No one wants to be in a long distance relationship because it is believed that they won’t work out. It’s so bad that family and friends will do everything in their power to talk you out of it. There’s always a friend of a friend or a cousin who took a chance on a long-distance relationship and ended up heartbroken.

It is difficult. The distance makes a lot of things off-limit and the loneliness may sometimes seem too hard to bear but as they say ‘Love always wins’ so if you endure and work hard at it, there is no reason why you can’t work it out with your bae even if he is a thousand miles away. Here are some ways to make your long-distance relationship thrive:

Planning is key:
Unlike a relationship where you see each other every week and things come up spontaneously, a relationship from a distance requires planning. It will involve a bit of routine too if it will work out. It is very important that you both are on the same page at all times and that you have the same goals for your relationship.

Avoid ‘over-communicating’:
The truth is, there is no amount of hours of texting or calling in a day that will make up for the absence of your partner. It is not wise to be too clingy with someone that is so far away. That is a mistake that a lot of couples make thinking that they can compensate for the distance by talking all the time when all it does (in most cases) is make matters worse because one will tire of all the talks and conversations and soon, there won’t be anything else left to say.

Try to keep all things positive:
This is the one way to keep the relationship alive. The idea is to keep injecting the positivity even on the days when you don’t feel like it. Remind yourself on the worst days that the results will be worth it at the end of the day. Make sure to be grateful and be happy that you have someone to love who loves you back.

Be creative with communicating regularly
Two things are essential… Communicating at the start and at the end of the day and making sure to keep each other updated on all that is happening. After these, every other thing can be done with discretion.
Adding some spice will involve sending videos and audio clips instead of texting, taking time to capture memorable moments and sharing with each other etc. You must put in effort to show your partner that love them (especially when you’re so far away)

Know each other’s schedules.
It’s helpful to know when the other person is busy and when he/she is free, so that you can drop a text or make a call at the right time. You wouldn’t want to disturb your partner when he/she is in the middle of class or halfway through a business meeting. Know the small and big events that are taking place or will take place in each other’s life e.g. college mid-terms and exams, important business trips and meetings, job interviews and etc. This is especially essential when the both of you are living in different time zones.

Don’t see it as a cross to bear:
It is not a daily torture that you must endure in the name of love; it is a phase that you can make the most of.  Remember that this experience should do no more or less than keep you both together stronger than ever. Even on the tough days, don’t ever change that mindset.

Be very involved with each other even from afar:
You really have to be involved with this. The idea is to make each other feel close enough as though you were actually beside each other. Thanks to technology, it is more than achievable. Get together and play games online or watch videos, skype and make jokes together, put on shows with each other etc. Recommend books, shows and songs for each other… it helps to have more things to talk about and it builds your bond.

Visit each other:
You can’t take the place of this out of a long-distance relationship. Even if it is once or twice in a year, it is important that you both have something to look forward to during all the waiting and yearning. It is like a prize after working so hard. The truth is, that time together (kissing and re-connecting and intimacy) makes up for all the time spent apart. In fact, it is the fuel that you both need for the times when you would be apart. -greennews