Many couples show up to therapy expecting to do “trust exercises” in the office. Some even ask where to find some type of “trust-building retreat.” But that’s not how it works. 

As a psychotherapist and the author of “13 Things Mentally Strong Couples Don’t Do,” I’ve seen countless couples who want to establish deeper trust. Some of them have experienced broken trust, and others want to proactively grow closer.

Regardless, trust isn’t built through dramatic games or one-time events. It’s developed by showing up for each other in small but meaningful ways over and over again. And weekends are a prime opportunity to engage in activities that build deeper bonds.

Here’s what I see mentally strong couples do on the weekends to create rock-solid trust.

Healthy independence is one of the best ways to build trust. When you pursue your own interests — maybe you go for a solo run or your partner grabs coffee with a friend — you’re showing mutual trust. You both feel secure enough in your relationship to let each other grow individually.

Having space to recharge helps prevent resentment and boredom. You’re saying, “I trust you to be your own person, and I know you’ll come back.” When you reunite, you have more energy to share with your partner. 

Partners who respect each other’s “me time” are more likely to thrive together over the long haul.

Weekends can get busy, fast. That’s why couples who prioritize rituals — small, predictable things they can look forward to — tend to have stronger bonds. They provide stability and a sense of belonging.

A ritual doesn’t have to be fancy. Maybe it’s Saturday coffee on the porch, a Sunday evening walk, or a regular brunch at your favorite spot. Even a 15-minute morning crossword could help you stay connected. 

The key is consistency. Each time you show up, you remind each other: “We can count on this. We can count on each other.” Trust is built as you show over and over again that the relationship is a priority for you.

It can be hard to be honest and open, even with the person you love most. So often, we hide the tough stuff because we don’t want other people to worry or judge us. But mental strength in relationships means sharing your inner world, and making it safe for your partner to do the same.

Talking about uncomfortable feelings — stress over work, disappointment after an argument, or embarrassment after failure — builds real intimacy. Sharing the more pleasant emotions, like excitement and hope, means you’re trusting your partner won’t crush your good spirits.

Saying, “I trust you with my feelings,” often leads to, “I trust you with my dreams and hopes.” Vulnerability is risky, but with a trusting partner, it can help you grow stronger as individuals and as a couple.

There’s a big difference between being near each other and truly connecting. Quality time matters, even if it takes effort to carve it out. 

Mentally strong couples plan for it, even on busy weekends. Maybe it means having a tech-free meal, taking a walk in the park, or even working on a home improvement project. What matters is prioritizing and giving each other your undivided attention.

Over time, it’s easy to take even the best partners for granted. But mentally strong couples make a point to notice and voice the things they value about each other. 

Appreciation fuels goodwill and reminds both partners that their efforts are seen. It might sound like, “Thank you for refilling my coffee cup,” or, “I’m proud of how you handled that conversation.”

In my practice, I’ve watched couples transform their dynamic just by making gratitude a regular habit. When people feel valued, they want to give even more to the relationship. Little compliments and words of thanks build a sense of security that’s key to lasting trust.

Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, clinical social worker, and host of the Mentally Stronger podcast. She is the author of several books including ”13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.″ Her TEDx talk “The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong” is one of the most viewed talks of all time. Follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Want to get ahead at work with AI? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course, Beyond the Basics: How to Use AI to Supercharge Your Work. Learn advanced AI skills like building custom GPTs and using AI agents to boost your productivity today.

The child of parents who both served in the U.S. Navy, much of Mikayla McGhee’s early life was spent moving from military base to military base.

McGhee, 30, spent most of her time living abroad in Japan, which she says led her to realize she wanted to build a life for herself outside the United States.

“I was always working towards freedom, so I never knew exactly what I was going to do, but I knew I wanted the freedom to be able to live wherever I wanted to and travel whenever I wanted to,” McGhee tells CNBC Make It.

“Once you’ve experienced growing up abroad and you’re exposed to that, you continue to search for it. So moving back to the States after living in Japan, I always knew I wanted to live outside of the U.S. I just didn’t know how.”

In 2020, McGhee was living in Atlanta, Georgia, and went to visit her parents in Bahrain, where her dad was stationed at the time. The country is located in the Persian Gulf and is home to the Naval Support Activity, Bahrain, a U.S. military base.

McGhee stayed in the country for three months and says she fell in love with it. As soon as she got back to Atlanta, she started planning a permanent move to Bahrain.

