Long-Distance Relationships Are More and More Common

Distance can be a big challenge in a relationship. However, communication, trust, and respect can keep it from becoming too big of a burden.

Written and verified by the psychologist Laura Rodríguez.

Last update: 21 December, 2022

Long-distance relationships aren’t for everyone. Some people would find it impossible to have their significant other hundreds of miles away. However, for some people, distance is what keeps the spark of love alive. Missing each other and not seeing each other for days or even weeks can make everything more intense.

For others, distance is something they put up with because they believe that love is more important than anything else. The decision to be physically apart is complicated for these couples, and sometimes painful. However, they resign themselves to the personal and/or professional circumstances at hand and make do.

It’s important to note that, at the beginning of a relationship, the desire to constantly touch, hug, and kiss your partner is very strong. You want to be close to your partner, and you need to spend time with them. This desire for closeness and affection usually continues as the relationship progresses.

While it’s true that every person is unique, certain issues come up with most long-distance relationships. Questions such as: “Can I really handle this?” and “How can I keep the flame alive at a distance?” are common. Next, we’re going to talk about some factors that will help you keep your relationship going in spite of the distance.

Communication is key in long-distance relationships

For a long-distance relationship to work, good communication is absolutely crucial. The technologies we have today make distance less of an obstacle than it used to be. You can talk to your significant other for hours with a messaging app and video calls offer a certain intimacy that wasn’t possible before.

A study led by Crystal Jiang about long-distance relationships published in the Journal of Communication looks at data that supports the idea that people in long-distance relationships have stronger bonds than other couples. According to the study, long-distance relationships foster deeper and more meaningful communication.

It’s important to clarify that communication includes talking about things you don’t like or things that bother you. In long-distance relationships, couples often try to avoid conflict because they don’t want to spend the short time they have together fighting.

However, conflict isn’t always negative. Relationships grow and develop through conflict. That’s because it’s necessary to know how your significant other deals with difficult situations and to see them in that kind of context.

Next, we’ll share some tips that can help you maintain and strengthen a long-distance relationship.

Organize your encounters

Schedule when you’ll see each other next and set aside some time in your day-to-day life to talk to your significant other. In other words, establish when and where you’ll spend time together.

Organizing your time together is a great way to deal with the distance. Having concrete dates helps you stay motivated and gives you something to look forward to.

Accept changes

Your partner is hundreds of miles away and you won’t see them again for a few weeks. It’s not easy, but you have to accept the situation and try to intelligently manage your time.

It’s important to make time for yourself, your hobbies, and your social life. That way, you’ll avoid becoming emotionally dependent on your partner and spending all your time waiting to see them again. Instead, you’ll enjoy your life, your independence, and the time that you’re able to spend with your significant other.

You should also remember that trusting and respecting your partner is just as important as accepting changes and living your life. Trust and respect are the foundations of any healthy relationship. When you don’t see your partner every day, it’s easy for mistrust to fester. In this sense, you have to try to solve and clarify any existing doubts and create a solid foundation for your relationship based on respect and trust.