Sometimes there is no choice but to have a long-distance relationship. Circumstances dictate that you and your partner have to live in different places, at least temporarily, and in the meantime, it’s important to do what you can to make sure your relationship is a happy one.
The problem is that a long-distance relationship, by its very nature, will often make you feel unhappy, at least some of the time. This is why your happiness, together and apart, is something you’ll need to work on when you have a partner who cannot be with you all the time. Read on for some of the ways you can do this.
Take the Next Step
Long-distance relationships may be fun, and they may be your only option in some cases, but they’re not a long-term solution. You can’t base your life around someone who lives hundreds or even thousands of miles away, or perhaps even in a different country.
To be completely happy, you need to take the next step, and there are two options; either you break up or come together permanently. Which option you choose, whether you need to speak to an immigration lawyer or you call it a day, it has to be the choice that makes you happiest and that gives you a future to look forward to. Anything else just isn’t worth doing.
Understand You Both Need a Life
Being in love is a strange thing; it’s not tangible, but it does change our brain chemistry, leading to some decisions that aren’t always the best for us. In other words, you can start to put other people – namely your partner – before yourself. It’s great to be unselfish, but it’s not always right, and when it comes to your own wellbeing and happiness, you have to make sure you’re happy as well as them.
The best way to do this is to understand that you both need to have your own lives. You can’t wait by the phone all day for a call or a video meeting; you need to be doing your own thing, doing things that make you happy. Plus, you need to understand that your partner has to do the same. Having separate lives as well as being together will help you be happier and stop you resenting the relationship for holding you back.
Resolve Misunderstandings
Misunderstandings in any relationship, even one that’s not romantic, can cause many problems and lead to issues you hadn’t even considered before. When you’re in a long-distance relationship, these misunderstandings may well happen more frequently because you don’t have the added help of body language.
So, when misunderstandings occur, it’s best to deal with them immediately and resolve them. If you don’t know what your partner meant when they said something or sent a text or an email, ask them. Find out. If it’s something that you can resolve, work on fixing it. Of course, it might be nothing at all. Equally, if they ask you what you meant by something, don’t get defensive; simply explain things. It’s much better for everyone’s happiness that way.
