Knowing 3 harsh facts long-distance relationships can help shape your expectations. This unique romantic setup comes with some brutal truths you need to know before you commit.
This article uncovers 3 harsh realities that come with nurturing love across miles. You’ll learn about issues like lacking physical contact, loneliness, communication issues, and trust issues.
Our goal isn’t to discourage you. Instead, it helps you prepare for the challenges to overcome. Hence, you can make your long distance relationship work.
3 harsh facts long-distance relationships face
1. Communication problems
Communication problems are the biggest of the 3 harsh facts long-distance relationships face. As a summary of Gary Chapman’s bestseller The 5 Love Languages®:
By understanding and speaking each other’s love languages, individuals and couples can foster deeper connections,
Bhuttaabdullah
However, for long-distance relationships, couples are not in the same place, they struggle to convey their thoughts and emotions. This can lead to misunderstandings, resulting in conflicts and potential relationship breakdowns.
Loneliness will also worsen these communication issues. For instance, seeing other couples spending quality time (one of the 5 love languages by Gary Chapman) together might make you sad. And then you find yourself on a video call with your lover which doesn’t give the same or more satisfaction.
The nonphysical nature of these relationships requires an over-reliance on words, making it easier for messages to be misinterpreted, causing confusion and unnecessary arguments.
2. Heightened stress and emotional toll
The absence of physical intimacy and shared daily experiences can create emotional distance. This, in turn, creates opportunities for infidelity. And all of it boils down to the trust issues that might seem ever-present.
And yet, you’ll equally face the emotional drain of always waiting to see each other. It might often feel like life is passing you by. Your partner might not even make it to the big moments in your life.
The lack of spontaneous interactions, another essential factor for many in a relationship, limits emotional intimacy with each other, making long-distance relationships hard.
3. Long distance relationships deal with uncertainties
All relationships are uncertain. But it’s a tad worse in long distance affairs. Every time you say goodbye at the end of a visit or call, you’ll experience some loss. And during those long periods, you’ll also face a ton of anxiety.
Furthermore, you’ll also find that it heavily impacts your personal growth. Because of the lack of physical contact, you might seem to have more time for your activities. But this can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, independence and space can encourage self-formation and personal development. On the other, it could also lead to growing apart.
Bonus fact: long distance relationships are slower
Another brutal fact you must also remember is that your relationship might seem slower. The physical distance will make it harder to have important conversations or make decisions together. Because you aren’t in the same physical space, you may have to postpone a lot of things.
For some people, this slower pace of progress can be a hard pill to swallow. But these limitations of physical affection are inevitable in any long distance relationship.
Tips to overcome long distance relationship problems
Knowing the different things that kills long distance relationships is a good start. But then you can still make your long distance relationship work.
Here are some solutions that can help you navigate the problems.
1. Open and honest communication regularly
Always, remember that you are physically separated from your long distance partner. So, you should strive never to go for long periods without talking to each other. Spend more time on video calls and phone calls, sending each other gifts to express love and miss emotions (two of the 5 love language by Gary Chapman to keep relationship fresh and growing).
And also, since physical touch is lacking you should always voice out your expectations. That’s why open and honest communication will decrease feelings of neglect. That meaningful dialogue will help you get better at reading nonverbal cues. It will also improve your emotional connection.
2. Aim for more shared experiences
Find ways to maintain emotional intimacy. It could be as simple as sharing experiences by phone calls or even virtually. For instance, you could enjoy a movie night over Facetime or cook the same meal at the same time.
3. Trust in the future
You need to look optimistically towards the future you’ll eventually share. Focusing on the downsides kills long distance relationships. Plus, the physical distance between you too can breed insecurities.
So, in its place, you should trust the process. And both of you must also trust each other. Repeat the love trust quote for stronger relationship. Trust is a powerful motivator that fuels perseverance through tough times.
3. Make sacrifices
Another thing that kills long distance relationships is the lack of sacrifices. To maintain contact, you need dedication. That’s why you must sacrifice immediate comfort and gratification.
4. Shared vision
A shared vision is also vital to maintain emotional connection. You both need to want the same things in the future and agree on the steps to get there. Remember you shouldn’t focus on the aspects that make long distance relationships hard.
But instead work together to overcome the challenges. Through dedication, trust, communication, and a shared vision, your relationship can indeed flourish.
5. Set boundaries
You also need to set boundaries, especially about using technology. Time zones and daily obligations can make constant communication difficult. But when you understand and respect each other’s routines you can avoid overstepping.
6. Manage financial costs
Be upfront about how much finances long distance relationships require. That way you can plan as long distance couples. Planning and budgeting together can mitigate financial stress in long-distance relationships.
7. Maintain individuality
Maintaining individuality while you grow your emotional intimacy cannot be overstated. People including long distance couples tend to lose themselves. So, you need to be your own person. while you find ways to overcome the lack of physical touch, you need to also build yourself.
8. Strive for balance
Sure you won’t be able to entirely cover the gap that the lack of physical touch brings. But that doesn’t mean you should make your long distance partner the center of your existence.
Lastly, striking a balance between your relationship and your personal life is crucial. Like any other relationship, long-distance relationships shouldn’t take up every bit of your energy and time. You have your work, your friends, your hobbies, your life. Don’t let the distance make you forget that.
Bottom line
Now you know about the 3 harsh facts long distance relationships deal with. Do not let these limitations discourage you. Long distance relationships require extra commitment to make them work. You can still get the same or more satisfaction as relationships with more physical touch.
Don’t also forget that many long distance relationships still stand the test of time. So you don’t have to be in the same city or country to have the best romance. Embrace the highs and lows and make them work for you. In the end it’s not the physical affection or distance that defines the relationship, it’s the love you share that closes the gap.