“The culture shock was that, actually, things were better, not worse. Don’t just believe what you’re told or what you see in the media because it’s nothing like that at all,” she says.

“It’s so calm. It’s so peaceful. There was never a time where I didn’t feel like I fit in or I was standing out as an expat. Every culture shock was a positive one.”

In December 2022, McGhee moved to Bahrain and lived in her parents’ three-bedroom home for six months before moving out on her own.

After leaving her parents’ house, McGhee lived in a two-bedroom apartment in a luxury high-rise building. She lived there for over a year.

Now, McGhee lives near the capital of Bahrain, Manama, in a three-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom home with a pool and one-car garage that rents for $2,200 USD a month.

The house also has a laundry room and is fully fenced in. The cost of monthly rent includes what McGhee calls a “watchman,” or someone who comes by the house to clean the pool and take care of the landscaping.

As a licensed realtor in Bahrain, McGhee conducted the housing search on her own and says she chose this one because of its proximity to the city center.

She says she and her partner split expenses, though he pays the majority, while most of her money goes to savings and to the trips the couple take together. The couple signed a one-year lease last year and plan to renew another one-year lease this year too.

McGhee works remotely as a senior performance marketing manager at an IT company, and has a dedicated space to work from home. She earns $140,000 a year, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

Since McGhee earns her salary in USD, she still pays U.S. taxes. McGhee also uses the health insurance offered by her company, which allows her access to Bahrain’s health-care system.

When McGhee has free time during the day, she says she likes to work out, shop for groceries and create content. She shares a lot of her life in Bahrain on TikTok to her more than 65,000 followers.

“It is my duty to make sure that Americans know how great this country is,” McGhee says.

Although McGhee isn’t sure if she will stay in Bahrain long-term, she says she knows she wants to buy property around the country as a real estate investment and have a permanent place for herself there, too.

“My life is 10 times better here. My happiness has skyrocketed. Even the weather alone has increased my mood,” she says.

“I will always want to have something that I can come back to, that I could call my home. Bahrain felt like home from the day I got here, so in order for me to leave, another place would need to do the same.”

Want to get ahead at work with AI? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course, Beyond the Basics: How to Use AI to Supercharge Your Work. Learn advanced AI skills like building custom GPTs and using AI agents to boost your productivity today.

One-on-ones are the most valuable time you have with your boss. Yet most people treat them like throwaway meetings. They fail to prepare and rush through them, rattling off a few tasks they’ve completed and calling it a day.

I’ve spent almost 15 years coaching leaders at companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple. In my book, “Managing Up: How to Get What You Need From the People in Charge,” I talk about how the people who get promoted fastest don’t treat one-on-ones as a status report. The highest performers use this time to connect their work to business impact and to uncover stretch projects they wouldn’t hear about otherwise. 

Leaders promote people who don’t need to be managed and who’ve proven they’re already operating at a more senior level. Here are five phrases to use in your one-on-ones that will change how your boss sees you and the opportunities that come your way. 

Open by walking through what you’ve accomplished since your last meeting and why it matters. This lets you highlight wins and prevents the conversation from getting derailed by whatever is top of mind for your boss. What you share here is often passed up the chain, making it easier to gain visibility with decision-makers.

Try this: Skip vague status updates and link your work to business outcomes. Instead of “We’re reaching out to new clients,” say, “We contacted eight prospects last week and have three demos scheduled, keeping us on track for our Q2 goal.” 

Even a 30-minute one-on-one can double as a focused problem-solving session. This phrase positions you as a partner to your manager, not just someone who takes orders. It shows you’re thinking critically about challenges and taking initiative to solve them, which is the kind of behavior that gets people promoted. 

Try this: Don’t bring a problem without sharing what you’ve already tried or the options you’re weighing. Instead of, “I have no idea how to handle this team conflict,” say, “There’s been some miscommunication with the marketing team. I’ve tried [X] and I’m considering [Y] next, but I’d love your take before I move forward.” 

Most people only talk about their own work in one-on-ones. Turn the tables and ask what’s happening at your boss’s level and above. This gives you insight into priorities, pressures, and changes that could affect your work before they trickle down and surprise you. When you engage in a thoughtful conversation about strategy and the things leaders care most about, you set yourself apart from peers. 

