Life

5 Signs You Really Trust Your Significant Other

by Kat Kuehl

You know how your mom (or your dad, your friends, your teachers, your neighbors, or whoever) loves to tell you that trust is the most important part of a successful relationship? Well, as much as I love to prove my mom wrong, I can't help but to recognize that, in this case, she actually has a point. But, trust isn't always so easy to identify — so, you might be searching for some signs that you really do trust your significant other.

I know that trust can be a really tough thing for some people. But, admittedly, I've never been one of those people. If anything, I'm probably too trusting. I trust that people won't steal my purse if I leave it sitting unattended at a table for two minutes. I trust that the cashier will give me the correct amount of change. Some people need others to earn their trust, whereas I'm one of those "trust until you give me a reason not to" types of people.

Needless to say, trust comes pretty easily for me — whether people deserve it or not. So, before getting married this summer, I wanted to make sure that trust was a sure (and justified) thing in my relationship. But, how do you even know what to look for when attempting to confirm that you trust your partner? Here are five signs that you're in a healthy, trusting relationship.

1. You can both do separate things without feeling the need to check in.

Is your boyfriend heading to the bar with his friends, or is your girlfriend setting out for a girls' night out? If you don't feel like you need to send a "check in" text message every 10 minutes, that's probably a good sign. Yes, you're a couple. But, you also need to have your separate lives — preferably without the pressure to continuously reassure each other of your commitment.

2. You don't feel the urge to compulsively check through their phone or social media accounts.

We all feel the itch to snoop every once and a while. But, if your partner can leave their phone unlocked and unattended in front of you without you immediately grabbing it and scrolling through his or her text messages, that's a pretty big indicator of your trust.

3. You don't get worried when you see them talking to other people.

Perhaps you're at a party together, or out at a bar with a big group of friends. When you come back from the bathroom, you see your significant other chatting with some mysterious, attractive stranger. Instead of rushing over there to see what's going on or turning around and walking away in a huff, you aren't upset or jealous. You recognize that your partner can talk to other people, without having any negative intentions or ulterior motives.

4. You never hesitate to communicate about your thoughts or feelings — no matter how secretive or embarrassing.

Trust is important in a relationship, but so is communication. And, it can be tough to openly talk about your feelings and emotions when you don't trust the other person to listen, understand, or keep a secret when necessary. So, if you feel like you can chat with your partner about anything that's on your mind, that probably means you have a high level of trust in them.

5. You share everything.

Whether it's your car, your Netflix password, your debit card, or your deepest, darkest secrets, you never hesitate to share anything with your significant other. And, that amount of openness is something that can only come from a high level of trust.

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Images: MFer Photography/Flickr; Giphy (5)