Being physically close to the person you love is a huge factor that helps strengthen your relationship. But somehow, due to personal issues and reasons, couples need to live in different cities or counties. And let’s be real, being far from your partner is not easy. You worry if they are safe, you have a lot of suspicions, and trust issues might emerge.
Plus, we have heard some stories online about long-distance relationships that didn’t work. And all these things might be giving you thoughts about whether you should continue or pursue a long-distance relationship with someone.
I know that it is not an easy decision to make so I’m here to help you out. In this article, we will discuss if long-distance relationships are worth it. Read on!
Part 1: What is a Long-Distance Relationship
If you and your partner don’t see each other on a regular basis or haven’t met yet in person because you live far from each other, it is automatically called a long-distance relationship.
This setup is not new, in fact, a lot of couples are doing it. Some last and some don’t. You’ll eventually get together or break up. But one thing is for sure, the relationship will last depending on how strong the trust and loyalty are on both parties.
If you’re new or planning to enter an LDR setup, you have to be ready to deal with difficult circumstances and be as understanding as possible.
Part 2: Pros and Cons of Long-Distance Relationships
A long-distance relationship has both its advantages and disadvantages. To help you decide, we listed some pros and cons. It’s up to you if you can deal with these factors or not.
Pros of LDR
It might seem lonely and sad, but LDR has some great advantages. Check them out.
Privacy and Time for Yourself
Let’s be real, being in a relationship means that you will have less privacy and time for yourself. Some people like to be with their partner all the time, and although there’s nothing wrong with that, it can be annoying to some people.
When you are in a long-distance relationship, you can have all the “Me Time” and privacy you want. There’s no need to go on dates or get dressed up. If you’re an introvert, perhaps LDR might work for you.
Builds Trust
This one really depends on how dedicated you are to the relationship. Trust is the most important thing in a relationship and being away from each other can actually help you develop it. If both of you really want to make the relationship work, you will have to compromise and build a sense of trust in the relationship and in your partner.
Independence
Most people depend on their partners to do things for them. If your lover is not by your side, you’ll be able to do things and make decisions on your own. Being away from your partner and being on your own may not be as bad as it sounds.
You get to learn how to be more mature and independent. These attributes will help you become a better person and prepare you if ever you decide to finally live together.
Strengthen your Bond
LDR will require you to communicate with your partner on a regular basis. That means even if you’re not together physically, you can still talk through texting and video chatting. It also means that you can get to talk more and explore more topics like life, expectations, and plans for the future. You will also get to know your partner better.
Cons of LDR
Here are some things that might encounter that will negatively affect your relationship.
Misunderstanding and Lack of Trust
In a long-distance relationship, we can’t help but think that our partners might be having an affair with someone else. But what most people do not know is that their partners are thinking the same way about them, and this is where the misunderstanding starts.
There is a chance that your partner might not fully trust you because of the distance that you have, and you will have to deal with that for the rest of the relationship.
Lack of Physical Intimacy
Being intimate with your partner helps your relationship grow, but in LDR you will have to deal with not touching or kissing your partner for a long time. And you should know that lack of physical intimacy causes couples to drift apart and eventually lose their feelings.
Time Difference
If you’re dating someone that lives in a different country, you will have to deal with time issues. He/she might be in a different timezone so their routine could be entirely different from yours.
You will have to both adjust your time and compromise with each other. You may have to stay up late or wake up early just to talk to your partner.
These are just some of the things that you might encounter when you’re in a long-distance relationship, and there will be more. Being in a relationship is challenging, if things work out, you might eventually get your “happy ever after”.
Part 3: Are Long Distance Relationships Worth It
Having doubts about your relationship is normal. You might be thinking if the relationship you have is worth it, or if it’s going to last. I know that you’re afraid of investing your feelings in someone who might not give you the same feeling back. In some cases, long-distance relationships start off great, but as time goes by both parties experience difficulties and eventually drift apart.
