The Importance of Trust in a Relationship
Why Trust in a Relationship Is Key
Trust is not only important in any relationship, but it is one of the fundamental building blocks of any health relationship. In fact, a lack of trust is one of the four top reasons as to why relationships break down. Why? Well, for a start, trust is what enables us to talk honestly and openly with our partners, what allows us to build intimacy, and what makes our sexual encounters comfortable. If you have no trust in your relationship, in short, you have no relationship. So… what can you do to build trust and keep your relationship in top condition?
We have some tips and hints!
Ways to Start Building Trust in a Relationship
When you start a new relationship, or if you realize that your current relationship is lacking in trust a there are some things that you can do to bring it up to where it should be.
1) Experience New Things Together; studies have shown that shared experience is one of the best ways in which to build trust and intimacy in any relationship. This can mean something as simple as going new places together, or something as daring as going bungee jumping or sky-diving together. In fact, it could even be reading a thought-provoking book or watching a controversial movie together.
2) Say What You Mean and Follow Through; don’t get into the habit of making threats or promises that you won’t follow through on. Doing so is a sure way to build contempt and break down trust. If you never stand your ground, your partner will love respect for you, and if you break your promises they will stop thinking of you as reliable.
3) Always Show Respect; if you are in a long-term relationship you won’t always be on good terms with your partner. You will argue, fall out, and there may even be times when you don’t particularly like each other, but if you always show your partner respect you can maintain a level of trust that will allow you to mend bridges and heal wounds when things get tough.
4) Be Vulnerable; there comes a time when you need to open yourself up in order to further develop a relationship. There are three kinds of vulnerability; physical, social, and emotional. What kind of trust you build first will depend on what kind of persona you are; some people need to build emotional trust before they can sleep next to a person, for example, while others will trust someone to come through for them socially and physically first. In the end you will need both to build a long-lasting relationship.
5) Trust In Practice; by this we mean that you should give your partner the benefit of the doubt. There will be time when their trustworthiness is called into question, sometimes because of poorly timed coincidences and others because they have done something they shouldn’t have. The hardest thing in a relationship is to put this fragile trust on the line, but you must. Only by giving your partner a chance to prove themselves can you strengthen the trust.
Signs That You Can Trust Your Partner
So, the big question, the one that keeps people up at night, is this; how do you know if you can trust your partner? In the end the only way to know for sure is to see how they perform under pressure; we don’t want to say ‘put them to the test’ because really you shouldn’t be testing your partner. Nonetheless you should watch what they do and say when the chips are down. In the meantime, however, you can look out for these signs that your partner is trustworthy!
1) Their Mistakes; if your partner is quick told hold up their hands and admit mistakes then you know that you can trust them to recognize their own flaws. Make sure, however, that they also follow through and try to rectify any behavior patterns; apologies without action are just words.
2) They Put Your Interests On Par With Their Own; it’s not healthy to expect your partner to always put you first, especially in the beginning, but you should expect that they put you first now and then. As your relationship matures your interests will gradually merge, but there will be times when they differ. Keep an eye on how often your partner makes concessions; the split should be about 50/50.
3) They Are Honest With You; if your partner is honest with you about their feelings, even when it’s hard then you know they are doing their best to make things work!
4) You Can Be Honest With Them; it’s key, however, that you also feel comfortable to express yourself to your partner, even when it’s difficult or uncomfortable. If they make you feel guilty for expressing such feelings, even though they themselves do it, this is a warning sign!
5) They Are Confident and Comfortable; if your partner is not comfortable in being themselves are you or your friends it could be that they have something to hide. Of course, it could also be social anxiety, so give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.
6) They Are Consistent; anyone can be a ray of sunshine to begin with, the real test of character is time. If someone remains sweet, caring, respectful, and honest over a longer period of time then they are definitely deserving of your trust.
It can be hard to trust after a long time alone, or after a but there really is no way to have a healthy, happy relationship without it. Romance and love are worth working for, however, and we know that you can do it. So, take a deep breath, set your eyes to the light at the end of the tunnel and start working your way towards the love you deserve.