Trust is the foundation of each happy and satisfying relationship. Implicit trust and strong connection are not something that happens by accident. Trust is earned and makes the relationship grow and progress to a deeper level.
Nowadays, being in a relationship is challenging, and there are many obstacles. Being able to trust your partner is priceless. Love and trust are not just about being sexually faithful. Trust is the confidence you have in your partner that they will always be loyal to you and your relationship. Trust is about relying upon and feeling safe and comfortable. When you trust someone, you can afford to depend on them and be vulnerable with them.
Why is Trust Important in a Relationship?
A shaky and insecure relationship is neither happy nor healthy. Lack of trust disables you from establishing a strong connection with your partner. Being in a relationship without trust and deep connection is hard and makes both partners nervous and anxious about minor details. When there is no trust, fear sets in.
There are many reasons why trust is essential, and some of them are:
- You cannot love without trusting your partner: love and trust have equal importance in every relationship.
- Trust helps overcome obstacles: when difficult times hit, knowing that your partner is trustworthy will help you get through all problems and challenges.
- Trust helps in healing: the deep trust in your partner will help you control your emotions and heal your broken heart.
- It is reassuring: when you trust your partner, you feel free to open your soul and tell them everything that bothers you.
- You don’t need justifications: the key to a long-lasting relationship is to trust your partner completely. You don’t have to justify anything when there is love and trust because your partner understands you and respects your decisions.
- It teaches you about personal time and space: being in a relationship filled with love and trust means both partners have their own space. You don’t feel insecure when your partner is alone, and you don’t feel the need to check their steps.
But how do we develop trust in the first place? Trust is not automatic. It is the foundation of every relationship, and it is created gradually over time. Before I even start writing about building trust in a relationship, I feel the need to say that the importance of trust cannot be overemphasized.
Gaining trust takes time and dedication. Both partners need to be focused on building trust in the relationship. The first step is talking with your partner about what trust means to you and what you expect from them. Understanding the impact of trust in your relationship will help you to align your views.
Be true to your word and follow through with your actions
The process of building trust means saying what you really mean and not making promises you’re unable to keep. The point is for your partner to believe what you say. Keeping your words will show your partner you respect them, and respect, along with trust, is the backbone of any relationship.
Being faithful is another essential factor for a happy and healthy relationship. If you are not loyal, your relationship will fall apart. Therefore, commit to being faithful to your partner and respect that. If at some point your feelings change, say that and break up as friends.
If you are loyal and faithful, it means you are devoted to all levels. Both physical and emotional loyalty is equally important for the relationship. Spending time with another person and establishing intimate bonds is as wrong as having sex with other people.
Discuss what loyalty means to you, explain what you expect from your partner, and your definition of respect. It is important to define what type is your relationship and what commitment would look like you to have: “committed relationship,” “live-in boyfriend or girlfriend,” “booty call,” or “friends with benefits.”
Always be honest
Telling the truth should be rule number one. It would be best if you never told a lie, no matter how hard it is to describe certain things and talk about specific topics. Regardless if it is a tiny little lie, your trustworthiness will be gone forever.
Honesty and trust always go together and create a strong bond between the partners. It is pretty simple, to be honest: don’t keep secrets from your partner.
The process of getting to know the partner’s character lasts forever, but you get a picture of your partner’s intentions and identity over time. If you want to build trust in your relationship, you should behave in accordance with the words you say. So, if you say ‘I love you,’ and your actions say the opposite, you cannot create a strong bond.
Open communication
Communication has a huge role in building trust in the relationship. Namely, openly talking to your partner about your feelings, emotions, hopes, worries, and doubts will help you move forward together.
At the beginning of your relationship, it is essential to talk about your previous experiences. Talk with your partner and recognize all positive and negative things from your previous relationships. Every experience has an impact on us and affects our behavior. However, the point is to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.
Don’t wait for your partner to start talking about a particular topic, be the person who challenges the discussion. Having doubts is normal, and it is healthy to admit it. If you want your relationship to succeed, you need to talk about your doubts and help your partner understand them better.
Setting boundaries
Setting the boundaries is a crucial part of building trust in the relationship. It is important to tell your partner how much space you need: how much time you want to spend together, how many details you want to tell other people about your relationship, and anything else important to you. Choose the time to talk carefully when both you and your partner feel relaxed. Having different views is expected, and if you want your relationship to succeed, you need to make compromises. Having important talks does not occur only once: it is important to review your opinions from time to time.
Give your partner space
Another aspect of setting boundaries is making a pleasant atmosphere that will make your partner feel safe and provide them security. Building trust means giving your partner the space they need. This also means not following each of their steps. So, when your partner says they want to spend time alone with their family and friends, don’t get mad about that. If your partner truly loves you, there is no need to worry about anything.
Love your partner without any ulterior motives
Being with someone means you love that person because of who they are. The reason why you are with someone should never be money or physical appearance, nor fear of being alone.
Stay to the end
Your partner and your relationship should be a top priority. Focus on positive energy and have fun together. Even when you have an argument or misunderstanding, you should never walk away. Talk about your disagreements and avoid your partners feel fear of abandonment.
Bumps in the road
Sooner or later, you and your partner will have different opinions about some topic. And you will discuss, argue or even fight. Every relationship has ups and downs, and if you stay together even when your relationship is at its lowest, you will gain all the trust.
You can overcome disagreements if you focus on positive things in your relationship. Analyze how you and your partner feel, discuss your behavior, about what went wrong and when. If you are honest and trust your partner, you will talk about the situation without hiding anything. Every argument has two sides, and open communication will help you recognize the problem.
Admit your mistakes
We all are humans, and we make mistakes. No matter how hard it feels to admit that you are wrong, being dishonest is not a way to build trust in your relationship. When you truly love someone, you become vulnerable and get emotional, even when you don’t intend to do that.
If you act perfect, you might create an unnecessary difference between you and your partner. Namely, if your partner feels that you keep something from them, it will be extremely difficult for them to believe in your sincerity and your intentions.
Don’t hide your feelings.
Being in a relationship means you have emotions for your partner. Talking about what you feel is an efficient way to build trust in your relationship. By showing your partner that you care about them, you will get their trust, for sure.
Relationship experts explain that emotional intelligence has a huge role in building trust in a relationship. When someone acknowledges their feelings and takes productive action, or in other words, that person accepts the reality. If you deny the truth, you cannot build trust in your relationship.
Learn how to understand and define trust
Creating a healthy and strong relationship means understanding and defining trust. It would help if you are open and honest about your perspectives and talk to your partner about that. The following questions will help you to build confidence in your relationship:
- What does trust mean to you? The answer to this question will help you to understand your partner’s perspective.
- What does trust look like in a relationship? We all have different definitions of truth and how to implement that in the relationship.
- What are some ways we can work together to develop and increase trust in our relationship? Explain your expectations to your partner and talk about each detail of your relationship. Once you identify how to build and keep trust, it will be much easier to discuss everything.
Building trust takes time, but if you are honest, loyal, reliable, consistent, and open to your partner, your relationship will develop into an amazingly strong connection between two people who love each other.
