Long-distance relationships are the most complicated type because they are so challenging to upkeep. Most couples don’t last very long in a long-distance relationship, with a success rate of only 58%. To put it simply, the pressure of the distance gets too complicated and complex over time, and the relationship tends to fizzle out.
Why is it such a challenge? If you put all the effort into making it work, it’s hard to say, as with any relationship, if it will work out in the end. That’s not to say couples can’t be happy in long-distance relationships– plenty are. Long-distance relationships can absolutely be worth it with the right time and effort poured into it.
If you love somebody with all your heart, you won’t abandon them just because they have to be distant from you for their career or education or because they live a great number of miles from you. You both have to be supportive of each other and give your best shot to make it work. So, if you’re wondering if a long-distance relationship is for you, there are a few critical questions to consider.
7 Questions To Ask Yourself
Here are the seven questions you must ask yourself to help consider if a long-distance relationship is worth it:
- Are You Ready To Seriously Commit?
- How Much Do You Trust Your Partner?
- Do Your Family & Friends Support You?
- Do You Share Common Interests With Your Partner?
- Do You Have Goals Together?
- Can You Handle The Frustrations?
- Are You Ready To Put In The Effort?
1. Are You Ready Seriously Commit?
Commitment is essential for any relationship because it keeps the relationship strong and stable. Without it, it would be easy for you to drift away from each other, and the relationship would crumble into nothing, which is especially true with a physical distance between you two. So, are you ready to commit? To put all your focus and effort into making this work?
If so, give the relationship a chance. Most couples commit at the beginning, but that resolve fades over time as they don’t put in the work to maintain the relationship.
2. How Much Do You Trust Your Partner?
Trust is a vital point in any relationship, but in a long-distance one, it’s even more important. Without trust, you can’t maintain a healthy and robust relationship. If you have trust that your partner will not betray your faith and cheat behind your back, you will be far more secure in your relationship. It is difficult in a long-distance relationship, with little to no physical reassurance that things are okay.
If you think you can handle that lack of reassurance and maintain your trust in the relationship, then give it a chance. That trust has to be fostered mutually but can lead to a long and prosperous relationship.
3. Do Your Family & Friends Support You?
As in any relationship, but more so in a long-distance one, you need the emotional support of family and friends. This can help keep the relationship going when times are tough, as well as to provide a sounding board for each person. It can also help to mitigate feelings of isolation and loneliness, which can become a problem in long-distance relationships because you’re so emotionally close to somebody but so far physically.
Ask yourself whether your family and friends will support you in your long-distance relationship. Help them to understand how important this is to you and why you may seek assistance from them. If you have a supportive family and friends, maintaining a long-distance relationship will be far more manageable.
4. Do You Share Common Interests With Your Partner?
With no common ground, a relationship cannot be maintained, and with the physical distance in a long-distance relationship, having common interests is especially important. Unable to go on dates, or snuggle on the couch late at night, the more common ground you two have, the better. When both partners have a shared interest, you are more likely to find things to do together that you both enjoy that keeps the relationship exciting. Additionally, shared interests can help partners feel closer to each other even when they are physically apart.
With shared interests, it is a lot easier to manage long-distance relationships. If your interests differ too much, the relationship may not work out as well as you would like. But if you think you two are quite compatible, then the relationship is definitely worth a shot.
5. Do You Have Goals Together?
For a relationship to work out, you have to have goals that you want to achieve together. This gives you something to work towards and helps to keep the relationship strong. Maintaining a long-distance relationship without plans is challenging, and it can be far easier to lose sight of why you are in the relationship. Many long-distance couples lose sight of their goals and, eventually, the relationship, leading to its downfall.
If your future goals are aligned and if you are both willing to work toward them to ensure the strength of your relationship, then give the relationship a chance.
6. Can You Handle The Frustrations?
Long distance relationships can be quite frustrating because your partner is not around you, and life will keep you two apart more than you would like. Between time zone differences, your schedules, and everyday life, you will not be able to be with each other as much as a regular relationship would be able to. You have to be prepared to handle these frustrations if you want to make it work. If you aren’t ready to handle that level of anxiety, a long-distance relationship likely isn’t for you.
Support from family and friends can help mitigate these frustrations immensely.
7. Are You Ready To Put In The Effort?
Putting in the effort to maintain a long-distance relationship is the most essential part. You need to be committed, have trust in your partner, gather support, find common ground, create goals, and be able to handle the frustration that comes along with it all. It has to be a mutual effort, and it is no easy work. You need to know if both you and your partner are willing to put in the effort to ensure that your long-distance relationship works.
You have to ask yourself if this relationship is important enough to you to put in the work to maintain it. Love and affection is not enough to ensure the viability of a long-distance relationship. If that is something that you are ready for, then pursue it to the best of your ability.
Anything Can Be Worth It If You Put In An Effort
It is challenging to handle a long-distance relationship. But, if you put in the effort, you can make it work and, more importantly, make it worth it. It is no easy feat, but if you think you can handle it, put your best foot forward.
