Trust is one of the building blocks of a healthy and stable relationship. Without it, a relationship crumbles under the weight of suspicion and disrespect. When you’ve had something happen in your relationship or the one prior to your current one, you already know how important it is that you built trust for your security. Here are some ways to add trust to your relationship.

Make sure that what you say is what you’re saying

It takes a lot to hold back some of your opinions sometimes. But when you hold back something important, your partner will see it in your body language. It’s better to tell them what is upsetting you than for them to have to guess what you are trying to tell them – and potentially guessing wrong.

Become more predictable

It’s the sudden changes that can cause even the most calm and centered person to begin to question their partner. If you’re doing something that might be perceived as ‘out of your character,’ realize that you might be causing suspicion. Try to keep your habits and actions fairly predictable so that your partner can assume that everything is okay when your patterns remain the same.

Be open about changes that you are making

But it’s not fair to assume that you will be staying the same all of the time, so it’s best to let your partner know when you are making changes that might seem radical. Starting a new exercise program or changing your overall look might be something that you will want to warn them about – lest they think that you’re primping and preparing your appearance for someone else.

Believe in your partner

A little faith in your partner will go a long way. When you want to build trust in a relationship, you will want to trust your partner as well to make decisions that benefit your relationship as well as your well-being. It isn’t about thinking that your partner can do anything that they put their mind to, but it’s about having the courage to say that you support your partner no matter what they want in their life.

Communicate your needs

What you need will go a long way to showing your partner how much you trust them. By allowing them to see what makes you happy, you are becoming vulnerable to them and to their reactions. They might not like what you’ve decided, though they probably will appreciate the fact that you are telling them what you need from them. Trusting them to listen and to respect these needs will help the favor to be returned.

Be an open book

Keeping secrets is probably one of the worst things you can do for a relationship. You need to be as open as possible in your marriage in order to show that you have nothing to hide. When you’re open, your partner will also feel that they should be open enough to you as well. Small secrets are one thing – gifts, surprises – but when you start to keep some secrets, they might think that you’re hiding other things as well.

Be yourself

You married the person that you are with because of who they are. When they start to act differently, that might make you question what is going on with them. When you want to rebuild the trust in your relationship, try to remember that you don’t want to change or impress them, but you want to show them who you really are so that they can trust that person.

Have your own opinions

It’s interesting that many people believe that agreeing with everyone will make them seem more trustworthy. But like ‘yes men’ in business, those that always agree seem to be lying some of the time. There’s no need to disagree with others, but you should also have your own opinions once in a while.

Establish clear boundaries

Set up boundaries that might allow you to feel more trustful. If your spouse or partner is away, you might establish rules for talking to other women or let them know things that might make you uncomfortable. Share what you need to feel secure in your relationship and ask them to do the same.

Don’t be afraid of success

Realize that you can have an open and honest relationship – it’s not impossible. Too many people dismiss the idea entirely and always look for things to be wrong – however, this leads to distrust as well.

Communicate often

Take the time to talk with each other frequently so that you both know where the other one is at. This will allow you to feel as though there is nothing that you’re not communicating to the other.

Take responsibility

If you keep a secret or lie, take responsibility for your blunder. People make mistakes, but owning up to them makes you better for it.