There is a word that generates chills in the world of relationships: distance. Distance relationships are as feared as they are hated, occupying an unwanted category in the popular imagination, as a bond that will not work and will end up breaking, no matter how much those involved love each other.
After all, when we are in a relationship, we find satisfaction in regularly making plans with that person, in coming home and dedicating a moment of affection, in seeing our lover every day and having his physical support whenever we need it. . When distance gets in the way, this becomes complicated. You cannot see each other as regularly as you would like, you miss each other, communication does not flow in the same way, intimacy and closeness are lost and there is more space for insecurities.
However, “with a little work, long-distance relationships can survive the test of time and can be just as rewarding as standard in-person relationships.” This is stated in an article published in Psychology Today by the American psychologist Mark Travers, who shares three keys to making a long-distance relationship prosper.
The first piece of advice from the aforementioned psychologist is to maintain regular communication about love, friendship and the problems that concern you. It is supported by a study published in the Journal of Family Psychology, where they showed that conversations about love imply greater satisfaction in long-distance relationships when they are synchronous.
In this regard, you must ensure that both of you are present and focused on the conversation in real time. To do this, reserve specific moments and use video calls or virtual appointments to enhance the emotions expressed. The study also highlighted that conversations about problems of daily life lead to less satisfaction in the relationship, compared to conversations about love or friendship.
Another key to the success of a long-distance relationship is that you improve and take care of your own mental health, so that the relationship is healthy. And it is that mental health problems –such as anxiety or depression– pose obstacles to the relationship and can affect communication, commitment and sexual satisfaction. This generates emotional distance with the couple, resulting in problems that are difficult to solve in the relationship. Therefore, you should pay attention to your own mental health, counting on the help of a professional if you consider it so.
Finally, the psychologist invites us to approach the distance as a minor inconvenience in the broad scheme of the relationship. That is, as one more factor, not as a whole. “If you take your partner seriously, your long-distance relationship is likely to be temporary,” he says, adding that if you have similar plans for the future, the relationship will be worth it.
