How Do You Navigate a Long-Distance Relationship?
To help you navigate the challenges of a long-distance relationship, we’ve gathered insights from six experienced individuals, including bloggers and co-founders. They provide advice ranging from establishing a relationship foundation online to sharing daily activities over distance. Dive into these valuable experiences to make your long-distance relationship work.
- Establishing a Relationship Foundation Online
- Choosing the Right Person and Committing Equally
- Building Trust With Effective Communication
- Keeping Interactions Fresh and Thoughtful
- Visiting Regular and Planning Virtual Dates
- Sharing Daily Activities Over Distance
Establishing a Relationship Foundation Online
I think the fact that my boyfriend and I met online helps a lot because we started building our relationship foundation long before we met.
We met each other through eHarmony and used the video-date feature before meeting in person a few months later. We both love traveling, so we plan a trip together once every six months.
Despite the distances, we try to always do something new together, even if it has to be online. We use an app called “Trees of Memories,” which gives us a new question every day as an icebreaker to get to know each other better.
As we both love reading, we also started our own book club so that we can read each other’s favorites and discuss them in our free time.
Marya Sutimi
Blogger, The BeauTraveler Co.
Choosing the Right Person and Committing Equally
I was in a long-distance relationship overseas when I lived in China, and my husband lived in Canada. It’s essential to be with the right person to make a long-distance relationship work.
Even though we were in different time zones, we still tried to spend time together on video calls daily, even if it was only 15 minutes before one of us had to leave. When we had free time, we would video call for the entire waking hours. In times when we didn’t have much to say, we still kept the camera on while we did our own things.
It was still nice to make eye contact and smile occasionally. When my husband had vacation time, he would fly to China to visit me in person. We did long-distance for two years this way, and now we’re happily married and living together in Canada. Both people need to be equally committed to making it work.
Yanling Sidders
Co-Founder, Scott & Yanling Media Inc.
Building Trust With Effective Communication
I’ve found that successful long-distance relationships heavily rely on effective communication and trust. Personally, I believe maintaining consistent, open, and sincere communication is crucial.
Using technology such as video calls and messaging has been invaluable in bridging the physical gap. Setting clear expectations and planning visits in advance have provided my partner and me with something to eagerly anticipate.
Trust and mutual commitment, built on our strong foundation before transitioning to a long-distance setup, have made the distance more manageable. Exercising patience and empathy during challenging times plays a pivotal role in nurturing a thriving long-distance relationship.
Jay Soni, Managing Director, Yorkshire Fabric Shop
Keeping Interactions Fresh and Thoughtful
Daily conversations and regular FaceTime sessions help bridge the physical gap. Planning as many visits as possible when you have time off is a great way to spend quality time together and reinforce the bond.
Consistency in communication is crucial, but it’s also important to keep things fresh by finding new topics. Long-distance relationships require a lot of effort, so making the most of the time spent together is very important. Engaging in online games, especially virtual-reality games, can create a shared experience.
Sending thoughtful gifts is another way to stay present in their thoughts, as the gifts serve as a tangible reminder of your love.
Al Tran, Realtor, Blogger, and Author, DS Inspire
Visiting Regular and Planning Virtual Dates
A strategy that worked for us was planning regular visits. Although we lived miles apart, we ensured we met every two months. These visits helped us create shared experiences and memories, strengthening our bond.
Besides, we also organized virtual dates—watching a movie together or cooking the same meal at our individual locations—which brought us closer.
Kseniia Mykolaienko
CMO, Parentaler
Sharing Daily Activities Over Distance
I’ve been in a long-distance relationship for over four years, living separately from my partner. This was especially challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic when we were not able to see each other due to travel restrictions.
One of the best strategies we used was sharing daily activities that could be done together over a distance. A few of these were watching a movie together simultaneously with software like Teleparty, or playing video games together.
This quality time kept our relationship fresh, allowing our relationship to continue for the long time it has lasted.
Abid Salahi
Co-Founder and CEO, FinlyWealth
Submit Your Answer
Would you like to submit an alternate answer to the question, “If you’ve had a successful long-distance relationship, what strategies and experiences helped you make it work?”
