We all know that long-distance relationships are not easy. It takes a lot of patience and effort to make them work. But have you ever thought about the benefits of long-distance relationships?
There is no denying the fact long-distance relationships are an actual test as you get your priorities straight and understand where your relationship actually stands.
It might seem really hard to keep the faith alive and stick to the commitment but the advantages of a long-distance relationship are numerous.
In a long-distance relationship LDR as we call it, you grow as individuals, and develop more trust and better understanding, which is why long distance relationships are worth it.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder and the distance between lovers can make the longing for each other more sincere.
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How Do Long-Distance Relationships Work?
Long-distance relationships may have many obstacles, but there is nothing love can’t overcome. Technology is one of the main reasons why long-distance relationships work.
It becomes much easier for couples to survive this phase, especially when through video chats, you can see your partner tease you and be romantic with you. A great amount of patience, proper planning, sticking to the schedule and lots of surprises are all that you need to keep it going.
Why long-distance relationships are worth it? A study in the Journal of Communication says that long distance relationships bring couples closer as they share a more meaningful and intimate relationship.
Research by Dr Guldner at The Center for the Study of Long-Distance Relationships, a division of JF Milne Publications, says that 70% of long-distance relationships are doomed if not planned for. Moreover, 40% of long-distance relationships end with breakups. Thus, it is essential to put in a huge amount of time and effort in planning so that it doesn’t end on a bad note.
There is no doubt planning is needed to make long-distance relationships work. But the advantages of long-distance relationships are many. That’s why we will discuss the benefits of long-distance relationships in this article.
15 Benefits Of Starting A Long-Distance Relationship
Do you believe in the age-old adage that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’? Well, many people do. Many people believe that being away from each other for some time strengthens a relationship.
Distance helps wash out misunderstandings and one tends to view the relationship from a different perspective altogether.
Unlike normal couples who tend to take each other for granted, couples in long distance-relationships value even the tiny, little things about their partners.
We bring you 15 unique benefits of relationships across cities, countries, continents and different timezones.
Related reading: 5 mistakes couples make in a long distance relationship
1. Intimate conversations are a routine
When you are in long-distance relationships, most of the time that you get to spend with each other is through phone calls or video chats.
All the craving and longing for each other turns into intimate and meaningful conversations that you might not have had if you were both face to face.
The conversations may be short, but the depth of emotions shared in them is vast.
2. Greater commitment to the relationship
Long-distance relationships involve greater commitment to yourself and your partner. Scheduling every day according to the ease of both partners requires a lot of commitment.
You may have to sacrifice your sleep and cancel plans with your friends just to make time to communicate with your partner.
But this makes you even more committed to the relationship and brings you to realise how even a half-hour conversation is worth the sacrifices.
3.Emotional intimacy at its best
Sometimes you may express much better over text than face-to-face. All the love messages, all the emojis that you keep sending in an LDR adds up to the emotional intimacy that you already share.
The benefits of long-distance relationships are many. With time, so many more emotions are unravelled because of being far apart from each other. You both go on an emotional rollercoaster and are no more afraid to share it with each other.
Your relationship goes to a higher level where you share a bond that goes beyond love. This is one of the biggest benefits of long-distance relationships. You are afar but you come much more closer.
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4. Gives you time for self-reflection
Spending time without the presence of your partner gives you much time for self-reflection. You can go over things you might not have had the time to do when your partner was here.
You can think of more ways of improving your relationship and working on it. You sometimes end up appreciating your partner more, something that you hardly did when you were together.
You realise all the positive things about your partner that is making your relationship work and you are also willing to put in as much effort as they are, to make your LDR a better experience.
5. Feeling called love
Believe it or not, long-distance relationships tend to enhance your love, since you now don’t share a physical relationship.
The feeling of lust diminishes and your emotional needs grow, which makes you love each other even more than before. You will pursue the relationship because you are in love, and love makes it all worthwhile.
The advantages of a long-distance relationship is it strengthens your love. It makes you realise how much you love each other and how much you want to be with each other. You make an effort to find ways to show love.
6. Boosts your patience
Patience is both a key and a test in a long-distance relationship. Your patience levels will grow and all the waiting will be worth it. You will grow as a person and will be able to solve your issues more patiently.
You will learn that jumping to conclusions is detrimental to the relationship so you will try to work on your patience to make your long-distance relationship work.
When you develop patience you understand your partner better. You minimise the fights and do not use those hurtful words. Developing patience helps you in your other relationships and in the workplace too. That’s a great way of reaping the benefits of long-distance relationships.
