How to Make Long Distance Relationships Work Without the Drama

Knowing how to make long distance relationships work is essential if you end up with someone who lives far away. Here's what to do to make it last.

Relationships are really hard work no matter how close you are. Even if you live together, you still have to put in a lot of work to make it function healthily. That said, living far apart can present a whole new list of struggles. Knowing how to make long distance relationships work can ensure you and your partner stay together.

Because you can't just go into it expecting it to be like a normal relationship. It's not even close. There are things you'll be faced with that you've never had to deal with in any other relationship before.

The struggles of being in a relationship long-term

When you can't be with your partner in person, you'll run into some issues. You'll miss each other, obviously. And you'll also lack the physical intimacy that can bring a couple closer together. That's not to even mention the fact that you could become more insecure in your relationship because you don't get to feel their love in person.

This makes you question their feelings and all of that can be really difficult to deal with. Luckily, you can actually deal with it. Although long distance relationships can come with a lot of issues, they don't have to.

How to make long distance relationships work with ease

Firstly, this won't be a simple thing. You'll need to work at it. However, if you're prepared from the get-go, it'll be a hell of a lot easier for you to make the relationship last.

Don't let the distance put you off of even trying to have a relationship. If you truly want to be with that person, then do it. Follow these tips and you'll know how to make a long distance relationship work.

#1 Communicate all the time. Go overboard if you need to. Talk about everything and make sure you're both on the same page in your relationships. If you're having doubts about their feelings, tell them right away. Don't wait and don't try to hide it.

Even if you think your concerns are silly, you need to discuss them. Because with insecurity and doubting comes bigger problems. So talk to each other and make sure you're both happy with the way things are.

#2 Schedule time to video chat. This is essential. You can't just rely on texting or talking on the phone to make your long distance relationship last. You need as close as you can get to face-to-face interactions. That means video chatting.

And don't just think you'll do it automatically from time to time. You need to schedule time for it. If you don't, you'll never get around to it and your relationship will suffer for it.

#3 Find ways to do sweet, thoughtful things for each other. Just because you don't live near each other doesn't mean you can't do nice things for each other. Order your girl some flowers, order your man a pizza with wings and have it delivered. It's really not hard to get creative and do some sweet things for each other every now and then.

#4 Get your sexting on. Yes, you need to sext or dirty talk over the phone. There needs to be some form of sexual intimacy between the two of you. Remember, you can't touch each other for a really long time.

Therefore, you need to get a little creative. Touch yourself and then talk to your partner while they're also touching themselves. It'll help you two keep the sexual spark alive even if you're living very far apart.

#5 Have “date” nights. Yes, you can still have date nights even if you're not together and doing so will help make your long distance relationship work. Pick a night for the both of you to have a skype date. Make dinner and sit down together and eat it. There are even programs that allow you both to watch a movie at the same time. This helps it feel like you're a lot closer to each other than you are.

#6 Be affectionate! You can't be physically intimate but you can definitely be affectionate and show someone how much you care about them from afar. Give sweet little compliments and shower them with virtual kisses by sending them pictures. It's really not hard to be affectionate with your words. If you want your long distance relationship to work, you need to do this.

#7 Visit each other. This depends on how far you two really are from each other. But if you're only a few hours away and you can spend weekends together, do that. If you're a lot farther and you need to budget for plane tickets, make it a priority.

Try not to go too long without being together in person. If you get used to life without that person for so long, the possibility of ever being with them in person goes away. Remember to see each other as often as you can.

#8 Stay completely honest with them. You need honesty in a long distance relationship. Without it, the entire thing could fall apart. If you realize your partner is lying to you, you'll get too upset to trust them. And since trust is by far the most important thing in a relationship like this, you can't afford that.

So make sure you both are open and honest with each other. Even if that means telling your significant other something they might not like hearing.

#9 Get to know each other's schedules. If you both know what you have going on during the day, you'll know when you can connect and talk. It'll also help get rid of some insecurity if your partner isn't responding to you.

They could be in a meeting or somewhere they don't get reception. If you don't know this, it'll cause frustration and fighting, which can be more lethal to your relationship since it's long distance. Talk about your day in the morning so you both know what's going on.

#10 Send snail mail. Become pen pals! Not only is this really cute and fun, but it's also something to look forward to and it's something that'll bond you further. It'll be your little thing as a long distance couple.

Having something like that to bond over can help make your relationship a lot stronger. It's also really nice to see your partner's handwriting, too.

#11 Keep a positive mindset. If you go into a relationship dreading how it'll be, you're setting it up for failure. You're basically starting it off on a bad note. You need to remain positive. Keep your head in a positive place so you can solve problems easier and work toward a happy relationship.

#12 Brace yourself to work hard. This will not be easy. Long distance relationships take a toll and you need to be ready to put forth the effort to make it work. I won't lie to you. This will be a challenge, but if you know it's coming, you can better prepare for it by following these tips.

If you really want to know how to make long distance relationships work, you need to be willing to work hard and keep an open line of communication. Just know that it can work if you want it to.