When one partner is required to relocate with their job, neither partner has any real understanding of just how to make a long distance relationship work.

Maybe they start by proclaiming everlasting love and swearing to talk each and every day on the phone, assuring each other that the distance will not keep them apart. But if you've ever been involved in a long distance relationship, you will be aware that it's not quite that straightforward.

No-one is totally equipped to deal with the sense of isolation and longing that comes with a long distance relationship and however well we think we know our lover, the fact is that we can't really accurately predict how they are going to react to the forced separation.

Despite our best intentions, the imagination tends to run wild. We picture our significant other partying into the early hours (obviously with at least one member of the opposite sex!)If we don't get a phone call at an agreed time or we can't get through to them when we really feel the need to talk, then they've obviously been abducted by a work colleague or absconded with the tea lady!

But seriously, how to make a long distance relationship work is a question that there really isn't a simple answer to; but before you nod your head wisely and pick up the phone to finish it, you should think about the most crucial question of all: Do you love them?

If your answer to that question is yes, then your long distance relationship really can work out – just like any other relationship. You just have to be committed to each other and understand one thing:

Communication is vital.

It is the lifeblood of your relationship. Of course, you might say that this is the case in any relationship and you’d be absolutely right. But in a long distance relationship, an enormous part of that communication is missing, and that's body language. We rely heavily on being able to see our partner to determine how they really feel. Their eyes, their posture, their mannerisms all speak volumes.

So, being unable to see that other person can cause you to agonize for hours over every phrase and every nuance of the conversation, wondering if things really are ok between you both.

Communication really is vital, but it goes beyond that. You can’t assume that your lover will be able to read your mind (of course it would be easier if they could!) If you have a problem, you really do need to speak about it, preferably in a non aggressive and non confrontational way; but for goodness sake, get it off your chest. Be frank and truthful with one another. If you can’t speak one evening because you’ve been invited out with friends, don’t lie about it – tell your partner and then afterwards regale them with all the juicy details.

The key to how to make a long distance relationship work is to keep each other up to speed about everything you are doing – nothing is too small to share, even if it’s just a short text. So many little things can happen during the course of a day that perhaps we wouldn’t even think about sharing with someone we were going home to that evening, but when you’re hundreds or thousands of miles apart, it’s the little things that will help you feel connected to each other.

If you really don’t know how to make a long distance relationship work; if you’re struggling to connect with your partner or really say how you feel, then seeking help from an independent outside source can very often help you to put back the ingredients that are missing and teach you to open up to each other in a myriad of ways that will ensure your long distance relationship goes from strength to strength and stays fresh and exciting, not just for the next few months but for the long term.