The best relationships are built on a strong foundation of trust. But, sometimes, that’s not the easiest thing to achieve. Past trauma, a fearful attachment style, insecurity, and anxiety are realistic and common reasons why people struggle to build trust. There’s a strong flair for vulnerability in all relationships, and unfortunately, the risk of being hurt always exists.
But being vulnerable in this context opens you up to the potential of experiencing trust, love, and deep intimacy.
Personally, that’s a trade-off I’m willing to make, but as someone who has trust issues, I understand the challenges we face.
This is why I want to share some of the best ways to build trust in a relationship. These ideas and suggestions can be incredibly effective with time and effort.
How To Build Trust In Your Relationship
1. Communication
Good communication, followed by proof of honesty, is the best way to build trust in a relationship. Sometimes, it takes proactivity to encourage another person to be open and vulnerable. Be transparent about your thoughts, feelings, and intentions, and observe the effect it has on your relationship.
2. Consistency
We are taught to trust people who consistently follow through on their promises and commitments because it shows reliability, honesty, and effort. These three attributes inspire trust in most people. The reason being, those who are untrustworthy tend to be unreliable, dishonest, deceitful, and lazy. Whether a marriage succeeds or fails will, to a great degree, depend on consistency of effort.
3. Empathy
To create a safe space for honesty and trust, be among those who show empathy and understanding towards your partner’s feelings and perspectives. As this behavior fosters emotional connection, so does it build trust in a relationship.
4. Respect
If your partner has witnessed you repeatedly respecting their boundaries, feelings, opinions, and autonomy, their natural inclination is to feel safer with you. We know that safety and trust are closely connected with each other, which is why respect is of paramount importance in a relationship because it is a display of consideration, appreciation, concern, and care.
5. Vulnerability
Being vulnerable is scary because it comes with the risk of being hurt. But to truly enjoy the spoils of a wonderful and loving relationship, vulnerability is the facilitator. Be willing to be vulnerable with your partner by sharing your fears, insecurities, and weaknesses. This allows for deeper emotional intimacy and strengthens trust. Those who are deeply afraid often feel safer opening up when they observe their partner taking a leap of faith in them.
6. Reliability
People will always trust those who can be depended upon. Make it a mission to always be dependable and reliable in both big and small matters. Your partner should feel confident that they can count on you to honor your word. With time, your consistency will nurture a deep sense of trust in the relationship.
7. Accountability
Take responsibility for your actions and apologize when you make mistakes. Accountability shows maturity and reinforces trust because we all feel some aversion to the admission of fault. Doing so proves that you are committed to the relationship and to growth as a partner.
8. Support
One of the best ways to build trust is to offer unwavering support to your partner during both good and bad times. Knowing that you have each other’s backs builds trust and security, because it’s not easy to weather storms, and the fact that you are proves a lot about your intentions and character.
9. Time
Building trust takes time and patience. Invest time in nurturing your relationship and demonstrating your trustworthiness consistently. Eventually, your actions will speak louder than words, and trust will be a natural reaction to consistency and commitment.
10. Forgiveness
Learn to forgive and let go of past grievances. Holding onto grudges erodes trust, while forgiveness allows for healing and growth in the relationship. The worst thing you can do is weaponize past mistakes or disagreements that you claimed to have worked through or forgiven, because it will destroy trust over time. Compassion goes a long way in strengthening a relationship for the long haul.
11. Integrity
Act with integrity in all aspects of your life. Be honest, ethical, and true to your word, both within the relationship and outside of it. Someone who has pure intentions and a good character knows how to behave in a manner that builds trust.
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12. Transparency
Be transparent about your actions, decisions, and interactions with others. Avoid secrecy or deception, as they undermine trust. The more open and honest you are, the easier it will be for your partner to see your intentions, character, and values. If they align, trust will develop and deepen.