5 Reasons to Consider a Long Distance Relationship

In the past, it seemed that people were afraid of engaging in long term relationships, yet recently, more people seem to be open to conquering the distance; let’s talk about some of the reasons you might want to consider a long distance relationship as well.

While being in a LDR is much different than being in a relationship where you’re in the same location, there are definitely some positive aspects to getting to know your partner with some distance between you. In order for it to work, both parties have to act as mature, responsible adults, and there needs to be communication up front about what each person hopes to gain from the relationship. But with the right amount of patience and trust, a LDR can be just as fulfilling (until someone can make the move) as having your significant other next to you. Here are 5 positives that we can explore:

1. You appreciate your time together more because you recognize that it is limited. You close your laptop, ignore your phone and log off social media in order to focus on each other. You set the intention to be together, as opposed to just “hanging out” because of proximity.

2. You communicate more openly. You have to be clear in order to build trust and avoid the misunderstandings that can easily occur as you are adjusting to each other’s personalities.

3. You really get to know each other, and are able to logically process (especially important for women) what you’re learning. With less involvement of the physical—and the resulting boosts in hormone levels which can make you feel/hear/see things that aren’t there—it becomes easier to evaluate things with a certain measure of detachment. This helps you to make sure you’re on the same page and that you are both getting what you want out of the relationship.

4. You learn to compromise from the very start. You make being together a priority and make concessions for each other where necessary.

5. Either you learn patience, or that which you already had is tested. You each have commitments and responsibilities in your respective home cities that can sometimes be unavoidable, and delay or postpone your time together. You have to be focused on finding other ways to connect until you can be in the same place at the same time.

Each point listed contains essential components to any relationship, and the distance will make it clear very early on whether or not you and your partner are compatible in areas like communication and trust; helping you to move on more quickly from relationships that aren’t going to work for you.

Have you ever been in a long distance relationship? For what reasons did you initially consider it? Did you find the above to be true for you? Let’s discuss!