Wondering if long distance relationships can thrive? How can you communicate better with your partner who is miles away? There are many different aspects to cultivating healthier and more meaningful communication.
With expert insight and understanding, here are the top five ways in which you can communicate better with your partner, no matter the distance.
5 ways in which you can communicate better with your partner, no matter the distance. Click To TweetListen First to Strengthen Relationships
It may sound simple, but the best way to communicate better is to listen first. To listen with intent does not mean just nodding your head over video chat or replying with a sentence or two, but it means actively listening to what your partner has to say.
Active listening requires three pieces that guide you to better communication. The first is sensing. There is always more meaning behind what a person says, and most of their words has to do with the emotion behind the conversation. When you can sense their feelings beyond their words, you can communicate with better understanding.
The second aspect to listening is processing. Processing involves piecing together their words for clarity and hearing the narrative as a whole. Lastly, the responding stage gives you space to communicate your response and what you understood from the conversation.
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Be Present to Strengthen Relationships
An important aspect to communicating better, is to be present. Being present helps assure your partner that you are listening and fully in the conversation. It can be tempting to be distracted by tasks, your phone buzzing, or your environment when talking to your partner. When you can listen with intent and be present for your conversations, you will find more satisfaction and assurance in your relationship.
Set aside time to talk to one another and recognize that time together is sacred time. It may be interrupted with work, or different time zones, but even ten minutes of being fully present with one another can spark your love even stronger.
Build Trust to Strengthen Relationships
When your partner is miles away, it can be hard to maintain the same level of trust as you had when you were in the same location. Yet, studies reveal that those who build trust continually are the ones who experience a stronger bond.
To build trust is to be truly honest with one another. Communicate the highs and lows of your day, as well as the deeper pockets of your mind that you keep hidden away. When you break down the walls of uncertainty and develop trust with one another, then you can see the beauty in distance and how it strengthens your bond.
Communicate Affection to Strengthen Relationships
Everyone communicates differently, which is why it is important to know how your partner communicates their affection. Some communicate affection through quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch.
By knowing how you and your partner communicate affection, you can communicate with one another better. Whether you send letters or even yourself in person to assure your partner of your affection, it is important to know how you love, and how you receive love.
Be Open to Strengthen Relationships
Being in a long-distance relationship is challenging, but it also can be incredibly beautiful. Choose to be open in using different ways of communication, as well open to the embracing the distance as a positive thing.
When you are open to the positives of being far away, then your relationship has the chance to withstand any storm. Communicate with an open mind and heart for your relationship to reach new levels of depth, understanding, and affection.
Learn to listen with intent, trust with understanding, and love your partner through the distance. No matter the miles, your love can maintain a deeper and stronger bond through effective and open communication, every single day.
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Bio:
Jennifer Craig is a long-distance relationship success story. She started SurviveLDR for women who want to survive and thrive in long-distance relationships. For more advice on how to make long-distance relationships work, follow her on Instagram, like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
