When Can You Call A Relationship Long Distance?

A long-distance relationship is when two people in a relationship are separated by distance. However, I believe it is more than just physical distance.

If you are not able to connect with your partner emotionally or otherwise and you always feel like you’re separated from them even when you’re close to them, then you can also possibly be in a long distance relationship.

Some people have no choice ween it comes to long distance relationships. It just happened to them and they have no other option but to remain the loving commuters partner that is expected of them.

People are separated from their partners for long times through oceans, financial restrictions, culture, environment or any other separation obstruction.

Sometimes a new job could come up which could force a tight knit couple to be away from each other. A deployment in the Army can also trigger a really lengthy long distances relationship that could span for years.

When dealing with a along distance relationship, every pain and point is valid. Everybody involved in one has a reason to feel emotions however way they see fit.

Another things to note is that besides physical long distance, emotional long distances also exist and can make you even more terribly unhappy than physical long distance. You can be geographically close to someone but yet, there is no tangible chemistry  or connection that exists between you and the person.

One of the most difficult aspects of long distance relationship is being able to maintain consistent conversations with your partner. It takes a whole lot of effort and deliberate effort to be able to achieve that.

Long distance relationships are not all the same and they might come in different forms. Some can be felt more than others so It is important that you know what type of long distance relationship your relationship is or if it’s even one.

Every long-distance relationship can turn into a really healthy one  if the parties involved in the relationship are particular and dedicated about making it work.

Types of long distances relationship include;

Physical Distance

This is a kind of long distance relationship where you and your partner are living in states or places that are noticeably far away from each other.

An example would be dating someone in Enugu state while you’re living in Lagos state.

You will naturally be unable to see them consistently.

Emotional Distance

This is a kind of distance that comes from built-up relationship tension. There is no physical restrictions when it has to do with emotional distance. 

You can feel emotional distance even when you’re lying next to someone on the same bed.  Emotional distance is when a relationship has garnered a significant amount of stress, problems and insecurities from each other.

An emotional distance in a relationship feels like being around your partner but still being unable to communicate with them or make random conversations with them. You can feel a noticeable space in the air. You can be lying next your partner in a bed and still feel the distance between you two.

Physical Terrains

Physical terrains  are physical places that cannot be easily crossed. A good example are oceans or jungles.

This kind of long distance relationship is so difficult to maintain because your partner could be in another planet and so it makes the chances of you being with them long term even slimmer. 

This can put considerable weight on the relationship on a consistent basis and even lead to a breakup.

Circumstances Based Distance

These are known as temporary restrictions in relationships. A good examples of circumstantial long distance relationship is people’s relationships during the pandemic period. 

So many people were locked up in  their homes, waiting for the vaccine for the corona virus to be formulated.

This caused a lot of partners to be separated from each other. However, there is a positive feeling attached to this type of long distance because you are positive that you will be reunited with your partner the moment the restriction is lifted.

How Many Hours Existing Between Partners  should be considered Long Distance For A Relationship?

This is a subjective answer. To so many people, long distance can look different. What one person might consider a long distance relationship for herself and her partner is what another person might not consider one. People are different so it’s hard to have a specific answer.

There are people who are used to being far away from people they love so for them, their  long distance relationship might not be all that important or might even go unnoticed.

For some others it’s a difficult and very profound situation to be in.

While there is no definite answer to the question these are some loosely agreeable answers to determine if you are in a  long distance relationship

If you are more than 4 hours from the person you’re in a relationship with then you can consider your relationship to be a long distances one. This is is because you will not be able to see them on a consistent basis. You do not want to fly every weekend or be in a 4 hour car ride every week just to see your partner. It’s not a commitment that most people can keep to on a consistent basis.

At the end of the day, it is  up to the couple to determine what makes sense for them.

You have to consider your work schedule and your free time when determining how much your long-distance relationships mean to you.

Still, four hours is a healthy amount of travel time. Especially considering we are talking about four hours one way for a total of 8 hours of round-trip travel. This significant distance makes daily visits all but impossible.

How about a 2 hour physical distance  in your relationship?

This could be a long distance relationship for your partner if they work all the time or have important school work to do and so cannot have the extra 2 hours to save occasionally just to see you. For a lot of people however, this will not even be considered a long distance relationship

It’s up to you to decide if it’s a long distance relationship or not.

Also note this, if you date someone who lives two hours away, you’ll probably only see them on the weekends—and possibly one night during the week. So, if this is okay for you as a person in a relationship and you see yourself doing it on a consistent and regular basis then this obviously works for your relationship and might not be considered a long distance relationship.