7 Steps to Building Trust in Your Relationship
Relationships need constant work to keep them healthy and one area where many relationships fall short is trust. If you are looking to improve the trust level with your significant other and therefore improve your relationship then read on for 7 steps to help you.
The first step to building trust is to be predictable. This goes against the common notion that you need to “stir things up” to keep things fresh and keep the romance alive. Sure, going to a new restaurant or giving a surprise gift can be nice, but most of all, we need things to be consistent and steady in order to make our relationships work. Consider that trust in a relationship is built on being reliable and predictable day in and day out.
Next, you need to make sure that your words always match your actions. This means that your partner needs to hear the words which match your body language and the things that you do. If you say you are happy but you are frowning, your partner doesn’t hear your words, he or she sees your face and the tone in your voice. Your partner needs to be able to trust what you are saying. When the words match the message, you build trust in a relationship.
Third, you need to believe in your partner. Trust breeds trust. If you are constantly suspicious of your partner he or she might think you are projecting you own cheating behaviors or other bad behaviors onto them. If you can’t believe in and trust your partner then there are probably more fundamental problems in your relationship that you need to examine.
Ok this one should be common sense but, don’t keep secrets. Secrets are the fastest way to destroy the trust in a relationship. Be honest and open with your significant other. Things we try to hide have a way of eventually coming out anyway so it is better to just be up front from the start. Secrets require enormous energy on your part. Better to use that energy to build your relationship and make it stronger.
The fifth step is don’t be afraid to let your partner know what your needs are. He or she is not a mind reader so, don’ t make him or her guess what you need. It is not selfish or self-centered to let your significant other know what you need. It is the key to building a stronger relationship.
The sixth step is going to be hard for some of you but you need to learn to say no. When your partner voices his or her needs, that is a good thing, but you don’t need to say yes to every request he or she makes. It is better to be honest and up front when there is something you don’t want to do rather than implying that you night do it but then not. Remember we are building trust here so your word has to be golden.
The final step is to never stop nurturing your relationship so it will continue to grow. When you plant a flower, you fertilize it to help it grow better. The same is true with the relationship. Open communication and trying new things together are the fertilizer of a relationship.
So there you have it. 7 steps to help strengthen the trust in your relationship and keep it going strong. The effort can really be worth it!
Clair Bennett