5 Important Tips to Build Trust In Relationships

Trust is a must in any happy and healthy relationship, and in order to have a deep, fulfilling and meaningful partnership, it’s imperative that you and your mate can truly trust and rely on one another.

With this in mind, it’s important to understand the five key steps that can enable you and your partner to build trust while simultaneously building a stronger relationship.

1. Be yourself

If you want to build trust between you and your partner, you have to stay true to yourself. That means being your 100% authentic self—no pretending, acting or appeasing your significant other just because you believe it’s what he or she wants to hear.

Letting your partner know your likes, dislikes, interests, and opinions is all part of the process of truly getting to know someone on a deeper level.

So go ahead and talk about your passion for modern art, your love of Kelly Clarkson and/or your aversion to vanilla-scented candles. In order for trust to grow and blossom between you and your mate, your relationship needs to be based on fact, not fiction.

2. Relinquish control

Another way to increase the trust between you and your mate is to let go of your need to control every single detail in your relationship.

By going with the flow, being spontaneous and letting your partner take the lead, you’re actually showing your boyfriend or girlfriend that you’re fully committed to his or her preferences, decisions and choices, and by doing so you’re increasing the trust between the two of you.

Let your girlfriend plan your night out on the town. Stay in with your beau and watch his favorite Star Trek movie. By being open and supportive of your partner’s wants and needs, you’re showing him or her that you fully believe in his or her judgment and therefore trust him or her to make decisions for both of you.

3. Confide in each other

In order to increase the trust between you and your partner, you have to open up and let your partner in. After all, if you want to get closer as a couple and build a deeper relationship, you have to be willing to let your mate know about your background and beliefs.

Sure, it may not be easy to open up to your partner about your ex or your complicated relationship with your family, but in order to move past a superficial courtship and really get to know each other better, you have to be willing to make yourself vulnerable.

In fact, one of the main benefits of confiding in your partner is that he or she will likely feel more comfortable and confident opening up to you. This is a give-and-take process, and the more you share with one another, the more intimate your relationship will become.

4. Be honest

It may seem obvious, but if you want to increase the trust between you and your partner, you have to be truthful and forthright. This means being honest, reliable and simply doing what you say. If you’re looking to increase trust, you have to be trustworthy.

After all, why would your partner trust you if he or she can’t depend or count on you? If you’re finding yourself lying to your partner about who you’re spending time with, where you’ve been, your past relationships, your job, money issues.

Or whatever else you’re insecure about, all you’re doing is undercutting any trust that you and your partner are creating together. The best choice is to be honest so that your partner knows that he or she made the right choice to trust in you.

5. Communicate openly

In order to increase the trust between you and your boyfriend or girlfriend, you have to be willing to tell each other what’s on your mind. Let your partner know how you’re truly feeling.

Tell your mate how much you appreciate certain actions, whether it’s holding the door open for you, paying for your play ticket or simply doing the dishes. On the flip-side, you should openly communicate with your partner when things aren’t so picture-perfect.

Besides, if you’re closed-off and refusing to communicate what’s really on your mind, your relationship will never be able to grow or develop into the kind of open and honest union you’re looking for.

It will stay forever on a shallow level because your partner won’t know what you’re actually thinking, feeling or experiencing. By openly expressing your thoughts to one another and opening up, you can up the trust levels and enjoy a better relationship.