How to Nurture a Long-distance Relationship and be Happy

In this day and age, long-distance relationships are commonplace because many couples meet via online dating websites and they aren’t necessarily in the same city. I’d like to introduce a few ways to maintain a long-distance relationship today.

Key ideas:

#1. Ongoing communication should happen once a day.

In a long-distance relationship, regular communication is key. If you want to keep the spark between you two, you have to talk to each other at least once a day. For instance, you can use Skype before bedtime every night. Alternatively, you can talk to each other on the phone when you wake up every morning. Note that you shouldn’t become penfriends who only text each other

#2. Send each other gifts frequently.

Online shopping is very convenient these days, so you can send each other gifts easily. For example, once a month, you can buy something for your partner and send it to him/her by post. The gift doesn’t have to be expensive, but it has to be right. That means instead of sending something generic such as chocolate and flowers all the time, you should be more creative – truly understand what your partner is interested in and give him/her exactly that gift. Maybe your partner mentioned that he/she really likes Cher and you noticed that Cher is going to have a concert in your partner’s city soon, so you can buy a ticket of the concert and send it to your partner. Another way to make sure the gift is absolutely right is to take notes when your partner mentions something cool – whenever your partner says something like, “Oh, I like historical stories”, you should write it down somewhere on your phone as notes (perhaps just write down a list of historical novels, movies and TV shows so that you can buy the right books & DVDs and send them to your partner by post).

#3. Meet each other in person whenever it’s possible.

Whenever you have a chance to see your partner in person, you should do it. Let’s say you meet each other in person every 2 months. Make sure you spend quality time together when you do meet. Always plan every date well beforehand so that each time you meet in person, life is good!

Bonus ideas:

#1. Never assume you are in a monogamous relationship. I know a woman who stopped seeing other men when she was dating a very attractive guy. Later on, she realized that it wasn’t a serious relationship because the attractive guy never wanted a commitment. Her opportunity cost was high as she didn’t date other men for three years! Clearly, she would be well-advised to have a candid discussion with her guy early.

#2. Don’t make money the elephant in the room. A lot of people avoid talking about money when they are dating someone. But money is actually more important than you think. If you decide to be with someone in the long term, you’d better begin to talk about money with that person now. Otherwise, you may be shocked by something unexpected later. In this day and age, most people find it quite uncomfortable while talking about money (money has become a taboo topic in modern culture), but avoiding it won’t help.

#3. You don’t need to know the password of your partner’s social media accounts. When you are dating someone and the relationship is becoming serious/exclusive, you may want to know the password of your partner’s social media accounts. However, that’s actually a mistake. Let me explain. If there is a problem in your relationship, you should deal with that problem. If there is no problem in your relationship, then why do you need to know the password of your partner’s Facebook and Instagram accounts? I’ve never seen a couple who have solved their problems by knowing each other’s social media passwords.