7 Practicable Tips to Manage Long Distance Relationships

You’ll agree that long-distance relationships are not typically ideal. The situation sometimes becomes harsh and on more than one occasion the couple experiences loneliness and sadness. So much that it becomes necessary to understand some of the best ways to manage long-distance relationships and make them work.

Activities and things as simple as holding hands, walking and eating together, stroking the hair, among others, usually means much more when it comes to long-distance relationships. With the right approach, mindset, expectations, and advice, I assure you that you can make a long-distance relationship work, grow, solidify, and succeed over time.

Long-distance relationships, although difficult, can also give you surprises and do not always end up being ruined. With commitment and communication, there are long-distance relationships that become more stable than those of others that are closer geographically.

If you are currently in this shoe and want to learn how to manage long-distance relationships, then read these 7 recommendations to make it work.

Table of Contents

7 Useful Tips to Smartly Handle Long-distance Relationships

Express your feelings

It is important not to take love for granted, and also necessary to always express it to your partner. To make a long-distance relationship work, you need to go beyond the cliché ”I love you”. Be specific so they can understand better what you’re feeling in the moment.

Here are some random examples: “I miss the way your eyelids fold when you laugh”, “I miss the tiny scar on your nose”. It may be weird, but it does a lot of good to your long-distance relationship.

These love phrases are nutritious to awaken emotions in your partner, but they are also nutritious for you. You’ll put a smile on their face, and they’ll appreciate that you notice the tiny details of what makes them who they are. That’s a strong fuel for long-distance relationships.

Read also: Tips on how to value yourself as a Nigerian

Communicate daily

One of the most essential things for a couple is to always be in contact. Therefore, communication should never be neglected. Since face-to-face contact is not possible, it is essential to ensure that emotional connection is as frequent as possible.

It does not imply that the conversations should always be long or deep. Simply, frequent communication, regardless of its duration, will show mutual interest and that you invest time and effort into the relationship.

This way, it is easier to keep up with each other’s daily life. When you go a long time without any kind of exchange of experiences, by the time you tell them, that information may have lost relevance. Going a whole week without communication due to busyness or other reason is a way of teaching the other partner how to live without you.

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Always be honest

Honesty is as essential as communication in long-distance relationships. Talk about your feelings and fears, about your insecurities and jealousy, about apathy, and whatever feelings you identify in yourself. When couples start hiding things from their partners, sooner or later that secret will be revealed. And sometimes, the most insignificant things end up being the fire that destroys some long-distance relationships.

Also, don’t try to deal with all the weight yourself. Get your partner to help you and you will get all the support you need. Most of the failures of long-distance relationships are related to not tackling the problem in the initial stage until it is too late to find a solution that works.

Read also: Benefits of integrity in the life of every Nigerian

Don’t allow other people’s beliefs to affect yours

Those who are aware of the status of your relationship will surely wonder how you manage a long-distance relationship. Some will even dare to tell you that it may fail because that of a friend of a cousin of his brother-in-law also failed.

Do not believe them! It is not true. It is only when you ignore the negativity around you that you make your long-distance relationship work. Always try, as much as you can, to maintain a positive mindset and remember that just as many have failed in their long-distance relationships, so have many succeeded, and you can make the success list.

Use something that reminds you of your partner

There will be some moments when your phone battery will be too low to call or text. Especially in a country like Nigeria where electricity is not stable. At these moments you can wear something that brings back your memories together. It may be something he/she bought for your or their favourite shirt or mug.

That feeling of closeness, though temporary, is a sincere reminder of what your partner means to you. If it becomes a habit, the better for you.

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Accept the changes in the other person

You are going to experience strong changes, which will affect each person individually and how you relate to each other. In general, the person who goes away is the one who experiences the most changes. You will meet new people in new places. You will face unexpected experiences and will have to acquire skills and abilities that you did not have before to deal with the new developments.

This is why travelling is something that makes people grow a lot. It transforms you deeply.

Despite the benefits, you must acknowledge the dangers that certain changes bring. The other person may find it difficult to accept these changes and go as far as seeing certain things as an act of betrayal.

Instead of getting angry, I encourage you to take a mature approach. Try to put yourself in the other’s shoes and understand where they’re reacting from. Sometimes, the reaction is out of fear and other times, for other reasons.

Be grateful and take advantage of their growth, it will also benefit you. Enjoy that renewed person and see it as an opportunity to re-discover your partner. Stop seeing change as a threat. Your partner wants to share with you what they have experienced. The more accepting you are of changes, the better you’ll be able to maintain long-distance relationships.

Take it as an opportunity

Being in a long-distance relationship can be a completely enriching and learning-filled experience. The distance can also be seen as an opportunity to test how deep and true the love is between you. It is an opportunity to know if your partner will cheat on you when you get married to each other because he/she couldn’t stay alone.

Instead of seeing the distance as separation, see it as an opportunity for growth. To learn to live together, you must first learn to live alone.

Read also: Things to discuss on your first date

Final Thoughts on How to Manage Long-Distance Relationships

A long-distance relationship is something that a large percentage of committed and established couples have experienced at some point. These periods were unavoidable for one reason or the other. You may be separated due to education, work, or certain goals. It won’t be all roses and fun, there will be bumps and thorns along the way. Hopefully, these long-distance relationships tips will benefit you in more ways than none.

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About Author

Olunlade Toluwalase Joshua

Olunlade Toluwalase Joshua is a Certified Content Writer, a Certified Computer Operator, and a Certified Copywriter. He is also a sexual puritan, a youth advocate, the Gospel's Voice.
He is passionate about the gospel and impacting lives with his writing skills and public speaking.

He guides youths to navigate the destructive and distracting hurdles on their path.
He is a reporter in a non-governmental Academic Organization called Aremu Oluwabrain Academy (AOA), the online Community of every Nigeria Student, to interact and get useful information.