
Are you currently in a long-distance relationship?
By Lori Pinkerton — Written on Feb 17, 2012

Making love thrive in long-term relationships works is often a difficult task unless you are aware of the rules and guiding principles that make long-distance relationships work. The following are some of the rules that can help maintain and consummate your long-distance relationship.
1. Have a Relationship Plan for the Future
Sit together and identify what both of you want to accomplish. Set goals as well as a time frame by which both of you wish to be together. This importantly gives you hope and something to live for. While making the plans above, realize that only three options available for you. Either she moves in with you, you move in with her or both of you settle for another place. Talk about it as soon as you realize your desire to be together.
2. Meet Regularly
Ensure that you meet at least one each month. Plan ahead on the activities you will engage in. Make these meetings an explosion, a celebration, make them very special. Soon, you will start longing and anticipating for these short meetings and they surely become something that is aligned to your lives. Remember that the only secret to getting a real connection is through feeling, touching and smelling someone. This doesn't come through phone calls, Skype or email.
3. Use Modern Technologies to Communicate
Always ensure that there is no breakage in communication. Exploit the benefits of modern technologies as much as you can. Send emails daily, chat on Skype, and send each other digital photos of your daily activities. Use instant messaging and web cam. All this will help you're your communication.
Make long calls and write long emails where both of you describe dreams, hopes, inner feelings and states. Let phone calls describe your outer state while emails describe your inner state. Writings are more intense compared to verbal communication. They also allow you more intimacy. The activities above enable you to establish a strong bond. Be as honest as you can while doing the above. Avoid pretend to be whom or what you are not. Avoid putting yourself in a better light. Long-distance relationships only thrive when the two of you are congruent and honest
4. Give Yourselves a Free Day
Once in a while, allow yourselves a day or two with no communication at all. This will make you miss one another very intensively. After such a period you always find yourselves a notch higher emotionally compared to the way you were before.
More Juicy Content From YourTango:
- How To Make Long-Distance Love Work
- 20 Love And Technology Do's And Don'ts
- The Best Love Advice From YourTango