Marriage Counseling Insights brought to you by California Psychotherapeutic Resources, Inc.

Long-distance relationships are more common than they once were. Young couples, especially, can find them themselves in a long-distance relationship when one partner heads off to grad school, or — just starting out in a career — accepts a job half-way across the country. Throw in the added possibility that the pandemic has steered some people toward a long-distance relationship, and you have the prospect of a lot of people heading into uncharted territory.

Are there guidelines for making a long-distance relationship work? Kelsey Borresen, writing for HuffPost.com, explores the issue and comes up with common-sense but insightful answers. “Long-distance partners often have to work harder at their relationships than couples who live together or close to one another,” says Borresen. “And though this arrangement can be a struggle at times, putting in that extra effort can really pay off in the long run.”

Her tips? She offers the following advice:

• Communicate consistently, but at a cadence that works for both of you
• Be honest with your partner when you’re not up for talking
• When your partner misses a call or doesn’t text you back right away, give them the benefit of the doubt
• Always have your next visit on the books
• Come up with fun activities you can do together from afar
• Learn to speak your partner’s love language from a distance
• Before trying to fix their problems, ask if they’re looking for solutions or if they just want to vent
• Use technology to connect in unconventional ways
• Try to figure out an end date for the long-distance part of the relationship

 For a more in-depth discussion of each tip, see the complete article here.