Trust is defined as a firm reliance on the integrity or ability of a person or thing. All relationships are built around trust, personal, business or family- all relationships are built on trust. Unfortunately, once the foundation of trust has been broken, it can take an enormous amount of time to get it back. Here are five ways that trust can be shaken, and how to prevent it.
Secrecy
By far the biggest trust killer of all is living in secrecy. Once a person falls into the trap of hiding something, wither it be an action, a conversation or embarrassing moment, trust will begin to crumble. It may not happen immediately, but sooner or later no matter how big or small, secrets will be exposed and the trust will fade. Think of secrecy as an invisible blanket. Once you harbor a tiny little secret within yourself, you establish a barrier between yourself and your partner. Eventually, the invisible blanket becomes physical, and the one you keep the secrets from will notice a change, even the slightest change is enough to throw up a red flag, and once the flag is thrown the distrust comes into play. When you trust someone, you depend on their ability to understand and support your actions. Keep in mind that the person that is involved needs to have the same trust in you as you do them. Keeping conversations open and sharing feelings and emotions is a way to build trust.
Acting
A person can lose trust from the behavior or body language of another. When having a conversation with someone you care for and an opinion is sought, say what you mean. When asked a question, resist the temptation to save face. If you disagree with a comment, although you may say you agree, your body language will clearly state your honest opinion. When someone sees the conflict between mind and body, it become clear that they're not being honest and the red flag appears again.
Unmet needs.
In general, we become involved in a relationship to have our needs met. In a healthy trusting relationship, you should be able to clearly state your needs to your partner. If you feel a resistance in sharing your needs, it may send a signal that you're hiding something from your partner. Maybe your partner will start to feel that some of your needs are being met in other ways, and here we go, the red flag falls once again. Find sometime and search yourself. What exactly are your needs to feel fulfilled in a relationship? Do you feel a need for more conversation? Do you need to be cuddled more on the couch while watching a movie? Do you need a spicier bedroom romp? Repressing your needs can also cause the blanket effect, and may cause you to withhold some emotions to your partner. Set some time for yourself and establish your needs and then discuss them with your other half.
Avoidance
At some point in every relationship, there is a time where there is going to be something you just don't want to discuss. This is under
Sustainable, but a hindrance at the same time. Avoiding a situation brings out the dreaded blanket barrier. Your partner will clearly be able to see that there is something bothering you, and what do you suppose they will think when you avoid the problem? They're going to assume the worst. To build trust, you need to be ready to embrace confrontation. Be willing to communicate delicate situations and be ready to seek a healthy solution to the problems, open communication develops trust.
Individuality
Among all things in building trust, remain yourself. Never go into a relationship trying to please the other person if it makes you bend your character. Be honest with yourself and your partner at the start. A relationship is built on honesty. If you find yourself in a relationship where you have to pretend to be someone else, you're being dishonest to yourself and your partner. You will find yourself becoming uneasy in situations because you're not allowed to cope with the situation on a normal level. The uneasiness will most certainly be noticed by your partner and when the truth comes out, questions to why you deceived them will develop.
Keeping a relationship healthy means having a high level of trust. Using the above tips may help you foster a deeper relationship.
