s important to work against moments like this and recognize that it’s just a defense mechanism to cope with your person’s absence, and may even be a little destructive to the quality of your relationship.
Instead, remember to nurture your relationship and make time to talk. You’ll be working with different schedules, obviously, but a FaceTime call at the end of your day or whenever your free time syncs up can go a long way. And while it might seem impossible to be affectionate while you’re so far away from each other, sending a little “I love you” text will help maintain your connection to one another. Letting your partner know they’re on your mind is a surefire way to make them feel special while also reminding them you’re still there.
Be Patient, It’s Worth It
This may be one of those relationships where the distance will last for a long while and you’ll only be able to see each other every now and then until you can be together on a more consistent basis. Or maybe the distance you’re experiencing is simply due to the fact that school’s back in session so you can’t spend every waking minute together. Either way, everyone has their own capacity to withstand certain amounts of time away from their person. But reminding yourself that this time away from each other is just as valuable as the time spent more closely together is key to getting through it.
Patience is a skill that long-distance relationships will teach you to master. Believe it or not, this time apart can help you connect on a deeper level and grow as a couple so once you come back together you’ll be stronger than ever!
No one wants to be away from their partner for too long, and you won’t be. Whether this distance is planned to last a week, a month, or a year, you need to remember that there will soon be an end to this distance and you will be reunited once more!