What does science say about long distance relationships?

If you’ve ever been in a long distance relationship, you probably know how challenging they can be.

There’s the longing for your partner – dreaming about reuniting and when you will spend time together again, the loneliness you feel when you’re apart for long periods of time, and then the incredible high when you are finally in each other’s arms again.

Most people who have been in a long distance relationship will tell you they can work if certain criteria are met including:

• knowing there is an end date to being separated
• knowing when you will next see each other
• staying in touch via the phone, Skype, WhatsApp or Facebook
• developing long term plans together for your future.

These things can help you overcome the loneliness and manage the longing to be together.

Research on long distance relationships in college students provides some interesting data on what makes for a successful relationship, as well as what might be an indicator of the demise of a relationship when distance is involved.

If you’re interested in knowing how to make a long distance relationship work, check out the infographic below and you might be surprised by the results.

Infographic credit: Science of Relationships

Photo credit: Unsplash.com