This document discusses some of the challenges of long-distance relationships and provides tips for making them work. It notes that long-distance relationships put relationships at risk due to difficulties with trust, physical intimacy, taking the relationship to the next level, and really knowing the partner. However, it also provides advice such as communicating regularly, making visits, planning time together, and committing to the relationship.

1. One of the reasons we have multiple concurrent partners is that we
may be involved in long-distance relationships, and we feel unable to
spend the time of separation alone without a partner.
However, having multiple concurrent partners puts us at risk of
getting HIV, regardless of the reasons. In view of this, it is a healthier
choice to have one love and be faithful to that partner, even if the
relationship is long-distance.
Here are some tips to help your long-distance relationship survive
and thrive:
Have trust and honesty
You need trust and honesty to keep any relationship strong,
especially a long- distance one. If you do not trust your partner, you
will probably spend a lot of time worrying if he or she is being faithful
to you.
If you do not trust your partner, speak to him or her about your
worries.
Be honest with your partner. This means sharing your thoughts and
feelings with him or her, even if those feelings are difficult or
upsetting.
Enjoy your personal space
Being alone for a while is good. It allows you to spend more time
with yourself and on things that you enjoy.
Get to know each other differently
When you and your partner are not together, you cannot have sex
with each other. But you can spend more time talking to each other
and getting to know each other in new ways.

2. Communicate regularly and in a meaningful way
Keeping in touch with your partner will take some effort and money,
but it helps to keep your relationship alive. You can communicate in
many different ways:
Phone each other as often as you can.
If you cannot phone, send an SMS to let your partner know you are
thinking of him or her.
Write love letters and poems to your partner. Writing to each other
can bring some romance back into the relationship.
Request/dedicate songs for each other on a radio station that you
both listen to.
Make time to visit each other. This may sometimes be difficult
because of work, money or children, but make the time to see each
other during the separation.
Talk about your fears
You might worry if your partner is being faithful to you. If this
happens, think about the good things you did together as a couple.
Listen to your partner’s favourite music or think about your last
conversation together. If you are really worried, then talk to your
partner about it.
Talk to friends you trust
This is a good way to remind yourself and others that your partner is
a big part of your life, even though he or she is far away.
Sex and physical contact
This can be the most difficult part of a long-distance relationship.

3. Remember to value your relationship. Think of your loved one
whenever you feel tempted to have sex with other people. You can
also pleasure yourself with masturbation.
Remember your commitment
Being away from your partner will help you to remember all the
good things about being around him or her. Listen to music you both
love or put up reminders of your beloved, like his or her photograph.
This can make your relationship stronger.
During the difficulties of a long-distance relationship, remember why
you made the decision to stay faithful to your partner. Remember
that you will not always be apart. Look forward to the time when you
will be together again.

4. So, you or your girlfriend is relocating to another city for school or a
new job, and you two are debating about whether you should break
up, or try having a long-distance relationship.
Forgive my bluntness, but don't even think about going through with
a long-distance relationship unless you are both extremely devoted
to one another, and willing to make sacrifices for the relationship. If
this doesn't sound like you, then you should cut your losses now, and
avoid a potentially heart-wrenching situation in the future.
If, on the other hand, you are both ready and willing to handle a
relationship from afar, then be sure to read on for some
indispensable tips -- if I do say so myself -- on how to make it work.
make time
Of course, relocating to a new city will involve meeting new people
and doing new things, but that doesn't mean that your significant
other should fall to the bottom of your list of priorities.
It is important to set aside time every day to phone or e-mail each
other, without any distractions. Tell each other details about your
day, your friends, co-workers, etc., so that you both feel a part of the
other person's life; this seemingly small step will go a long way in
reducing the distance between the two of you.
visit

5. Make an effort to visit one another as often as possible, not only
when it is expected, such as for holidays. Make sure that it isn't
always the same person who is going out of their way for the other,
because this will inevitably lead to some serious resentment.
If you don't put in the time and effort to see one another, then you
will eventually drift apart, no matter how strong your love is. After
all, you need some physical contact to keep a relationship going.
plan ahead
Be sure to organize your schedule so that when she does come to
visit, you have nothing to do but spend quality time with her. Tell
your friends and family that you are officially unavailable during the
time that you and your sweetie plan on being together.
This will not only be enjoyable in itself, but it will also make her feel
like her efforts were appreciated, and that she is truly loved.

