The phone rings and your eyes light up with excitement because it is your long-distance love.
Understandably, not everyone gets this excited for phone calls, but for you, it is a time to connect and close the distance.
As those of you know who are in a long-distance relationship (or have long-distance friendships), it is rewarding but difficult to navigate at times.
As the saying goes, distance means so little when someone means so much. Kim Fleming, an Adjunct professor in the communication department said, “Distance does not change what makes relationships thrive, and that is self-disclosure.
Even partners that are living with a distance between them can share a piece of themselves.”
She continued, “Talk about things ranging from what you ate for breakfast to the hardships you experience. Especially with distance between partners, even the mundane details might create a sense of closeness.
When we share with our partners we create a level of intimacy. That is what makes partners feel connected.”
Do not make the mistake of falling into a funk of wishing and hoping your significant other will magically appear, instead make the most of your time.
Stay positive, stay busy, and always stay communicating.
There are some tips to deal with the feelings you may have during long-distance, and how to get through them.
Communicating is the most cliché piece of advice, but it is the most important you will practice.
Being away from one another is hard, but it gets easier if you just talk.
Fleming continued, “Relationships can begin to fall apart with lack of communication, and as a result, it can dwindle down to nothing. No communication is the worst thing that can happen to any relationship. It is perfectly acceptable (and encouraged) to talk about talk. We cannot read our partner’s minds.”
Setup and maintain a schedule to make calls to one another. Whether they be long or short, it always helps to hear their voice. Finding a balance of calling too much or too little can get tricky, but do what feels right for the two of you.
Planning weekends, and days you will see your significant other or friends, can give you that silver lining you need.
If you are feeling extra excited, you can even download a countdown app to your phone, and customize it with pictures for the next time you see them.
Senior communication student, Salvatore Lagrotteria said, “Planning visits to see your significant other, or friends can be beneficial because you get to see them in their element, and mingle with their own friends as well.”
Being away from the person you love, whether it is your partner or best friend, can take a toll on your mental state.
Always remember to stay positive.
Junior health studies student, Rebecca Ley said, “Long distance relationships can be emotionally burdensome if you don’t have good communication and lack overall positivity.”
Before bed at night, write down five things you are grateful for in your current relationship.
Writing it down will give you a sigh of relief, and help you realize things aren’t so bad after all.
If you embrace yourself, love yourself, and grow every day it will be easy for your significant other to grow with you.
Flourishing together will be the most rewarding feeling! It is hard to be dedicated to loving someone else if you cannot love yourself first.
There is no denying, that love is a beautiful feeling. It will sneak up on you when you least expect it.
It will lie with you on the nights you feel alone, and most importantly, it will be reciprocated back to you in a way that speaks volumes. You will always get back 100 times more than what you give out.
PHOTO TAKEN by Cassandra Capozzi-Smith