Expectation Vs. Reality
When you are in LDR, you also have to manage your expectations. There will be times when you can’t talk to each other for hours or even days. Plus you have to deal with separation anxiety which is pretty challenging.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be entering a long-distance relationship, my point is, you should be ready for any circumstances. You have to think things through or else, you might get hurt or another person. Yes. Apart from protecting yourself from heartbreaks, you should also consider your partner’s feelings.
Reality Check
Before committing to an LDR, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you really love the person? Does he/she feel the same way?
- Is the trust in both parties strong enough to withstand being apart from each other?
- Do both of you have the same expectations of the relationship? (Marriage or Moving together)
- For how long are you going to have this set up?
- Are you both willing to adjust your schedules to have time to talk to each other?
- What about visitations? Who’s going to visit who and when?
- How will you handle problems?
If you and your partner have talked about these things, then maybe you can survive a long-distance relationship.
Go-No-Go
Should you pursue a long-distance relationship? Will it be worth it?
Well, the answer depends on how much both parties love each other. If the love is real, then there will be trust, and if there is trust, there is understanding. With the help of those three factors, you and your partner will have a smooth-sailing relationship even if you’re from afar.
But, of course, there will be trials that will test both of you. But if you’re willing to fight for your love and after going through a lot of struggles, everything will be worth it.
Bonus: How to Keep Your Mind at Ease while in a Long-Distance Relationship
Now, if you decided to pursue an LDR but still have worries and doubts, it’s normal. We can’t help but wonder about their safety and about the people they interact with. And we always have the instinct to check on them to make sure they are safe even if they are far away. But the question is how can we check on them if they live afar?
Well, apart from calling and texting your partner from time to time, there is a better and more efficient way to monitor the love of your life and that is through mSpy.
The Best Monitoring Tool for Long Distance Relationships
mSpy is the ultimate monitoring tool that can help guard your loved ones from afar. Even if you’re not together physically, you can still guard them against dangers and even temptations.
mSpy Phone Monitoring
Monitor everything happens on the target iPhone/iPad/Android phone/tablet.
Read Social Media chats, calls, posts, likes, and comments
Track real-time phone location and set geo-fence
View SMS, iMs, call logs, contacts, & browser history
With this tool, you can easily check on all their activities like their locations and even the people they interact with through their mobile phones. You don’t have to constantly call and text them, just check the mSpy interface and see what they’re up to.
mSpy provides a lot of amazing features that can help you protect your partner from afar, here are some of them:
GPS Locations
If you’re worried about your partner going out alone, don’t worry, mSpy has a feature to help you with that. This feature will give you their real-time location and even provide a live map to see the places around his/her location. You can also use this feature to know if he/she is telling the truth about his/her whereabouts.
Text and Social Media Messages
No matter how much we love and trust the person, we sometimes can’t help to think if they are flirting with someone behind our backs or if someone is trying to flirt with us. Well, don’t worry about that, because mSpy can give you full access to their Text messages and Social Media chats. Read their chats on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tinder, and more.
You can freely see who your partner is interacting with and if they have some secret agendas.
Call History
You may not be the only person that your partner has been calling for long hours, there could be someone else. So, what you need to do is check their call history and see if there are suspicious calls.
Photos and Videos
Our partners sometimes lie about the people they hang out with. Well, their photos and videos may reveal the truth. You will see all the videos and photos he/she saved on her phone. Better keep an eye out if they are being too friendly with someone.
Apart from these four, mSpy still has a lot of features to offer. So go try it out now!
mSpy Phone Monitoring
Monitor everything happens on the target iPhone/iPad/Android phone/tablet.
Read Social Media chats, calls, posts, likes, and comments
Track real-time phone location and set geo-fence
View SMS, iMs, call logs, contacts, & browser history
Last Tip
When your love is great, no matter how far your partner is, it would be a problem. Just like what critically acclaimed author Tom McNeal says;
“Distance means so little when someone means so much.”
Don’t let distance be a hindrance to your love, if your feeling is strong and real, you will eventually reunite. But if you think that what you feel is just an infatuation, or you don’t think that your partner is serious about the relationship, you better stop now. Don’t get too invested in a relationship that you think is not going to last, or else you’ll end up heartbroken.