6. 5 Problems With Long Distance Relationships84
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By Isabella Snow
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Long distance dating is manageable if you've got the right mentality
for it, but it can still have its ups and downs, regardless of how strong
you and your partner may be. I have been in several long distance
relationships, my first being at 19 years of age when I moved halfway
across the country. This proved to be rather a foolish arrangement
and it ended quickly enough; so foolish, in fact, that it would be
another decade before I'd get involved in another one. But get
involved, I did. That one didn't work either, so I tried it again. And
again.And again. And I have just recently seen the end of what I have
decided will be the last long distance relationship I will involve myself
with. I'm simply not the type who can deal with the issues that arise
during long distance relationships. Read on to see what those issues
are, and how surmountable you yourself find them to be.
It's so easy to lie.
Whether or not your partner actually is lying is irrelevant. The simple
truth of the matter is that you will have to take them at their word
every step of the way -- or go mad wondering why they're constantly

7. breaking promises and failing to communicate the why of it.
Naturally, this doesn't mean that your partner is lying, but if they're
flaky by nature, repeated behaviors can lead to suspicion, which can
take its toll on trust. Which brings us to the next point.
Trust is only as strong as you imagine it to be.
Trust is easy enough in the beginning, but over time innocent (and
perhaps not so innocent) mistakes on the part of your man, or
woman, can really affect your resolve to keep doubts at bay. For
example, if your man promises to call you at a certain time on a
certain day, but doesn't actually contact you for another three, this is
bound to affect you twofold: First, you'll be worried that something
happened to him. Second, when you later learn that he's perfectly ok
and simply decided to go out to dinner with a mate instead, and then
somehow forgot to contact you for whatever reason until the
following week... well, you can see how that might inspire a lack of
trust. Sadly, it's impossible to know whether or not the mistake was
innocent, which will add yet another strain to an already difficult
situation.
Pent up energies.
Yes, that kind. While there are many ways around the misery of not
being able to expression one's affection physically, some people
simply aren't comfortable with attempting this over the phone, in
cyberspace, or by video chat. If you are comfy with it, more power to
you -- but if it's too "out there" for you, this can take its toll as well,
whether you're male or female. That, and it could make one of you
worry that the other is seeking consolation elsewhere to get them

8. by. And, sadly, sometimes they are.
Taking things to the next level can be difficult.
If you see each other every day, sleep over every few days, have
breakfast in bed together, etc., these things put you on the natural
course to the next step, which could be one of you moving to the
other's area, or something bigger, like actually moving in together.
But when you only get to see each other once or twice a month, this
can make the rational mind stand up and say, "whoa, wait... you
hardly know this person..." even if you've been in a long distance
relationship for more than a year. Which leads me to the next, and
perhaps biggest, issue.
Sometimes you really *don't* know them at all.
People lie. A lot of people seeking attention that they're not getting
in their own marriage will go online, create a fake id and romance an
innocent person who takes them at face value. Sometimes this
continues to the point of long distance travel and proposals of
marriage. Sometimes it even results in bigamy; I've seen it. So how
do you know that the man you're in a committed long distance
relationship with, the one who flies to see you every other weekend,
isn't really married with five kids, and telling his wife that these are
business trips? That's just it -- you don't. Not until you actually start
living together and can see for yourself that he hasn't brought a wife
and kids along with him. Whether or not you can endure everything
else until you get to that point is another matter altogether and I've
great respect for anyone who can.