Trust is vital to all our relationships. Your spouse needs to trust you. Friends and family should know they can depend on you. Your coworkers and colleagues need to trust you. Trust can be fragile, though. Certain actions can irreparably harm trust. Here are nine of them: .
Failing to show up on time
It might seem small, but showing up when you say you will is critical. Always being late or not texting or calling when you say you will plants seeds of doubt as to your trustworthiness.
Not Walking the walk
Authenticity begins by doing what you say you will do. When you don’t, your partner or other loved ones will question everything you say. When your actions don’t line up with your talk, you are telling the world more than you think.
Refusing to admit mistakes
You are going to be wrong once in a while. If you want others to trust you, admit when you are wrong. It’s better to admit you made a mistake than to play it off or push it onto someone else.
You don’t listen to others
Spacing out when someone is sharing their emotions with you hurts the relationship. If they cannot trust you to listen, they will be less likely to share, and the relationship will be damaged.
Gossiping about others
Spreading gossip may make you feel better about yourself, but it doesn’t do much for trust. If you are willing to talk about others behind their backs, what do you have to say about those closest to you? Can they trust you to keep a secret?
Leading with your temper
Do you lose your cool quickly? Do others feel like they must walk on eggshells around you? That’s not a good sign. It reinforces to your family and friends that you cannot be trusted to hear bad news.
Telling white lies
White lies may be common for you, but that doesn’t mean your relationships won’t suffer. How can someone trust you if they know you will lie to get out of sticky situations? Dishonesty breeds mistrust.
Refusing to compromise
Give-and-take is needed in all relationships, especially romantic ones. If you are never willing to compromise, you tell others that your needs are more important than theirs.
Not sharing personal matters
You don’t have to share everything with everyone. There are times and places to do so, but a lack of sharing can also put a wall between you and others. Walls can cause distrust.
Fast action steps
Stop and consider how you may be subtly sabotaging your relationships. If you are always late, set an alarm to remind you to leave on time. Even 15 minutes early can mean much to others.
Ask others to weigh in on your trustworthiness. It can be hard to hear what they have to say, but it will be worth it. You will know how others see you and make needed changes. Soon, your relationships will benefit as you become someone to be trusted.
Take feedback and process it. If you are told that you have a hair-trigger temper, investigate strategies to control it. The goal is to take one piece of information and use that to change habits to become a trustworthy person.
At Bokarina Hypnotherapy we help you bring your mental health back to a balanced state allowing you to enjoy life to the fullest.
