Sometimes we might find ourselves feeling vulnerable, especially in situations where we may feel seen, exposed, or put on the spot. This may show up as a mix of associated feelings of fear, insecurity, and uncertainty regarding how one might be portrayed, used, or what the consequences of a certain event may be to oneself. It’s this sense of vulnerability that may often kick start the brain’s automatic flight/fight/freeze sequence, with the aim being to ensure ‘survival’.

A lot of people mistake vulnerability for weakness, especially when we talk about emotional vulnerability. People shy away from displaying those aspects of themselves that seem ‘unwanted’ or ‘less’, aspects that seem less than perfect.

Vulnerability, in fact, means being authentic about how you are feeling, and truthful about who you are and what your journey has been, and choosing to be vulnerable takes a lot of courage. It requires a person to really sit with oneself and process what has happened, and choose when and why to be vulnerable. It also comes at the risk of triggering past memories and unprocessed pain and opening up oneself for scrutiny. The happy irony may be that, especially within close relationships, vulnerability may be crucial for experiencing true intimacy, which in turn may make a person feel more secure in that relationship – when there is acceptance and that vulnerability is honored and reciprocated.
A big shout out to our team @equilibrioadvisoryLLP who have chosen to be vulnerable over the last 2 days in celebration of Mental Health Day. We appreciate you taking steps to share those personal aspects of your mental health and well-being journeys, and especially on all our social media platforms… you never know whom you inspire and encourage along the way!