Nine ways to rebuild trust in a relationship

In a relationship, trust, loyalty, and open communication form the bedrock. Meanwhile, trust is so fragile and can easily be broken.

Trust can be broken by many factors like lying, manipulation, and not just cheating as widely believed. Once trust is broken, it is quite hard to rebuild — but not impossible when both parties are willing.

Rebuilding trust in a relationship requires commitment, communication, and discipline.

Without further ado, here are ways to rebuild trust in a relationship.

• Understand the cause

When trying to rebuild trust in a relationship, it is important to first understand what happened and why.

For instance, if trust was broken due to lies. It is important to know why the person lied; was it to protect you, protect themselves, or even try to resolve a bad situation before letting you know?

The reason does not make their decision right but it at least makes you reconsider. So the betrayal of trust might have been due to miscommunication or misunderstanding.

When you understand the cause of the betrayal, it will become easier to start rebuilding trust.

• Communicate

It might be uncomfortable to have productive communication after a betrayal but it is essential to have an open and honest conversation.

During communication, you will be able to express how you feel about the situation and how hurt you are. Your partner will also have the opportunity to show how remorseful they are and apologise genuinely for the action.

All the bottled-up anger and hurt will be let out during the conversation and you will feel less upset. This will further make the journey of rebuilding trust easier.

• Be committed

Both partners need to decide to be fully committed to rebuilding the broken trust.

Healing from the betrayal should be done together as a team and not individually. This will make the relationship worth fighting for.

• Practice forgiveness

Forgiveness is key when trying to rebuild trust in a relationship. You and your partner need to learn and practice forgiveness.

This will help you let go past hurts, resentments, and negative thoughts and focus on creating a beautiful future in your relationship.

When you do not forgive, it might be hard to move on, and you may not even see your partner’s effort in ensuring that you trust them again.

• Be patient

Rebuilding trust takes time, and it is important not to rush the process.

So you need to be patient with yourself and your partner, healing doesn’t happen overnight. Give your partner enough time to trust you again and do not manipulate them.

Understand that trust-building is a journey that requires time and effort from both sides.

• Be transparent

It is important to create a transparent environment when rebuilding trust.

You need to be plain and open with your partner and show that you have nothing to hide.

Also, informing your partner about anything and everything will reduce the chance of breaking trust again.

It becomes easy to rebuild trust when both partners are transparent.

Being vulnerable while transparent can also go a long way in building trust.

When you are vulnerable to your partner, they will feel emotionally safe with you. This can gradually help rebuild your bond and intimacy.

• Set new rules

Setting new rules can help rebuild trust in a relationship, particularly when the betrayal is related to specific behaviors or boundaries.

So setting clear expectations, rules and boundaries can provide a sense of security and predictability. Both partners will know what to do, what not to do and the potential consequences.

Both partners should be involved in the process of defining these new rules. It is also essential to ensure that the rules are reasonable and achievable, and they should promote open communication and understanding between partners.

• Be more romantic

Try to be more romantic with your partner while trying to build back trust.

You do not need to put a stop to everything you do because you are rebuilding trust.

You need to continue to prove to your partner that you love them, you prioritise them and would do anything to make them happy.

This will make your partner see that you are genuinely sorry for your actions and you’re fighting for the relationship.

To make the process even more easier, you both can go on a vacation together. Somewhere peaceful that will enhance your intimacy.

• Seek professional help

Rebuilding trust might require the assistance of a therapist or counselor in some cases.

In a case where the trust issue is deeply rooted, a professional can offer an unbiased view of the issue and help both partners work through underlying issues.

Having tough conversations about betrayal and trust can also bring up painful emotions on both sides. However, having a trusted counselor can help you navigate difficult feelings as they arise.

Do not hesitate to seek help when needed.