Try this: Ask what your boss has coming up or what initiatives are on the horizon, then offer to assist. You could say, “I know you have a lot on your plate. Are there projects where it’d be helpful to have me step in to lighten the load?” Or, “I’d be happy to attend that meeting in your place so you can be heads-down on other priorities.” It’s a win-win: You help manage their workload while gaining exposure to growth assignments.

Your promotion isn’t decided at your performance review. It’s decided in the months leading up to it. This phrase is a subtle but powerful way to make it known that you’re interested in — and ready for — additional responsibilities. 

Try this: If your boss mentions a new direction for the company, you might say, “Great to hear we’re expanding. How are we approaching regulatory issues? I’d love to contribute on the compliance side.” Or use it after positive feedback: “Thanks, I enjoyed working on the program. I’m looking to take on more work in that area.”

Ending one-on-ones with a noncommittal, “Sounds good, talk next week,” is how things fall through the cracks. You’ll end up frustrated that your manager doesn’t follow through. Instead, close with accountability. Summarize what each of your action items are. 

Try this: If your boss agrees to do something, get specifics. Ask, “Is Wednesday doable?” or, “Can I count on having that by Friday?”

Melody Wilding, LMSW is an executive coach, human behavior professor, and author of ”Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge.” Get her free training, 5 Steps to Speak Like a Senior Leader, here. 

Want to get ahead at work with AI? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course, Beyond the Basics: How to Use AI to Supercharge Your Work. Learn advanced AI skills like building custom GPTs and using AI agents to boost your productivity today. 

General Motors CEO Mary Barra receives plenty of notes about her company from customers — and she responds “to every single letter that I get,” whether positive or negative, she said at the New York Times DealBook Summit on Dec. 3.

Barra’s habit can be seen as an example of direct and intentional communication, which some experts say is an effective way to build loyalty and trust. Handwritten cards can show other people that you put time and care into your interaction with them, and in face-to-face interactions, asking someone thoughtful, pointed questions can help you strengthen a relationship.

At DealBook, Barra recalled a letter she once received about “Tim the Tahoe,” a family’s Chevrolet SUV that she said carted the letter writer’s family everywhere, from her son’s lacrosse games to her cancer treatments. “They view [the car] as part of the family,” Barra said, adding: “This is not an easy industry, but it is a rewarding one.”

Barra has also personally responded to negative feedback — notably, for example, writing to schoolchildren in February 2019 following the announced closure of a General Motors manufacturing plant in Lordstown, Ohio — and even letters that have little to do with her company. Back in 2015, Carolyn Rodz, CEO of AI-powered entrepreneurship platform Hello Alice, recalled an exchange she had with Barra in an Entrepreneur article.

Rodz wrote that she had once cold-emailed Barra about her previous company and Barra quickly responded with a polite and personal note. She recalled at the time: “She not only acknowledged my request and respectfully declined, but she took the time to encourage my pursuit and commended me on my efforts.”

The value of building human connections with the people around you can extend to your co-workers, too. Even short interactions focused on personal connection often make the people around you feel more like they matter, leadership and workplace researcher Zach Mercurio told CNBC Make It in May.

Building relationships and camaraderie can be particularly valuable for managers, who need to keep their staff engaged and productive at work, Mercurio said.

“We’ve studied people for five years in numerous occupations, and we’ve asked them this question: When you feel that you matter, what’s happening at work?” said Mercurio. “Nobody yet has said, ‘When I got a promotion, when I got a pay raise, when I got employee of the month’ … They’ve all talked about small interactions in which someone truly sees them, hears them, is there for them, and reminds them that they’re needed.”

Watch General Motors CEO Mary Barra on CNBC’s ”Leaders Playbook″ on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. All new episodes Wednesdays.

Everyday living costs play a major role in how much money you need to retire.

A new state-by-state analysis from personal finance website GOBankingRates shows that the estimated total savings needed to retire at 65 can differ by as much as $1.46 million depending on where you live.

In Hawaii, retirees need about $2.2 million to stop working at 65 and cover essential living expenses for 25 years, including housing, groceries, transportation, utilities and health-care costs. That is the highest estimated minimum of any state. By comparison, Oklahoma has the lowest estimated total, at $735,284, to cover the same basic costs.

The analysis is based on the average living costs for retirees 65 or older in each state, drawn from the latest data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. From there, GOBankingRates subtracted average Social Security payments and estimated the savings needed to cover the remaining expenses using an annual 4% withdrawal rate.

The resulting figures represent a baseline for covering essential costs and don’t factor in discretionary spending such as travel, dining or entertainment. Additionally, the estimates don’t account for factors such as inflation, lifestyle changes or unexpected costs.

