Long distance relationships tend to only end in broken hearts and wet tissues, but that’s not the case for all. More than 3.75 million people are currently involved in a long distance relationship, so you aren’t alone (Brain). Also 14 million will end in marriage. (Brain) Whenever things get tough or you guys start to question exactly how much you like the whole “long distance” relationship idea, think back to these few steps: Avoid excessive communication, see this as an opportunity, and have a goal in mind and they should help things go by smoother.
First off, let’s start by saying that it isn’t easy. There are tons of tips, quotes, and ways to make this heart wrenching experience work. No matter how many times you read quotes, texts, or even letters from them it is still very hard to do without your significant other by your side every step of the way. Avoiding extra communication is one of the main tips to make this work. You two don’t really have to communicate 12 hours a day to keep the relationship going. Many couples think that they need to compensate for the distance by doing more. This is not true, And it might only make things worse. Soon you would get tired of “loving.” Remember: Less is more. It is not about spamming each other with long sappy paragraphs, you are only going to wear each other out. Don’t worry about trying to text every moment of the day. Only worry about telling each other “good morning or goodnight.” That’s the most important thing, letting your significant other know that your boyfriend or girlfriend is the first and last thing on your mind every day.
The next big step in making long distant relationships work is to see this as being an opportunity. We’ve all heard the saying “If you want to live together, you first must live apart.” If you’re lucky enough to get to even talk to each other, you are a step farther than I am. In other words; don’t be down about not being able to see each other every waking moment. View this as a learning opportunity for you both. You are both gaining a lot of knowledge in this long “trip.” Instead of constantly thinking that this traumatic experience is going to pull you guys apart, believe it or not it’s bringing you guys closer than you could ever imagine. If your relationship can be put to this test, then the bond you guys will have will be substantial.
The last few of the important tips, is to have a goal in mind. Everybody always tells you to have short and long term goals. Either way every milestone along the way is one step closer to your main goal: being together in the end. Setting up things like timelines stating when you will see your boyfriend or girlfriend. You can even have a calendar that you can put X’s and scribble out days until you get to see them. Overall, just draw an end goal, make sure your partner wants the same goal. Make it cheesy, or even a realistic goal. Like; being together at age 80 together, or even getting married at 25, or going to the same college. Anything to make this experience easier on you two is the way to go. If something doesn’t go as planned, everything will work out. Everything happens for a reason.
Overall, don’t be upset about the situation, embrace it. You never know what the future holds. Step back and realize that things could be a lot worse. If your relationship can survive this, then there shouldn’t be a doubt in your mind that you can’t survive anything else. Excess communication, see this as an opportunity, and have a goal in mind. This shouldn’t be too hard if you go by these. Don’t let your long distance relationship end in wet tissues and a broken heart.
Bibliography
Brain, Static. “long distance relationship statistics.” 14 May 2016. http://www.statisticbrain.com/long-distance-relationship-statistics/. Web. 14 September 2016.