There are many Benefits of Long Distance Relationships.
I remember the very first time I attempted to have a long-distance relationship. I was 16 and in Washington, DC, for an internship when I met the cutest guy I’d ever seen.
He was funny, smart, cool and fun to hang around. Though our internship only lasted a week, it didn’t take long to “catch feelings” for each other.
Unfortunately, neither of our parents was about to pay a high-phone bill to foster our love connection so our teenage love affair ended a few days after we returned from the internship.
From that moment, I’ve pretty much always been open to long-distance relationships. I think they’re fun and interesting and they’re an exciting way to get to know a person.
In case you’ve ever been leery about long-distance relationships, here are 7 great benefits of long-distance dating!
Paces the Relationship
When we meet someone we like, we tend to spend all of our available time with him or her.
Though quality time is not a bad thing, too much time too fast can cause the relationship to get very serious, very quickly! When you are separated by distance, you are forced to take things a bit slower.
You are required to be intentional about the time you spend with your significant other and you are forced to be purposeful about your time with that person.
Rather than hitting the acceleration button, you learn to pace the relationship and discern if it’s truly a relationship worth pursuing or leaving alone.
Builds Strong Communication Skills
Disagreements are probably the most undesirable aspect of any relationship but they are also inevitable.
Long distance relationships force us to get out of our comfort zone and develop better communication skills.
In contrast to a couple that lives in the same city as one another, a couple in a long-distance relationship does not have the luxury of exiting a room, driving home or remaining silent during a disagreement.
Instead they are forced to resolve their issues over the phone (or video) and be attentive to each other’s concerns.
Builds Trust
When in close proximity to one another we often do things to control or manipulate our significant other. We often enter relationships with emotional baggage from past breakups so we do things to mask our insecurities.
Common examples of these behaviors are: demanding quality time every weekend to make sure no one is cheating; texting one another all day every day to monopolize each other’s time; and even doing pop-up visits to make sure no one is cheating.
In long distance relationships your word is truly your bond and your actions speak louder than words. You learn to develop trust based on consistency and honesty.
You are also challenged to confront your insecurities and grow.
Keeps You Focused on Your Goals
Let’s be real, when you meet someone and fall head over heels for them, you want to spend all of your free time with them.
While there’s nothing wrong with this, our desire for quality time can often become a distraction that throws us off-track because the time once devoted to our goals gets redirected to our new love interest.
Long distance relationships help you manage your time wisely and become better organized. You learn the importance of sticking to a schedule and planning ahead to make time for fun and your sweetie.
You Become More Creative/Romantic
Of the many benefits of long-distance relationships, this is probably my favorite! Long-distance relationships require quite a bit more effort than most relationships.
Because you are limited to phone and video communication, you are challenged to become creative in showing your affection for one another.
However, this challenge can be fun because it allows you to showcase your creativity by thinking outside the box.
As you pay close attention to his or her likes, favorite foods, hobbies and other aspects of his or her personality, you learn to create new ways to make your mate feel special every moment of the day despite the distance between the two of you.
Adds Fun & Adventure
If you have nothing else to look forward to in a long-distance relationship, you will always be able to look forward to visiting your sweetie!
There’s nothing better than counting down the days to see your baby. Long-distance relationships are an ongoing vacation that alleviates the stress of a hectic week.
Each time you travel for a visit, you get to explore new things, make new friends, and create new memories! Sounds like a very cool win to me!
Celibacy
Most importantly, long distance relationships may help the both of you fight temptation. It can be hard to stay celibate when you are around someone whom you are physically attracted to. Being far apart from each other can possibly curb those lustful thoughts.
While long-distance relationships are not ideal for extended periods of time, they can definitely be beneficial if both parties are willing to try something new!
Have you ever experienced a long distance relationship? If so, what was your experience like?
