In order to gain your guy’s trust, you need to make him feel heard. And there’s only way to do this: by caressing his leg and giving nonspecific verbal support for the rest of your life. He will trust you because these motions make it really look like you care about what he has to say, in a way that will make him never want to leave your side for all of eternity. Here’s how to gain his trust by just stroking his knee and saying “Mhm” forever and ever.
Be Present
Make sure you’re in the proper headspace to be there for him emotionally. Be awake, comfortable and relaxed enough to extend your hand towards his knee. When he can tell you’re present, he’ll be more likely to open up about his hardships. Although, if you’re really not in the mood to actually stay engaged as he shares what he’s been through, the simple act of rubbing his thigh and nodding your head in his general direction is enough. To make sure he really knows how much you care, softly intone an “mmhmm” for eternity. You are such a supportive girlfriend for faking your way through this!
Listen
Part of staying present is being an active listener. When you offer yourself as a resource, you are expected to absorb what your guy says and then say words back that make him feel better. However this can be exhausting if you’ve had a really long day at work, so instead just tune him out, stroke his knee and say ‘Mhm uhuh’, until the end of time. Way to support!
Make Eye Contact
To show him you’re invested in his story, keep your eyes locked on his. This shows that you are open to connecting deeply and that you’ll be there for him no matter what. Ugh, even if you’re so tired because you’ve been listening to him talk about his own shit every night this year. Let your eyes glaze over, touch his neck, and drop in a few “wow”s here and there. You are so selfless!
Be Patient
It can take time for a guy to fully trust in his partner, so give him the time he needs. In the meantime, just pet his face and say “yeah” once in awhile. After all, you’ll be doing this until you die, so patience is a must. Damn, men ask for so much!
Here’s how to gain his trust by gently stroking his body and saying ‘Mhm’ until your life is over. And if you’re not interested in performing this intense emotional labor, you don’t deserve a boyfriend! You don’t!!
