We see tons of relationships crumble because of distance. And yes, we agree that lovebirds should stick together as much as possible. Sadly, circumstances aren’t always fair.
What if, after your wedding, you or your spouse got a transfer at work? What happens when you finally get your "big" opportunity to take the world like a storm - but in a different state or country to your partner?
Will you forgo your dreams and career? If you don’t, won’t your marriage suffer? Will the flames of love burn fiercely as ever?
Good news: marriages can work regardless of the distance between partners. Yes, it would be hectic and require tons of commitment, but a long-distance relationship is possible.
At Shop Deluxy, we have clients maintaining long-distance marriages, and they make it work - perfectly at that. So, you can do it too; even better, the tips in this post can make the process smooth for you.
Have a look!
5 Tips To Survive And Enjoy A Long-distance Marriage
Maintain Contact, And Daily, If Possible
The first thing you want to handle in long-distance marriages is communication. As much as possible, ensure you contact your partner daily. While calls and chats might not be as physical as you and your spouse would love, they can help maintain an emotional connection.
And, in your case, emotional connection is enough to sustain your marriage and love. Even better, it will make you feel wanted, and likewise your partner.
Make Your Contacts As Physical As Possible
Indeed, we said that emotional connection suffices to keep a long-distance marriage. Even at that, you can spice it all up with physical exchanges. How?
Thanks to the internet, you can go beyond voice calls and do video calls. That way, you can rekindle your love splint with your tone and eyes.
The best part: video chats can help you better understand the emotional situation of your partner. While your spouse might change their voice, they can't conceal frustration for long when you stare into their eyes. That's your cue!
Furthermore, physical connections also mean you can be naughty with your partner. You could start a sexy video chat or even sexting. Just be creative and have fun!
Pro tip: you can try cooking together online too. But ensure you wear your customized couple aprons.
Set Boundaries, And Update Them
By boundaries, we don't mean some military laws. At the same time, you and your spouse should discuss the dos and don'ts of your long-distance marriage.
To start, you can discuss calling hours. Perhaps you don't want distractions at work; you could communicate and agree on such boundaries with your spouse. In any case, there should be room for emergencies – maybe texts.
More importantly, you can make rules regarding your spouse around the opposite sex. Such instances don't necessarily mean something is fishy. But if you are not comfortable, you can discuss it.
Lastly, you might want to set boundaries about nagging. For example, talks like “why can’t you come home,” or “why would you pick a career over us” should be off your checklist. They can be emotional drags.
Be Realistic
Frankly, long-distance marriage won't be a walk in the park. And on some cold nights, the walk would even take forever. Besides loneliness, parenting would take its toll on the parent that stayed back with the kids.
In other words, don't expect easy because you won't find it. What you can do instead is keep things realistic. Discuss how hard it is to be away from your partner. Most importantly, make plans to see each other – maybe once a month. And that's in addition to your frequent "skyping."
Say you are the parent away; always take time to appreciate your partner. Send care gifts as much as possible. More importantly, be empathetic when your spouse talks about their frustration. At that point, be their happy home.
Pro tip: you can designate a date to discuss difficulties. On such a day, you can both video call with a bottle of wine and your custom couple glass at hand.
Plan To Close The Distance
We could go on about how you could survive a long-distance marriage. The truth, however, remains that partners should stay together. After all, it is companionship.
That said, always have a plan to come home to your lovebird. For example, if your situation was a job transfer, you can work a relocation after a few months.
And say you were a businessman, you can always go back to your spouse after building your base. Thanks to the internet, you can even run your entire venture online.
In essence, know that marriage can't go on forever with prolonged distance. But for now, do what you need to do. Even at that, make contacts, physically and emotionally. Also, you can join support groups to starve boredom. Most importantly, always show your commitment to your heartthrob.
Good luck!