What is your BEST LDR advice?

[Loveyoumore]

What is your best advice for someone in an LDR?

My best advice for someone in an LDR is to occupy your mind.
Keeping busy makes the time not drag as much.

[sasad]

Communicate. Talk. Plan.

[Honour]

Communication and respecting each other and your differences/likeness.

[erwin1973]

Communication, honesty, trust in your SO

[C.C.]

Never. ever. leave anything that's bothering/worrying you unsaid. Do not be afraid to communicate your emotions.
If it's international learn a lot about your SO's culture from other sources than your SO.
Plan and talk your future.
Do not let your SO be your whole world. Never think twice about asking for me time.

[80anthea]

Find things other than your SO to make you happy. Life is too short to only enjoy life when you're together.

[Moon]

Don't sweat the small stuff, your time together is too precious to argue about stupid things. Also, learn to be OK with compromise.

[Mims27]

Keep busy while apart. Do not sit around waiting for texts or calls.

[Rezie]

* have a concrete end date that you are working towards. Or if your plan is not to close the distance then be honest about it.

* be yourself when you are together. Bicker, fight over the small stuff (occationally). This way yu get to see the ugly side aswell.

* communicate. Give space. Do your thing. Include your partner. Find balance.

[Sparkling72]

In addition to all of the above... have patience and don't assume the worst when your SO doesn't respond as soon as they normally do. I've had to learn a lot of patience with this deployment!

[hmrambling]

Here is advice from my own experience that I offer to folks who get caught up in waiting for the next text from their partner:

Are you a student? If yes, go to school. Focus on school.
Are you gainfully employed? If yes, go to work and be present at work.
Have friends? If yes, spend time with them. Enjoy yourself.
Have hobbies? If yes, spend time on your hobbies.
Have family? If yes, spend time with them.
Have interests? If yes, spend time on those things you are interested in.
Have internet? Read about the stages of relationships so that you will be knowledgeable about how relationships grow.
Exercised today? If not, go for a walk or jog or bike ride. Get active.
If you answered no to all of the above, change your life so that you can answer yes to some of these things.

Be a whole person so that you can be a whole person in a relationship. Become a priority and have a great relationship with yourself. Do not rely on your partner to complete you. Be a complete person first so that your partner is a positive addition to your life.

[sunmat]

I'm going to be harsh but since nobody brings it:

Weigh the risks rationally. To close the distance may require sacrifices: relocation to another country, far away from family and friends, taking career turns that you wouldn't consider otherwise... if the move is risky, be sure your SO is worth the risk. And reciprocally if you think your SO is the one, take risks accordingly. Even keeping an LDR running requires sacrifices (such as arranging work schedule to be able to call in another time zone, using all your days off to visit your SO while you would have otherwise done something else, etc.) that should be carefully considered.

[Freebird]

Two big things I learned in my LDR...

Communicate.
Do not let things build up and build up... they will explode and it may cost you the relationship. If something is bothering you, get it out in the open ASAP. Respectfully, honestly, openly.

Make goals.
Make goals for visits. Make goals on when you'd like to end the distance. I would go insane if my BF and I did not make goals on when we would see each other next. I needed to know a date- or at least a time range- that I was confident we could make happen. We plan, set a time, and it becomes PRIORITY. When we were done visiting early January and I was back home, we were very eager to make plans on the next visit. Gives us something to look forward to and keeps things positive.

[rache82]

After being in several LDRs over the years with this one just simply feeling right with no work or pressure on both of us other than the distance itself, don't take second best.
If you're not feeling happy or comfortable with something, eg, the lack of communication etc, talk, talk, talk. If they aren't willing to compromise, you need to rethink it for your own sanity and deserved respect.
Communication and honesty is the key with any relationship but none more than a long distance one.

Best of luck to everyone!
I have learnt that I can be satisfied in an LDR because this one is just so so very very right for both of us.
(135 days til we meet).

[Karura]

Here's my advice:

Make plans for the future, don't just live in the present
One of the things that failed in my last LDR was my SO not making plans for the future and simply being happy how we were in the present when he wouldn't make plans with me about estimates on when we might close the distance, how and who would move, even visits too. There was a serious lack of planning and understanding that if you're in a LDR you have got have some reassurance, stability and goals. Is it doable? How are we going to do this? Am I willing to make sacrifices? Those are some of the questions that you have to ask yourself. An uncertain future is not something that will help you close the distance. If you start to do things different for that end goal, like starting to save money, study a different language or looking for a specific job, you have to have an idea of the future ahead. However, be prepared that not everything will go smoothly and that adjustments may be needed further in time.