All relationships rely on trust but couples who spend a lot of time apart may need to work harder on building trust with each other.
Trust holds couples together – especially when they face challenges. Without trust, couples won’t ride the ups and downs of building a life together. Crises will be bigger; they wont be connected in an intimate way, and they’ll have doubts about each other that will undermine the relationship.
Couples who trust each other have security and probably feel closer. Below are some of the ways couples apart can build trust into their relationship:
1. Be truthful
Even small lies – such as saying you’re working late when you’re out with your friends – are a bad idea. If caught out your partner will be wondering what else you’re lying about. So be open and honest.
2. Be as reliable as you can
Try and follow through on your promises, big and small. If you forget or don’t stick to something you have agreed then try and own up. Don’t just wait for your partner to ask you if you haven’t done something and secretly hope they’ll forget.
3. Set boundaries
Suspicion and jealousy are destructive emotions and make for an unhappy relationship for both partners. Jealousy tends to rear its ugly head when couples don’t set boundaries with those outside their relationship. So if a work colleague or spending time with an ex makes your partner anxious, try and sort out why and reach a compromise. Make sure your partner knows that he or she is your number one priority.
4. Believe in each other
Unless your partner gives you a real reason to mistrust or doubt their honesty, you should trust them. This means that you shouldn’t accuse them of cheating or lying to you unless you have hard evidence. You’ll just create an air of mistrust and arguments. It can make your partner doubt your honesty, too.
5. Trust yourself and your instincts
You want to be in a committed relationship with your partner, so hopefully your instincts told you that he or she was worthy of your love and trust. If you trust yourself then you should know you made the right choice, and that’s a strong foundation on which to build trust.
6. Don’t blame your partner for past experiences
Don’t let your partner pay the price for what happened with an ex. Try and remember your partner is his or her own person and has already chosen to be with you. He or she should be judged on his or her own actions not be blamed for something in your past.