Online relationships are complicated – physical presence is lacking, sometimes time constraints are an issue, technical boundaries are present and so on. There are a lot of obstacles present in this type of relationship but there are a handful of couples (mostly American-Asian couples) that have overcome anything and everything that has come their way and they all have a few things in common. 5 things to be exact:

1. They put in the effort.

Effort comes in different forms and online relationships need a lot of it. It could come in the form of waking up early just to talk to your significant other. It could come in the form of you leaving random messages throughout the day. However it’s shown, effort is still effort and it will bring you closer no matter the distance.

2. They kept their mind open.

Successful American-Asian couples have kept their minds open in different ways. Having an open mind is essential because interracial couples need to understand that their will always be differences in culture, beliefs, perspective, traditions and so on. An open mind is needed to accept the differences that are present.

3. They’ve extended their patience.

This is definitely essential in every relationship but it’s especially essential when you’re in an online relationship a.k.a long-distance relationship. The amount of time that you’re going to be apart is…who knows how long it will take for you to be together. This is where patience comes in. It could be months, which is not that bad, but, on the other hand, it could be years. No matter how long it takes, a couple has to be willing to be patient especially in trying situations when physical presence is most needed.

4. They communicated openly.

American-Asian couples in a long distance relationship only have very limited means of communication. There’s video conference, phone, chat, email and so on. With these options, a couple has to amp up the creativity so it won’t get boring and they always need to communicate to sort of make up for not being together all the time.

5. They exercised trust in their relationship.

Aside from communication, the most important thing in a relationship is trust. It especially plays a major role when the couple is miles apart, not having to see what the other is doing and how the other is acting on a daily basis. In online relationships, trust is established by following the first 4 items on this list – the effort should be there, an open mind should be kept, patience needs to be exercised and communication should be constant and open.

It’s a Lot of Hard Work but…

All successful American-Asian couples that are in an online relationship have all these 5 in common. They may sound like hard work but it doesn’t seem like it to them because it’s, plainly, an expression or manifestation of their intentions and their true feelings for each other.

This is for you if you are in an online relationship. Exam what you have right now and see if you and you’re partner are doing all 5. If not, not to worry because you can still work on it to ensure that your relationship lasts a lifetime.