A long-distance relationship happens when two people meet (either in person or online) and start a relationship, but they can’t see each other as often as they’d like to — usually because they’re living in different places. It’s not always about the number of miles between them – because there are cases where people who live in different countries still manage to see each other more often than people who only live a comparatively short distance from each other. It’s about circumstances too; people can be apart because of lack of money, because they can’t drive, because their families wouldn’t approve, because of military service or employment, and many other reasons.
People ask us, “How can we make our long-distance relationship work?” The answer is that there’s no way to guarantee that any relationship will last forever — and that’s true whether distance is involved or not. So you’ll never read claims like “Follow Our Advice and Make Your Relationship Last Forever!” or “How to Win Back Your Ex!” here. Instead, we’ll share with you some of the things that helped us make our relationship succeed, in the hope that you might find something helpful. Just remember that everyone is different — and that means every relationship will be different too.
In the paragraphs below, there are links to some of our notes on long-distance relationships. Click on the links to find what we’ve written!
If you’d like to read our thoughts about being in a long-distance relationship, and find out what worked for us, we wrote a long note on our Facebook page called “Being in a Long-Distance Relationship”. Why not read it, and let us know what you think?
People often write to us about feelings of jealousy and insecurity when they’re in a long-distance relationship. If you’d like to read our thoughts about how to deal with these feelings, check our our note about jealousy, possessiveness and insecurity.
Trusting each other is important, but that’s not always easy when your long-distance partner is far away from you. For some encouragement, read our note about trust – and let us know if it’s something you struggle with too.
If you’re not sure how to show your long-distance partner that you love them, when you’re so far away from where they are – read our article called Actions Speak Louder than Words!
Communication is very important in a long-distance relationship (and in any relationship, actually). But some people notice that their conversations with their partner have changed, and they worry that’s a sign that things are falling apart in their relationship. We wrote a note about Conversation Problems, which you might like to read if you’ve ever been in that situation.
Sometimes long-distance relationships can be stormy, and arguments can get in the way. If this is something that worries you, take a look at our article called “Arguments” and see if any of our thoughts can be helpful to you in your relationship.
Have you ever had to say goodbye to a long-distance partner? That’s one of the most painful situations a long-distance couple has to deal with. Take a look at our article called: “Airport Goodbyes” which talks about the feelings involved there. It’s never an easy thing to cope with!
And finally, for those days when, as much as you love your partner, you suddenly find all the problems overwhelming, and you’re not sure if you even have the energy to bother with it any more… or you worry that your partner might be on the point of giving up… here are some words of encouragement.
If you’re in a long-distance relationship, and you’d like to share your thoughts with us, or ask us any questions, please visit our Facebook page, where you can post comments and send us a private message. We wish you all the best with your long-distance relationship!
