7 Tips on Coping with Loneliness in a Long Distance Relationship ...
By Merarri • 12 Comments
By Merarri • 12 Comments
Learning a few good ways of coping with loneliness in a long distance relationship is crucial when the one you love is miles away. Feelings of deep sadness, frustration and loneliness can hover over you like a veil when you are in a long distance relationship. I’m going to share a few tips on coping with loneliness in a long distance relationship so you can keep these feelings at bay.
One of the ways of coping with loneliness in a long distance relationship is to have a regular communication schedule. Making time to talk on a daily or weekly basis will help you feel connected regardless of how far apart you are. With time, eventually you will get a feel for how much communication is necessary to keep the both of you satisfied. Your man should be initiating texts and phone calls just as much as you are. But if your boyfriend is constantly pulling a disappearing act leaving you lonely and wondering where he is, it's time to reconsider the relationship.
Another tip that will help your bond stay strong is to spend some time with each other online. As strange as it may sound, hanging out online is the equivalent of spending quality time together when you are in a long distance relationship. Many long distance couples spend time listening to music, surfing the net, watching YouTube videos, playing online games or playing role playing games on a video console. It doesn’t really matter what you do online as long as the two of you are enjoying it and sharing the experience.
Engaging with each other in a virtual space can take many forms. From streaming a movie together and discussing it in real-time to taking on cooperative challenges in video games that require teamwork, these shared activities help maintain a sense of closeness. You could even set up regular online dates, where both dress up and dine 'together' over video call, offering a semblance of a traditional date night. The key is to make these interactions fun and something to look forward to, creating a virtual bridge that lessens the physical distance between you.
Just because you are in a long distance relationship does not mean that you become a hermit staring at a cold screen waiting for your man to appear. So ladies as long as you are putting time in your relationship and nurturing it, you don’t have to hang up your social butterfly wings. Go out and spend time with your friends doing fun things that you enjoy. It’s a good idea to check in with your boyfriend throughout the night so he’s a part of the activities even though he can’t be there.
When those lonely feelings hit, take advantage of your time instead of overwhelming your guy by bombarding him with “I miss you” or “I wish you were here” messages. Those kinds of messages are fine to send occasionally but not all the time because they can make him feel helpless and frustrated because he can’t be there for you. So instead of bumming your guy out with depressing text messages, think of something fun that you want to learn and pursue that hobby. This way even if you are in a long distance relationship, you are still growing and learning new things.
Try escaping from your lonely feelings by watching a movie or having a movie marathon in your favorite genre. It’s even better, if your man can watch the movie along with you. Look for movies that appeal to both of you. It’s a good idea to be open minded when your man suggests something you would usually never watch such as in my case a horror movie that involves aliens, vampires or zombies.
A long distance relationship can be so emotionally painful, especially when you long for his touch. One thing that can help alleviate those depressing feelings is to write about them in a journal. Get a journal specifically for your relationship and make good use of it when your feelings of despair, frustration and loneliness are palpable. Being able to vent in a journal is much better than keeping them bottled up inside.
Another way to keep busy or to distract yourself from those lonely feelings is to create a scrapbook of your long distance relationship. This scrapbook will be a visual reminder of why you are putting yourself through the challenges of a long distance relationship. Put your mementos of your relationship in this scrapbook. Create a page of all the things you love about your man like funny or sweet things he’s said to you. Going through your scrapbook when you are feeling down will be an instant boost of happiness and it will remind you why this relationship is worth it. If you like, you can even create a digital scrapbook and share it with him.
If you are in a long distance relationship and feel that you belong together, hang in there even when loneliness threatens to overwhelm you. Many long distance couples have found that all the emotional turmoil that they went through while they were apart was worth it in the end. Don’t listen to others that say a long distance relationship can’t succeed. If there’s enough love there and both of you are willing to put in the effort to make it work, anything is possible ladies.