Thinking of entering a long distance relationship with your spouse? Many married couples are able to thrive in long distance relationships, but it requires making a lot of compromises and being a healthy couple. Below are some of the big questions to ask yourself before entering a long-distance marriage.

What’s pushing you apart?

There are many reasons as to why married couples enter long distance relationships. The most common is work reasons – one person’s job may require travelling and it may be impractical for their spouse to travel with them. In other cases, a partner may have to look after a family member for a while, may be completing a course or may be serving prison time.  

Sometimes a long distance marriage may be unnecessary. If you’re worried about a visa running out and not being able to extend it, you may be able to get legal support pursuing a spouse visa extension. If you have a job that you can partially work from home, you may be able to minimize travels. If you need to care for a distant loved one, you may be able to move them in with you. Work out what is most practical for you both.

Do you enjoy being independent?

A long distance relationship can be difficult if you’re dependent on your partner for many things or get lonely easily. If you find yourself becoming restless and anxious after only being away for a few nights, a long distance relationship could be a struggle.

LDRs work best for couples that are comfortable spending time apart and are able to organize their own lives. It could be a great opportunity to cultivate hobbies and set personal challenges. There will be times when you still get lonely aor frustrated, but ultimately you should feel able to handle the time apart. 

How good is your communication?

Being good at communicating with one another is essential if you want your relationship to stay alive. If you often have to pry information from one another, the two of you are likely to become more closed off in a long distance relationship.

The amount of time you spend communicating is reduced in a long distance relationship but it can still be as high quality as an in-person relationship. Be prepared to constantly go over your day and all the mundane things you have done while also being prepared to delve into deep conversations in a restricted time period. You may be able to plan virtual activities to do together such as cooking or playing a game so that you’re not always just talking. 

Do you have trust for one another?

If you don’t have trust for your partner, the long distance relationship will fail quickly. On top of not being paranoid about your partner’s behavior, you need to have trust in yourself to be faithful and honest. If the relationship currently has trust issues, it could be essential that you work to fix these issues before entering a long distance relationship.