{"id":8082,"date":"2015-04-28T12:53:36","date_gmt":"2015-04-28T19:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/about.zoosk.com\/en\/?p=8082"},"modified":"2021-05-31T23:54:15","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T06:54:15","slug":"how-to-make-a-long-distance-relationship-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/dating-statistics-and-research\/how-to-make-a-long-distance-relationship-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make a Long-Distance Relationship Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Long-distance relationships. Many have tried them; few have succeeded in making them work. But that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re not worth the effort. When two people want to be with each other, they will do what they need to do to&nbsp;make a long-distance relationship work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCouples don\u2019t need to wait to be in the same place in order to embark on a relationship,&#8221; says psychotherapist <a href=\"http:\/\/www.drrobiludwig.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Robi Ludwig.<\/a>&#8220;Start where you are and see where things go.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But first, just like in any relationship, both people need to desire being together, and they need to be flexible. Not only that, but each person must be strongly individuated, says sex therapist <a href=\"http:\/\/www.iankerner.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Ian Kerner.<\/a>&nbsp;\u201cStrong couples are made up of strong individuals, which is particularly true in long-distance relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The key is to create a secure relationship in an insecure context,&#8221; he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since you won\u2019t really know what your significant other is doing day in and day out, the experts agree that&nbsp;<em>trust<\/em>&nbsp;is another important component in making a long-distance relationship work. That said, it\u2019s important for both people to have a high degree of self-control and discipline, says Kerner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even still, long-distance relationships can be emotionally taxing and wear on one\u2019s psyche, as it isn&#8217;t easy to overcome missing the other person. Often, feelings of loneliness and abandonment can occur, which is why it&#8217;s important to be consistent with communication and visitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s critical to schedule time each day to talk:&nbsp;&#8220;Skype, FaceTime and yes, have phone sex, with your significant other,&#8221; suggests author and dating coach <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rewardingrelationships.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maya Ezratti.<\/a> Also, stick with the two week rule: &#8220;Don\u2019t go more than two weeks without seeing each other,\u201d she adds. &#8220;[And] when you are together, make sure you&#8217;ve carved out enough alone time.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While these relationships have their risks, they also have their rewards. \u201cThey can be fun and exciting because the honeymoon phase lasts much longer,&#8221; says Ludwig.&#8221;It\u2019s not such a bad thing to miss your partner, either. Having your own interesting and separate life is a good thing. Use those connections with friends and family to help support you when you\u2019re longing for your love.&#8221;&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For some, the idea of having more space and \u201cme time\u201d is appealing. Then, when your partner is in town, you can maximize your time together and continue to get to know one another. This time together is often usually heightened, with lots of highs and sometimes lows, says Kerner, so you may only see that person in their best (or worst) light. That&#8217;s why it\u2019s extra important to be involved in each other\u2019s lives as much as possible, no matter how far apart you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You really don\u2019t know what the person is like to live with on a regular basis, so it\u2019s easy to fill in the blanks of the relationship with a fantasy of who the other person is, verses the reality of who they <em>really<\/em> are,&#8221; says Ludwig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To stay connected, Ezratti suggests seding pictures, sharing schedules, and talking to each other about who you\u2019re hanging out with. \u201cAny relationship can work out if the love is there,&#8221; she says. &#8220;Logistically, it\u2019s more difficult, but it doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s impossible.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So it doesn&#8217;t matter if he\u2019s in Beijing and you\u2019re in New York City. Assess how much this person <em>really<\/em> means to you when apart. If this relationship is meant to be, it will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href=\"http:\/\/magazine.foxnews.com\/love\/can-significant-age-gap-cause-your-relationship-fail\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News Magazine<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MORE From Fox News Magazine:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/magazine.foxnews.com\/love\/what-do-when-you-fall-love-ex-again\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What to Do When You Fall in Love With an Ex Again<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/magazine.foxnews.com\/love\/why-isnt-he-asking-you-out\">Why Isn&#8217;t He Asking You Out?<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/magazine.foxnews.com\/love\/are-your-texting-habits-blame-your-crummy-love-life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Are Your Texting Habits to Blame for Your Crummy Love Life?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Expert tips on how to have a successful long-distance relationship. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":11984,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[894,900],"tags":[764,796,760,589],"class_list":["post-8082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-relationships","category-dating-statistics-and-research","tag-expert","tag-healthy","tag-men","tag-women"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Make a Long-Distance Relationship Work<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Long-distance relationships. 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But that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re not worth the effort.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/dating-statistics-and-research\/how-to-make-a-long-distance-relationship-work\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Date Mix\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Zoosk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-04-28T19:53:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-06-01T06:54:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dq1eylutsoz4u.cloudfront.net\/2015\/04\/17194441\/long-distance-relationship.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ashley Papa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/AshleyMPapa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Zoosk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ashley Papa\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Make a Long-Distance Relationship Work","description":"Long-distance relationships. 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