Keep your relationship heavenly by avoiding these seven vices.
Lust
With sexting becoming more and more popular and commonly practiced, it's becoming more essential to practice safe habits. I'm not going to say "don't send nudes," because (hopefully) you're a grown adult and you're going to do what you're gonna want to do. I am going to say, however, that you should NEVER feel pressured to send private photos to anyone online, long-distance dating or otherwise. Revenge porn is a mess that can be found running amok all over the internet. Always put your best interest FIRST. No one is entitled to your body but you, it doesn't matter if they're just pictures. It's. Still. You.
There will be pressure to do things like this, especially if you were once in a traditional relationship and proximity wasn't an issue, you might feel things getting stale or stopping altogether, and give, you'll have moments like that in any sort of relationship you're in, but what's important to remember is that it is normal and that it isn't bad to say no.
Now, I don't want to say this and have you think that every LD partner you may have will try to blackmail you, because not everyone is a complete dirtbag, but the truth is — as much as I hate to admit it — you can't always know everything about the person you're with.
Greed
Greed is in reference to a lot of things at play in long distance relationships.
Being greedy for your partner's time and attention is something a lot of people in long-distance relationships and traditional relationships deal with. It is important to remember that your partner is still an autonomous human being who IS free and IS right to want time alone, time with friends, or whatever else they'd like to do. Just because they don't spend every waking hour with you doesn't mean that they don't love you dearly, nor does it mean that they don't want to spend time with you. They're people and as painful as it can be sometimes, they do need to be alone, too.
Another way people tend to be greedy in LDRs is by expecting their partner to purchase them things, and while the occasional gift is nice, expecting your partner to purchase you things isn't alright. It stops becoming a gift when it becomes an expectation. Being a financial stress on your partner is not a good feeling to have, maybe it's just the fact that I have never been comfortable accepting gifts from friends or partners, or maybe it's because I've never been with someone who has expendable income. Still, though, I've seen plenty of traditional and LDR relationships crumble when one person becomes overly entitled to be given things from their partners.
Pride
This may work in a way you didn't expect: in long distance relationships, you actually want to be proud. Now, I don't have much room to talk, because for years I was ashamed of my long distance relationship, but taking pride in being in a non-traditional relationship really helps work out a lot of problems you'll find yourself running into. From having the confidence to tell your family, being able to plan meet-ups, and be unashamed when talking with your friends... Being proud to mention your relationship is not only good for you and your partner, but it is a great way to help make your family (and your partner's family feel more at ease with the whole arrangement.)
Wrath
It is important to try to always be understanding of your partner when you're in a LDR. The distance and text-based communication that tends to dominate things can be misread or poorly worded, and you owe it to one another not to blow up over something that might be a typo or made mean by being read in a certain tone. You should always ask and double check what you're partners are feeling when you're in a long-distance relationship, besides, this is just good practice to have with all sorts of written communication.
Gluttony
This is mostly here as a PSA, more than a serious warning, but don't eat chips in call. It's loud, you know you're gonna be snacking for a while, and worse yet, if it is a good flavor you're just going to make your partner jealous and hungry. If you must tell them what flavor you're eating say something boring like "Original" or something bizarre like "Dill Pickle." Furthermore, you know you drive your partner crazy when you talk about getting food you know you both love (for us it is sushi).
This said, if possible, ordering a similar meal and eating it together can be quite enjoyable and really be immersive when it comes to spending time together.
Envy
It is incredibly easy to get jealous of who your partner may or may not be hanging out with when they're far away. You may get jealous from the fact that they're able to hang out with other people and not you, or you might be jealous of the fact that they keep hanging out with certain people. Jealousy, in all of its forms, is an easy way to kill a relationship. What you need to do is establish whether or not your concern is unfounded or not.
Here are some genuine red flags to look out for in regard to if your envy is justified:
1. Does your partner blow off plans with you?
2. Does your partner tell stories that don't line up.
3. Their demeanor instantly changes or becomes dismissive with you.
4. They refuse to tell you the names/gender of the people they're hanging out with.
5. They never want you to meet their friends.
Sloth
One important part of keeping a long-distance relationship is making sure that all parties are putting in the time and effort to stay involved in one another's lives. Laziness, not wanting to drive out to see them, not committing to plans, these things can be the snowballs that can become an avalanche in your relationship. Proper communication is essential in any relationship you have, but even more so in relationships with distance as a factor.
Another side of it can be seen as complacency with not talking enough or sweeping serious issues or reoccurring problems under the rug for simplicity's sake. While it may seem easier to just let things go — and there certainly are times when such a course of action is ideal — you should always check in with your partner and make sure you're on the same page as far as arguments, spats, and general disagreements go.
I've Been Single My Whole Life & That's OK