Housing is the biggest factor in annual retirement costs, as it varies by roughly $30,000 annually between states. Utilities and health-care costs can range by as much as $5,000 annually, the study finds.

Here’s a look the minimum amount of savings needed to retire at 65 in each state, in alphabetical order.

• Annual cost of living: $53,999
• Savings you need to retire: $789,037

• Annual cost of living: $78,449
• Savings you need to retire: $1,400,286

• Annual cost of living: $66,838
• Savings you need to retire: $1,110,019

• Annual cost of living: $54,859
• Savings you need to retire: $810,538

• Annual cost of living: $83,978
• Savings you need to retire: $1,538,508

• Annual cost of living: $63,091
• Savings you need to retire: $1,016,336

• Annual cost of living: $70,094
• Savings you need to retire: $1,191,417

• Annual cost of living: $63,152
• Savings you need to retire: $1,017,871

• Annual cost of living: $61,125
• Savings you need to retire: $967,190

• Annual cost of living: $56,395
• Savings you need to retire: $848,933

• Annual cost of living: $110,393
• Savings you need to retire: $2,198,902

• Annual cost of living: $60,818
• Savings you need to retire: $959,511

• Annual cost of living: $58,913
• Savings you need to retire: $911,901

• Annual cost of living: $55,657
• Savings you need to retire: $830,504

• Annual cost of living: $55,473
• Savings you need to retire: $825,896

• Annual cost of living: $54,613
• Savings you need to retire: $804,395

• Annual cost of living: $56,456
• Savings you need to retire: $850,469

• Annual cost of living: $56,947
• Savings you need to retire: $862,756

• Annual cost of living: $70,155
• Savings you need to retire: $1,192,953

• Annual cost of living: $73,043
• Savings you need to retire: $1,265,135

• Annual cost of living: $92,639
• Savings you need to retire: $1,755,055

• Annual cost of living: $58,176
• Savings you need to retire: $893,472

• Annual cost of living: $57,869
• Savings you need to retire: $885,793

• Annual cost of living: $52,524
• Savings you need to retire: $752,178

• Annual cost of living: $54,674
• Savings you need to retire: $805,931

• Annual cost of living: $67,452
• Savings you need to retire: $1,125,377

• Annual cost of living: $56,272
• Savings you need to retire: $845,862

• Annual cost of living: $60,572
• Savings you need to retire: $953,368

• Annual cost of living: $67,084
• Savings you need to retire: $1,116,163

• Annual cost of living: $70,401
• Savings you need to retire: $1,199,096

• Annual cost of living: $56,825
• Savings you need to retire: $859,684

• Annual cost of living: $77,773
• Savings you need to retire: $1,383,392

• Annual cost of living: $59,835
• Savings you need to retire: $934,938

• Annual cost of living: $56,087
• Savings you need to retire: $841,254

• Annual cost of living: $57,009
• Savings you need to retire: $864,291

• Annual cost of living: $51,849
• Savings you need to retire: $735,284

• Annual cost of living: $68,681
• Savings you need to retire: $1,156,093

• Annual cost of living: $59,650
• Savings you need to retire: $930,331

• Annual cost of living: $69,664
• Savings you need to retire: $1,180,666

• Annual cost of living: $56,825
• Savings you need to retire: $859,684

• Annual cost of living: $56,395
• Savings you need to retire: $848,933

• Annual cost of living: $55,473
• Savings you need to retire: $825,896

• Annual cost of living: $55,780
• Savings you need to retire: $833,575

• Annual cost of living: $60,879
• Savings you need to retire: $961,047

• Annual cost of living: $69,848
• Savings you need to retire: $1,185,274

• Annual cost of living: $61,493
• Savings you need to retire: $976,405

• Annual cost of living: $69,971
• Savings you need to retire: $1,188,345

• Annual cost of living: $54,122
• Savings you need to retire: $792,109

• Annual cost of living: $60,019
• Savings you need to retire: $939,546

• Annual cost of living: $58,545
• Savings you need to retire: $902,686

Want to get ahead at work with AI? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course, Beyond the Basics: How to Use AI to Supercharge Your Work. Learn advanced AI skills like building custom GPTs and using AI agents to boost your productivity today. Use coupon code EARLYBIRD for 25% off. Offer valid from Jan. 5 to Jan. 19, 2026. Terms apply.