Related Reading: 12 Signs Of Unconditional Love In A Relationship
7. Reality check
In a normal relationship, you behave casually and sometimes ignore issues that seem to be minor but could have a serious impact in future.
Long-distance relationships give you a reality check on such issues, so as to understand where your relationship actually stands and how far you are willing to go to make it work.
When an LDR takes off chances are you get to know about the fissures that existed in your relationship but the biggest advantage is you get to know about how strong and healthy your relationship is.
8. The little things matter
The ‘little things’ are appreciated even more, and even an I Love You text in the middle of an official meeting sounds like the most beautiful words to make your day.
You celebrate even small inconsequent moments with each other through phone calls or texts, because you feel like staying connected all the time.
And when you are together on your monthly meets or short holidays you value the togetherness all the more.
9. You never get bored
In a normal relationship, sometimes people grow bored of each other. In a long-distance relationship, there are never things to do that you can run out of. That’s one of the benefits of long distance relationships.
The less time you spend, the more things you can do together. Moreover, you get more time to think about the different things you can experiment doing.
Since you meet after some time and do not sleep together every night you look forward to the sex. LDR takes away the boredom from sex.
10. You start planning like a pro
Planning small surprises and making use of all the resources available for it to be perfect makes you a pro. You have to plan for birthdays, anniversaries, surprise visits, etc. and you realise that you have become surprisingly good at it.
You plan for celebrating birthdays and anniversaries when you are together. Choosing a gift is never last moment and you plan in advance and ensure it reaches your partner on time.
You plan your meets with family, friends and your Christmas holidays well in advance. You become more organised.
Related Reading: 12 Signs You Have Found Your Soulmate
11. You get to travel
Why long-distance relationships are worth it? Because you get to travel a lot. One of the greatest benefits of a long-distance relationship is you get to travel a lot.
You have your own mini vacation with your partner. You get to explore a different city, go to their new favourite spots and spend quality time which you otherwise might not have done if you were in a normal relationship.
In fact, if you are living in two different cities or even two different countries and you visit each other you get to explore a lot together. It’s something to look forward to.
12. You get your cherished ‘Me time’
You get to spend more time with yourself. There is a sense of independence. You can entertain yourself by pursuing your hobbies or even trying new ones.
You build a small world of your own where you do the things you have longed to do, which makes you more at peace with yourself.
You can use the time away from your partner to do fruitful things. Start the thriller you always wanted to write, enroll for a course in photography or just be more diligent with your garden.
13. Get to know yourself better
You experience new situations, emotions and feelings. It is a new phase that is both exciting and overwhelming. The relationship seems like an adventure and you have a great story to tell.
You learn what you are capable of. You handle the bills, the kids, the house, the pets all on your own. You give right advice to your partner when they need it.
You get to know that you enjoy watching Netfilx alone with a glass of wine and absolutely love those girls night out.
Related Reading: How Do You Give Someone Attention In A Relationship?
14. Make your time together worth it
Long-distance relationships bring out the creative person in you. You want to make the most of your time together and think of different ideas and ways to make it more fun and memorable.
People in long-distance relationships often invest a lot of time and money in doing things that normal couples do not.
People staying together might take each others’ presence under the same roof for granted but one of the biggest benefits of long-distance relationships is you try to make every moment together memorable.
So when together, you plan dates, staycations, you explore the city together, you meet family and you do activities together.
15. You devote more time to your career
When you are in an LDR mostly you opt for it for career growth. So along with prioritising your relationship you give 200% to your job because you feel that’s the reason you are apart.
So you become more focused, spend more time at the workplace and try to grow in your career in every possible way.
This has a great positive effect on the relationship in the long run. Because if you grow in your career you invest better and could even purchase the house of your dreams and move in there after the LDR gets over.
After reading the benefits of starting a long distance relationship, you can understand how important long distance relationships are. Being geographically apart doesn’t have anything to do with the love and emotions you share. It can be stressful at times, but if you think that it is meant to be, then distance will never be an obstacle. Be positive about it from the start and be willing to do whatever it takes, and there will never be a problem.
FAQs
There is no particular timeline for a long-distance relationship but the average years it can last up to is 7 years. But most people prefer to end a long-distance relationship before that. But 70% is the success rate of a long-distance relationship.
Long-distance relationships teach you patience, you appreciate each other more and you really value the time you are together. Boredom doesn’t creep into your sex life and you look forward to great sex.
Long-distance relationships can be healthy of you keep the communication going and do not get too possessive, insecure or clingy in the relationship.
Sometimes distance is great for a relationship. As they say distance makes the heart grow fonder. That’s one of the biggest benefits of long-distance relationships.
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