I have been with my boyfriend for about a year and a half now and we are entering a long distance relationship. He is staying a school in Arizona and I am moving to South Carolina. This transition is going to be hard, but we have worked through a couple of ways we can make this work.
1. Communication
Maris Ackerman
Keeping constant communication is to be the hardest thing to do in a long distance relationship. Both people are on different schedules and sometimes they just don't line up. Something that helps is setting up a specific time during the day to talk to each other. This could be a few texts, phone call, or even skype call. Doing this allows both parties to feel easy during the day and not worry about texting each other constantly because you have a set time to give each other attention.
2. Acknowledging the distance
@keywestchamber
Some couples during long distance relationships pretend like the distance isn't there and act as if everything is normal. This definitely puts a strain on the relationship because the relationship isn't adapting to this new and extreme change. Doing this doesn't allow the relationship to grow in the way it needs to. Instead, acknowledge that things are going to be different and discuss different ways to adapt to your partner. This will help with the initial shock of not being around your partner all the time.
3. Setting up a day to see each other
Maris Ackerman
During long distance relationships, you could go months without seeing your partner. If you are used to seeing your partner every other day or even every day, this is going to be difficult to get used to. What helps is to have a set vacation time or a weekend where one of you will travel to see the other. This helps by giving the relationship something to work towards in the future. If you hit a rough patch or are feeling frustrated throughout the time apart, it helps to know you will see your partner soon.
4. Small acts of kindness
Maris Ackerman
During any relationship, a small act of kindness can go a long way. This could mean sending a good morning text or asking them how their day is going or even go as far as sending them a small gift. This lets your partner know you are thinking about them. This is also a good way to communicate during the distance.
5. Don't talk constantly
Maris Ackerman
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to talk to your partner every day. In fact, talking to them every day for hours on end gets very frustrating. Learning from experience, when I talked to my partner every day, e conversation became dull and we were upset at the fact we had nothing to talk about and thought we were losing interest in each other. We decided it was ok not to talk to each other every day and it honestly saved our relationship. By doing this, it made talking to each other more special instead of feeling like a chore.
