by Edna Reis
Even though many of us associate vulnerability with weakness and being out there in the world fully exposed, Brené Brown tells us that “vulnerability is the core, the heart, the centre of meaningful experiences”. Now we are being presented with a different view of vulnerability, on how it can actually be a deep important part of the human experience and not a sign of weakness, and although it can be extremely uncomfortable, we now understand that being vulnerable can put us in a place of joy, creativity, authenticity and love.
It is important for us to start embracing some vulnerability in our daily lives, in our works, in our journey through life. Let me tell you why:
When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we can display our authentic selves, and we stop from simply trying to please others, and the impact that has on our mental health is amazingly great. If I can say no, if I can show the other person that by doing whatever they are asking me is going to make me feel bad, sad, or uncomfortable, by doing that I am showing some vulnerability, I am communicating my discomforts, I am establishing some boundaries and consequently I am protecting myself, my mental health, my wellbeing. To be authentic by showing vulnerability protects our mental health.
It can build empathy - when we bring our walls down, we can start understanding other people’s feelings in a better way, and we can be there for others, and we can inspire others to do the same. We become more compassionate because we realise that other people are also going through hard times, and we become more forgiving which makes us more prone to give love.
It helps us to be in tune with our emotions - when I allow myself to be in a place of vulnerability, I am not going to pretend not feeling what I am feeling, I am going to acknowledge my feelings, and I will be able to work on those feelings and deal with them. That is important for a good emotional and mental health.
To allow oneself to be vulnerable is really brave, it works on our resilience too. When we are in tune with our emotions, and when we don’t run from our problems, we know that we may fall but we are going to work through it and we are going to rise again with all the scars, and experiences acquired from the fall, and that is resilience.
Our connections become better - people do accept us for who we truly are. Being vulnerable is inevitable, we should all allow ourselves to be vulnerable, and it can be nerve wrecking, I am aware of that. Sharing our struggles can be hard for us, but in the business world, in life, it is important to have strong connections, and when we are vulnerable, we can look at the other person, at our fellow businesswomen and ask for help. We can go there and ask for a tip, ask for a contact, we can tell them that we are struggling with this or that service, and that tightens our ties and makes us stronger, it makes our community stronger.
Allowing yourself to be vulnerable is not only good for you (your mental health, your emotional health, your relationships), it can also bring good things for your business as well.
Edna Reis is a Psychologist and the Founder & Chief Wellbeing Officer of Active Wellness, a company whose aim is to help organizations to have a workforce with good mental health. As a psychologist, I consider it crucial to talk and make efforts to take care of our mental health, because this is a comprehensive part of the general well-being of the individual and society in general. The stability of the psyche of each and every person enables the stability of society as a whole.
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