Love is such a beautiful thing and while you may always want to be close to your partner, that is not always the case. With the introduction of various social media platforms, long-distance relationships have become quite common nowadays. You can be romantically involved with someone in another city or country and things still work out because people can easily connect and communicate. With that said, some problems come with a long-distance relationship that can make it difficult to sustain.
Pros
1. It gives you a chance to know each other well. People in a long-distance relationship tend to have deeper interactions and they are usually more meaningful. This way, they get to know each other better and build their relationship on a strong foundation.
2. Tests your trust. A long-distance relationship will teach you how to deal with your insecurities and face them head-on. In the long run, you develop a good sense of trust for your partner.
3. The relationship is built on emotional intimacy. The reason why many relationships fail nowadays is that they start on physical attraction. Afterwards, there comes the realization that you don’t share the same values and your personalities are at odds.
4. More travel opportunities. Very few people hate travelling and hence this makes long-distance relationships so much fun. There is always joy and enjoyment in getting to go to a new place and indulge in different things.
5. Better communication and conflict resolution. Even when you are miles apart from each other, there will always be some sort of misunderstanding. However, since you have already learned how to communicate well it’s easier to negotiate such challenges.
6. You appreciate the time spent together. In a long-distance relationship, time is limited and you get to see each other less often. Therefore, the time spent together is more special.
7. It’s easier as a result of modern technology. Nowadays you can talk to someone who is far away from you through video calls, text messages, or calls. There is no room for you to drift apart from your partner.
8. Time away from each other may be healthy. When you are away from your partner, you can focus on other things and build yourself. This allows you to be independent and there are always new things to bring to the table.
9. Teaches you patience. When you are in a long-distance relationship, you are forced to learn how to be patient. You can get through frustrations and life challenges without much stress.
10. Both partners are equally invested in the relationship. In most relationships, one partner may be more involved than another and what follows is usually taking each other for granted. On the other hand, long-distance relationships call for commitment and dedication from both.
Cons
1. Travelling is usually tiresome. Over a long period, travelling can become quite tiresome. It gets to a point you are not in the mood to travel even though you want to see your partner.
2. Expensive. The truth is long-distance relationships are an expensive affair. For instance, there are costs associated with travelling that can strain your finances. Also, there is money spent on phone calls, SMS, and the internet.
3. It’s easy for misunderstandings
to
occur. Plenty of things can go sideways when you are communicating over a long distance. Something said in a text without social cues tend to get misunderstood.
4. There may be trust issues. Trust issues are not uncommon in long-distance relationships. There is always mistrust and jealousy when one partner is having fun and socializing with other people. For instance, there may be a different interpretation of things when you are in a long-distance relationship than in a normal one.
5. You cannot see each other on a daily basis. Being able to do normal day to day activities such as going to the movies or cooking together is basically the cherry on the cake in a normal relationship. You miss out on these little but special things when its long distance.
6. Loneliness. Couples in this kind of a relationship often miss each other and get lonely. It gets worse when they see other couples holding hands walking around town and having a good time. Loneliness can make a faithful partner unhappy and ultimately bring down the relationship.
7. Gradual disconnection. This is something that commonly happens when there is too much distance and the communication is broken. There will be mistrust and frequent fights that affect love and may lead to the end of the relationship.
8. Higher possibility of cheating. Couples in a long-distance relationship are prone to cheating. This might lead to someone getting closer to the new partner and breaking up with the one who is far away.
9. Drifting apart. This happens when one or both couples become busy with their daily lives or meet new interesting people. What follows is fewer phone calls or texts and out of nowhere, the relationship comes to an abrupt end.
10. There is a schedule. There is little flexibility in this kind of relationship especially if you are in an international relationship with different time zones. This means your Skype chats, texts, and even when you meet has to be scheduled.
