Trust is very important for a healthy relationship, but it is one aspect that most people struggle with for many reasons. Trust is the foundation of love. As rational beings, we can only show natural love to someone we trust. Relationships that are not built on trust will not be able to survive challenging moments.
What does it mean to trust?
Trusting an individual means that you believe they are reliable, you are confident being with them, and you feel physically and emotionally safe whenever they are around.
How to build trust in a relationship?
Trust is built in a healthy relationship through a gradual process. It can be difficult knowing when somebody trusts you, particularly when the relationship is just beginning. Of course it is important for both partners to trust and be trusted in a healthy relationship. It cannot be built when only one partner is committed to it and the other is not.
Look back into the past
Where does your trust problem come from? Most people are not aware until a relationship dramatically ends. In every relationship, people unconsciously bring up past habits, and it is an important part of each person.
If you had been in an abusive relationship, this can consciously and unconsciously lead to lack of trust in relationships. If you struggle with trust as a result of past relationships, acknowledge your experience and determine how it affects your current relationship.
Sort out your past issues – if possible, visit a therapist to help you out.
Turn on empathy
Reflect on how you felt when a loved one was sad or helpless. Their emotions created a response. Empathy is basically putting ourselves in another person’s shoes, to better understand their experience.
If we lack empathy in our relationship, we will be unable to develop interpersonal connections, which can lead to broken trust, isolation and strained relationships. It becomes harder to resolve conflicts, work collaboratively and solve issues when we don’t have empathy.
Believe in yourself
Develop your self-esteem. If you are insecure, you may feel as if you don’t deserve your partner, or feel like they will find somebody better. Build your self confidence by acknowledging things you’re good at; also do activities that make you feel good about yourself.
Everybody has triggers. Some are so small that we don’t even notice their existence. Others have severe triggers that can make them overreact. People that don’t trust their abilities automatically set themselves up for trust related problems. They often fall for people that will eventually hurt them because that’s what they expect.
Check if there is really nothing to worry about
Is your partner really worth trusting? If they regularly do things to break your trust, if might be hard for you to trust them. You’ll find yourself going through their things, hidden social profiles, email search or asking questions about their whereabouts. If you are having difficulties believing the honesty of your partner, there’s an easy way to go about this.
Visit Spokeo to see how trustworthy your partner is. This is a people search engine that organizes public records, white page listings, and social network information into personal profiles to help you learn about others.
Quality time, quality talk
Clearly communicating with your partner can help you work through trust challenges. Clearly stating how you feel without hiding anything can build trust. If there are things that worry you, make your partner know. Let them listen and respond to them.
For instance, instead of being bothered anytime your partner goes out, spend some quality time together before they leave and get an idea of the activities they’ll be engaging in. Always have these talks without stressing them for information.
While communicating, be friendly and calm. If you falsely accuse them of things, it might get them defensive. If you seem upset, they may not want to spend time talking with you.
Conclusion
There are few important forces that hold the world together. The one that serves as the glue of the society is trust. The presence of trust cements relationships and enables people to work and live together. Not having trust in a relationship can cause several problems and might even make the relationship end.
A simple way to build trust is to effectively communicate with your partner and be open with each other. Trust is something that two people build together when they are in a relationship. Trust cannot be demanded – it is a choice you make.
Bio
Olga Andriichuk works as the content manager at Spokeo. Her field of expertise includes business, marketing, and personal growth. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga classes and exploring new destinations.
