Making Long-Distance Relationships Work

Whether it’s college, a job or just life’s circumstances that are keeping you apart, having a long-distance relationship isn’t nearly as rare as it used to be.

And with today’s readily available technology, there are a number of ways to keep the spark burning.

Absence can make the heart grow fonder, but it can also really suck. If you’re away from your sweetie for long lengths of time, set aside some time each week to have a Skype date. You can make your dates fun too — bring the laptop into the kitchen and cook the same meal together or settle in to watch your favorite show. Just knowing the other person is “there” with you can make those nights a little less lonely.

Just because you’re not together doesn’t mean you have to put your life on hold. You’ll have a lot more to talk about during your chats if you’re out and about having new experiences.

Technology has made long-distance relationships a heck of a lot easier but that doesn’t mean you should forget about some old-fashioned courtship. Send postcards with private jokes. Mail a care package of treats for a holiday or anniversary. It can be a wonderful surprise for someone who’s expecting just another email.

“As long as you’re both working towards that goal and

encouraging each other, your relationship can survive the distance.”

Being away from loved ones is no easy task, but obsessing about the next visit or conversation won’t make the pain easier. Whether it’s a text, email or phone call you’re expecting, checking every 10 seconds and working yourself into a frenzy is not going to make it come any quicker. It’s fine to look forward to your precious moments together, but impatience can quickly turn from excitement to resentment. Remember, your hearts may be as one but right now your schedules are not.

Today’s smart phone technology makes it easy to share good times with loved ones far away and for long-distance couples that can mean sexy times too. But save the peep show for when you get together in person — it’s just not a good idea to have naked pictures of you floating around. You may trust your mate but how about the person who steals their phone or laptop? At the very least, you don’t want to be showing your elderly aunt pictures of your cousin’s wedding and then OOPS.

If no matter what your partner says you think they’re cheating on you while apart, then it’s time to rethink the whole long-distance thing. Trusting the other person is the absolute most important thing you can do to make the relationship work. If you can’t deal with not knowing how they spend their time, then you may need to seek love a little bit closer to home.

The most important thing is that you both have the same goal in mind. Of course, every relationship is different — some couples may want to live together eventually, while others are just happy to live within driving distance! But no matter what it is, as long as you’re both working towards that goal and encouraging each other, your relationship can survive the distance.