Maintaining an intimate relationship is hard; if it is a long distance, it is harder.
Communication is one of the mainstays in a healthy and stable relationship. Not everything about it is verbal alone. This is where most long distance relationships falter. Maintaining the same level of communication, commitment, and trust is not easy when the partners are separated by distance. Staying faithful is a challenge.
However, a long distance relationship offers you an incredible opportunity to prove your loyalty and commitment. The distance separating you can make or break the relationship. In most instances, being separated from your partner will put your relationship to test.
It’s your choice how you and your partner are going to use the space afforded by a long-distance relationship. You can use it productively for individual growth and adding more value to the relationship. Or, you can allow it to play dirty games on your mind and pull you apart.
Loyalty, commitment, and trust. You will find yourself being tested in these aspects when you are in a long distance relationship. If you can survive this phase in your relationship, the chances are that you are ready for the long haul and your relationship will last forever.
This article explores long distance relationships and offers suggestions on how to check loyalty in long distance relationship.
How to check loyalty in long distance relationship?
Here are a few prominent long distance relationship red flags for you to check out.
1. Is your partner cheating you?
It is easy for partners to stray when they are not physically together. There is no use denying that temptations are present everywhere. Staying faithful isn’t easy in a long distance relationship. However, if your partner is loyal and committed to a healthy relationship, none of them will matter. They will stay faithful to you and the relationship.
As you are staying far away from your partner, it may not be so easy to keep track of their activities. You can get the help of your common friends who are close to your partner to make inquiries. Or social media is another avenue you can explore to check loyalty in long distance relationship.
2. How well is your partner expressing love and affection over distance?
When you are together in the physical sense, it is easier to express your love for each other. It would also be easier to detect if the love is waning or if there is any change in the status quo. However, in a long distance relationship, most of these options for expressing love are not available. You will be left with the phone and video calls most of the time, with an occasional visit to keep the relationship alive.
To spice things up, it is usual for partners to send each other gifts. But gifts or even the words “I love you” can achieve only so much. It’s up to the partners to figure out innovative ways to keep in touch with each other and let each other know about their love and commitment to the relationship.
3. How well do you function as a team?
The health of a relationship depends on your ability to work together as a team. This is true whether you are together in the physical sense or separated by distance. Though this is harder to manage in a long distance relationship.
Teamwork is all about consulting your partner before taking decisions and equal division of responsibilities and sharing of successes. When one partner is making all the decisions and the other is expected to follow them, it will just be a matter of time before the relationship falls apart. This is also true for sharing work and duties.
Being in a long distance relationship, you also need to take extra effort to share your happiness and triumphs. A higher level of coordination may be needed to make this work. If you are getting an enthusiastic response from your partner, you can rest assured that your long distance relationship is on the right track.
4. Is your partner ready to make sacrifices?
Just as in the case of shared work, responsibilities, and accomplishments, it is also important that the partners are equally invested in making sacrifices for the relationship. When it gets too one-sided, the long distance relationship is bound to collapse. This is true for all relationships, but long distance relationships are more affected because both partners enjoy more freedom to follow their own path.
This can be about who will travel the distance to meet up with each other. The partner who is traveling may have to make sacrifices to make this possible. However, when the same partner is forced to make sacrifices, it may not gel well for the relationship.
5. Is your partner honest with you?
Honesty is not just about cheating or staying faithful in a relationship. It’s also about being truthful and open with each other about what is going on in their lives. As they do not get to see each other much, this is very important for the health and longevity of the long distance relationship.
Being in a long distance relationship means the partners spend most of their free time alone. Do you share all that is happening in your life with your partner? Only if both partners feel secure as individuals and love each other unconditionally, will they find it easy to open up to each other in such minute detail.
The role of honesty in a relationship, especially a long distance one, is often ignored. More importance is given to love, commitment, and communication. If the partners hide things from each other intentionally or otherwise, fissures will form in the relationship that may become too difficult to repair after a while.
Final thoughts on a long distance relationship
Not everyone can sustain a long distance relationship. It may work for a short while because of the feelings of love and excitement. But to make it last long term, honesty, sacrifices, teamwork, good communication, staying faithful, and the ability to express your love long distance is vital, besides ignoring temptations to cheat. To stay loyal in a long distance relationship is no easy matter.
For long distance couples, it is easy to grow apart without them realizing what is happening. It’s only after a while they discover that their relationship is not strong enough and has fallen apart. However, all is not lost for couples in long distance relationship. When you test loyalty in long distance relationship, it will help you feel secure and assured.
With all the right ingredients for a healthy relationship in place, no distance can manage to tear you apart.