Imagine you are in a beautiful and fulfilling relationship with someone but one day, life happens and he/she suddenly relocates far abroad and as you are left to ponder if the relationship would ever be the same now that your partner is far away from you?

Yes, your soulmate is now far away from you and your mind is bugged with questions and suppositions concerning the new turn of events in your dating life.

Well, worry not because you have just found the holy grail as this article will get you acquainted with the importance of effective communication in a long-distance relationship as well as highlight a handful of tips that if applied would help improve communication with your partner who’s currently walking yonder on another soil distinct from yours. 

communication as we know it,  is the process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavioral patterns and interpretations, how then can we best define the term Effective Communication used in reference to long-distance relationship?

WHAT IS EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN A LONG-DISTANCE (LDR) RELATIONSHIP?

Effective communication in a long-distance relationship is the ability of the partners to maintain and sustain the sanctity and sanity of the relationship by employing healthy but interesting methods that ensure a steady flow of interaction between them on a continual basis via the use of modern trends of technological powered tools like phones, computers, emails and chat apps to fill the inconvenient gaps of distance.

Although, unlike the olden days of our barefooted and Carmel riding ancestors, the emergence of the internet with its high speed 4-5G connection speed has made communication and information to long distances travel at the speed of light even across intercontinental borders.

But despite the titanic improvement in the areas of Information Technology, it is quite amusing that several couples around the world are still faced with the challenges involved with long-distance relationship

According to the eye-opening statistics from the source, “Long-Distance Relationship Statistics by Statistic Brain,” states that the average amount of time for long-distance relationships to break up if its not going to work at 4-5 months and as it turns out, 40 percent of long-distance relationships comes to an end coupled with about 28 percent of long-distance relationships that are not planned for.

Other causes of breakups in a long-distance relationship arises from time zone differences, lack of physical and emotional presence, lack of face-to-face interactions, trust issues, boring conversations, limited communication tools, poor network connectivity and different communication styles etc.

Whether you like it or not, there is a high tendency that one of these issues above will confront your relationship since human needs and priorities undergoes constant change for better survival and adaptation to the material world around us.

Nonetheless, the practical application of these strategic tips can juice up effective communication with your partner, it is an assured lifesaver to long-distance relationship that will save relationship from a sad breakup ending.

• Be An Active Listener: like the old saying goes, a good lover is the one that listens, when you are talking on the phone or video call, listen carefully to what the other person is saying.  Show interest in their stories and ask related questions when appropriate. This quality tells your partner that you are both intelligent, sensitive and collective.
• Be Honest: Honesty should be the foundational motto of your relationship. Be open and transparent about your likes and dislikes, your feelings, doubts and concerns. Always address any issues that arise in the relationship before they grow to become a thorn in the flesh.
• Make Communication a Priority: as emphasized, regular communication is the key to a lasting relationship, endeavor to prioritize it. No matter the nature of your work schedule, set aside time each day or week to chat with your partner as it goes a long way to remind your partner how important they are to you and you to them. This will strengthen your bond at a rate of 25 percent psychologically and 30-35 percent emotionally.
• Always Be Empathetic: Empathy is the ability to understand and deeply connect to the emotion of others and humans are emotional creatures by design and this same emotion is a fundamental law of attraction in the dating world and so it can never be overstated or ignored. In a long-distance relationship, being empathetic help you to be attuned with your partner’s emotions whether they are feeling sad, lonely or even angry. Be supportive and validate their emotions when necessary.
• Utilize every Communication Technology Tool: In this modern day and age, technology and the internet has provided us with an arsenal of communicative tools and apps at our disposal. So never be scared to get your hands on them, after all a lot of people are into online dating which is made possible via social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Tinder, emails, video chat apps etc. So don’t fall behind, your heartthrob is at the other side of the world eager to hear from you and so the best you can do for the both of you is to take advantage of these tools and connect with your partner as much as you can because like they say, you only live once.
• Make It Fun: Aside from long-distance relationships, a lot of relationships comes to a sad end because of the couple did little or nothing to spice up the relationship hereby giving other things a priority over the relationship or not just experimenting at all. Be creative, tell jokes, put up fun acts, share funny emojis online and try to be part of each other’s experiences. Be your partner’s gossip mate and be fluid with the topics of discussion. This is a boredom killer and it keeps your partner’s thoughts fixated on you for as long as possible.
• Be Consistent: Long-distance relationships can be challenging and so it often requires a heart of patience and mature mindedness to pull through. You both must get use to network failures, missed calls and no feedback texts because of work and other formal commitments. You might really want to talk but the other person might not be able to maybe because he/she is tired and worn out. Doubts and insecurity might surface because you might ponder on who they are with or what they might be up to, sometimes they are available and other times they are not. Odd week and months might pass without the both of you have a real conversation. All in all, you just have to be patient and assure yourself this is a temporary phase and you are important to them as much as they are to you. Do not give in to the pressure of neediness and desperation and never relent in doing the little good things you have been doing to keep the long-distance relationship a float. You will thank yourself for it as consistency also brings growth and the gift of willpower to the table.
• Make Plans: Learn to make future plans with your partner. Formulate visiting plans or if possible, a permanent relocation plan but if not, visit them and make it worth the while. Discuss about the future and set long-term goals of where you are both going with your love story as this keeps the relationship strong and full of hope.
• Stay Positive: Although, distance is a barrier, it is rather more essential to keep your head above the water and be positive. Focus on the best in yourselves and make continuous improvements where required. Overall, long-distance relationship can be quite difficult to maintain but with the right application of creativity, honesty and ability to plan your dating life to the fullest, your relationship will definitely pass the test of time and distance.