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The Importance Of Long Distance Communication & 13 Key Tips To Improve It

Communication is a crucial component in any kind of interpersonal relationship. Its importance increases in romantic relationships and even more so in long distance ones.

It’s a known fact that long distance relationships (LDRs) are rather challenging and require their own set of skills to be successful. Couples have several tactics available to make it work, starting with effective long distance communication. Lack of systematic communication in LDRs is an inevitable sentence to failure.

It takes a certain commitment to keep a connection alive, especially when your loved one is miles and miles away. Both partners must dedicate themselves to constantly improving the long distance relationship communication and be open to creative means of relating to one another.

Thanks to the latest technologies, connecting to people at a distance is no longer an insurmountable obstacle. Recently developed apps enable long distance couples to engage in meaningful and efficient communication and thus feel closer to each other. 

What Is Effective Long Distance Communication?

Effective communication, essential to all relationships, represents one’s ability to express themselves in a clear way and hear and understand their partner at the same time. As long as you maintain effective long distance communication, you can handle any obstacle such a relationship entails.

Communicating effectively means conveying a message with clarity, as well as really listening and understanding the person you're talking to. If you express your thoughts, feelings and ideas openly and as clearly as possible, you make it easier for your partner to understand what you are saying and validate your feelings.

Effective communication is also a useful tool in solving relationship problems. If you and your beloved are not physically next to each other, it can get pretty difficult to sense there might be something bothering them. But talking to them, actively listening to what they are sharing with you can help identify the root of your problems. This allows you to take the next logical step and solve them.

A long distance relationship is not anyone’s first choice and may be the result of different factors, but its success depends only on the way a couple manages the space between them. Improved means of communication could be just what you and your partner need to stay connected and feel closer together.

Why Is Long Distance Communication Important?

Long distance relationship communication helps support and consolidate the bond between two people. For that reason, it is important to set ground rules together and not to lose yourselves in insignificant details. Focus on communicating your needs and how to satisfy them and make sure both sides are equally heard.

Efficient communication in LDRs plays a major role in noticing problems and finding the proper solutions for them. As great as they might be, phones and laptops don’t actually have the possibility of transferring emotions, so the distance makes it harder for partners to pick up distress or anxiety or sadness. A healthy communication flow can address this deficiency and restore a good balance to the relationship.

Furthermore, remember to take the time to video call your significant other as often as you can. A considerable advantage of visual connection is its power to narrow down the distance and bring partners closer together. 

If you have busy schedules, try sending voice messages. Seeing your beloved and hearing their voice makes you forget about the distance and facilitates a meaningful bond. Plus, it can build up your enthusiasm about the next time you are meeting in person. 

Communication is important because it gives you the opportunity to discover more about your partner, to be more involved in their lives, to truly share and connect. The goal is to work your way to inspiring, deep conversations you both enjoy and look forward to every day you spend apart.

13 Tips For Better Communication

1. Make sure you have your partner’s attention

Everybody is immersed in their own thoughts from time to time, so if you want to share something with your partner, make sure you have their undivided attention first. Check if the time is right for them to hear you out and if it is not, accept that without making a big deal out of it. Plan another call for a more suitable time.

2. Just say what you have to say

Sometimes, people tend to complicate conversations by overthinking whatever they might want to express. You shouldn’t say neither too much, nor too little when talking to your remote partner. 

Just say what is on your mind and lose all your worries. Your partner will be there for you and they will do their best to understand and support you, no matter what. 

3. Confirm your partner received your message

You might get the urge to share every little thing that happens to you during every day with the person closest to you, your loved one. But take a step back and consider that although they care about you, your partner may not be interested in all you need to say.

Don’t talk endlessly without waiting for a response and don’t accept uh-huh’ or other interjections as answers. Ask your partner if they really heard you and be mindful of their body language as well.

4. Set up a communication schedule

While it may seem an impossible task, establishing a communication schedule is vital for any long distance relationship. It requires planning and sacrifices, but at the end of the day, it also ensures you get to spend well deserved time together. 

Of course there are going to be moments when one of you can’t respect your appointments, but you can always send recorded audio or video messages, to soften your absence.

5. Engage in active listening 

The success of long-distance relationship communication relies greatly on the couple’s willingness to listen actively to each other. Understanding what your partner shares with you has the same value as your own feelings and thoughts.

Even though active listening is not as easy as it may sound, it proves that you do care about your partner’s points of view on the discussion topics. In addition, this process allows both of you to get to know each other better. 

6. Be honest with each other

“Honesty is the best policy” applies perfectly to LDRs. In order to develop your relationship, you must be able to communicate sincerely to one another and to openly express emotions and impressions.

Do not keep your worries to yourself, the ones concerning your relationship in particular. Give your partner the chance to become the friend you lean on. 

7. Use video chat communication

Don’t rely on the easy channels, such as voice or text messages, for your main long distance communication. Live online sessions are a better solution to keep each other in the loop. 

FaceTime and Skype can minimize the distance and any chance of misunderstanding. Nonverbal communication can mean so much for people who are in love and separated by thousands of miles.

8. Send audio messages

Using audio messages can refine communication in a long distance couple. Texts can sometimes come across as impersonal and your significant other definitely prefers to hear your sweet voice rather than read empty words on a screen.

Audio messages are also a nice fit for those times when video calling is not an option.

9. Give screen sharing technology a try

Screen sharing enables LDR couples to watch the same movie or TV show simultaneously, creating intimate moments to enjoy together. Taking part in a fun, shared activity enhances communication between remote partners and takes their minds off the distance. 

10. Keep your calls short and pleasant

Make sure you are not distracted when talking to your beloved and keep the calls and messages engaging. 

On the other hand, try to sense when you should stop. Since you don’t carry on conversations face to face, there is a common tendency to overreact while supporting your point of view, which might be mistaken for arguing. Therefore, it is important to realize when you need to stop and give your partner some space to process things.

11. Build a connection between you and your partner

As long as you can’t be physically close to the person you love, you should have the ability to express your affection and passion. This will deepen and strengthen your connection and make up for the distance.

Keep it simple, declare your love when your partner expects it the least or use cute nicknames that have a special meaning just for the two of you. 

12. Communicate creatively

Try to keep your partner posted on what is going on in your life and do it with pictures and videos on top of the conventional text messages and calls. Your efforts will make them feel appreciated and loved.

In traditional relationships, a great deal of creative communication happens on date night. The same can be true for long distance relationships. Schedule regular date nights where you go on virtual dates and communicate in the metaverse. 

13. Be aware of each other’s schedules

It comes in handy to know each other’s schedules, so that you don’t call or text your partner in the middle of an important meeting or interview. This is particularly important to people living in different time zones.


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