How to Handle a Long Distance Relationship

Is your relationship strong enough to survive everything life is going to throw at it? A relationship is only as strong as the two people who are sharing it. A happily-ever-after kind of relationship takes a strong commitment from both parties and this is especially true when a relationship is tested by distance. Some couples enter long distance relationships knowingly and others find themselves in a long distance relationship due to a change in employment. Whatever the reason, if you and your significant other find yourselves in this situation, you know it is a big challenge. Having a few tricks up your sleeve as you enter the challenge will take you far in knowing how to survive a long distance relationship.

Instructions

1. Make it a point to have regularly scheduled telephone conversations with each other whenever possible. Depending on your personal schedules, this might be something that happens every day or maybe only every other day. Once you've established a phone call schedule, stick to it. Treat the phone call as importantly as you would a face to face meeting with each other. These phone calls will become an important ritual in your long distance relationship.

2. Make sure that you are each registered for an email account. Using email is a great tool for surviving your long distance relationship. Any time you want to share a thought, send a joke, or just let your significant other know you are thinking of them you can do so in an instant.

3. Plan to visit each other in person whenever it is possible. The feasibility of doing so will be determined in large part by the distance between you and the schedules you both keep. When time and money allow it, you should make every effort to see each other.

4. Invest in digital cameras. Take pictures of yourselves often so you can share in the day to day moments with each other. Have a coworker take a picture of you at your desk. Take a picture of yourself brushing your teeth. Take a picture of the new pair of shoes you just bought. Upload the images to a photo sharing website and send them to each other a few times a week. Looking at these various snapshots will really help you to stay current with the details of each other's lives as you try to survive your long distance relationship.

5. Surprise each other with gifts from time to time. The gifts do not have to be elaborate. Something as simple as a bag of coffee beans from your favorite coffee shop or a CD with your favorite song and a clever greeting card can really make a difference when you are feeling down about being separated from each other.

6. Don't forget about good old fashioned letter writing. Letter writing is personal in a way that email can't be. Take a few minutes from time to time to record your thoughts in your own handwriting and send them off to your sweetheart by snail mail. The effect can be powerful.