 Ever thought of how often you give consent in your relationship?
Consent is an agreement between two people, given through words or actions, that they are willing to engage in sexual activity. Silence or lack of resistance does not count as consent. Some people cannot consent if intoxicated, sleeping or unconscious, or have specific disabilities. Consent involves active communication and knowing that one person always has the right to withdraw consent.  What is your strategy to build trust in a relationship?
It can take time to build trust. And while it can be hard to trust someone, especially if someone in the past broke your trust. It’s not fair to blame your current partner for something someone else did. Here are some ways to help build trust:  Open and honest communication is essential to every relationship because it allows you to share who you are and what you need from the people around you. Miscommunication is common but can often lead to problems, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings. These tips will help you talk to your partner honestly.
Speaking: Be open and clear about how you are feeling; if you don’t understand something, tell them; use “I statements” so that the other person doesn’t feel like you are blaming or attacking them (“I feel that….); be honest, even if you think the other person might not like hearing I how you genuinely feel; apologize when you are wrong or hurt the other person; when talking about something negative, also mention something positive.  How to respond when your boundaries are crossed?
If a boundary has been crossed by your partner who didn’t know where your line was drawn, have an honest conversation. It could be something as simple as saying, “Hey, I don’t like it when you ________. This makes me uncomfortable. Do you think next time you can ______ instead?”  How would you let your partner know what your boundaries are?
You don’t have to sit down with your partner with a checklist of everything that makes you uncomfortable, but you need to be open and honest. Some things might come up early in a relationship, like if you are a virgin and don’t want to have sex until you’re ready. Some of the things may not come up for a while, like if your partner wants to share their passwords after you’ve been dating for six months.  Having boundaries is like drawing a line. One side has the things you are okay with and the other side has those that you are not okay with, don’t feel ready for, or make you uncomfortable. This line looks different for everyone, so you need to know where yours needs to be drawn. Setting boundaries is a way to teach your partner about your needs and let them know when something doesn’t feel right. You are allowed to put your needs before someone else’s needs especially if their needs make you uncomfortable.
 Healthy relationships involve honesty, trust, respect and open communication between partners and they take effort and compromise from both people. There is no imbalance of power. Partners respect each other’s independence, can make their own decisions without fear of retribution or retaliation, and share decisions. If or when a relationship ends, there is no stalking or refusal to let the other partner go.
|
About the AuthorOur team of knowledgeable mental health and communications professionals gather the best available resources and convert them into a useful blogposts to adopt the evidence-based knowledge into popular language. With blogging we want to equip our society with necessary knowledge and support our mental health. Blogs by Timeline |
RSS Feed
Disclaimer: My Mental Health GPS Navigators provide support, advice, advocate, recommend, facilitate and empower decision making. We do not treat mental health challenges or addiction. We are not licensed mental health professionals, we but we may refer you to clinically-licensed providers or consultants if their area of expertise is aligned with your wellness needs and goals. Any consultation we provide is for educational, informational and motivational purposes only and does not replace professional advice you may need for yourself or for your family member.
If you are in a life threatening situation, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a free, 24-hour hotline, at 1-800-273-8255. Your call will be routed to the crisis center near you. If your issue is an emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
If you are in a life threatening situation, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a free, 24-hour hotline, at 1-800-273-8255. Your call will be routed to the crisis center near you. If your issue is an emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
INclude – The Mental Health Initiative, Inc. is registered as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation in the U.S. state of Delaware. EIN# 83-2285585.
The Organizations is Located in Asheville, NC, USA.
The Organizations is Located in Asheville, NC, USA.
Copyright Ⓒ 2022
INclude – The Mental Health Initiative, Inc
INclude – The Mental Health Initiative, Inc