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Times of vulnerability will inevitably show up to balance out the good times in life.
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And as humans, we've evolved some pretty unhealthy ways of dealing with them.
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We may mask our vulnerability beneath other negative emotions like anger and jealousy,
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deny it in order to convince ourselves and others that we are okay, or even blame our
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problems entirely on external sources.
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These walls we built around our weak spots can protect us from being badly hurt, but
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the longer we work to hold them up, the more we allow our vulnerabilities to grow within
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us, snowballing into something more sinister like feelings of self-hatred, despair and
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even apathy, which can leave us prone to depression.
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But believe it or not, there are ways to transform vulnerability into something that gives us
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strength to go forward instead of holding us back.
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Here are three steps to turning vulnerability into a superpower.
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One; change your mindset.
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That means stop playing the victim.
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It's tough love but only when you stop using vulnerability as an excuse to feel sorry for
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yourself.
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Can you take responsibility for your situation and change it.
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Instead of ruminating on your misfortune, move towards the mindset of acceptance.
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That means deeply acknowledging a painful situation and your personal role in bringing
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it about without allowing these things to define your identity.
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Sure, a bad thing may be happening to you now, but it is not characteristic of you.
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When you identify your own self harming behavior, you acknowledge that you have the power to
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change it, and that's when you start to take control as a superhero rather than a damsel
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in distress.
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Two; tear down those walls.
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Reach out to others and share your story.
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When you stop playing the victim, you stop looking to others for consolation, and as
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a result, people will feel safer sharing their ideas because they won't feel responsible
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for fixing you.
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So stop expecting others to swoop in and save you, and instead, use them as a source of inspiration.
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You'll find that more people can relate to you than you think.
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And once you realize that you're not the only one carrying this burden, you'll fill its
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weight lift from your shoulders and a sudden sort of power that allows you to move forward.
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That's the moment your vulnerability turns into a superpower.
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Three; commits to the new mindset.
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You might expect your brand-new superpower to make you positively unstoppable, but think
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again.
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As any comic book will tell you, even being a superhero requires hard work and maintenance.
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Small continuous efforts are required to prevent negative feelings from snowballing again,
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especially if you're prone to mental illness.
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A good mindfulness routine is the perfect countermeasure.
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When you feel that victim mentality creeping up again, try doing some stream-of-consciousness
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journaling, gratitude journaling, meditation and track your sleep to ensure you get those
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eight hours.
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These strategies lead to a heightened awareness of the good things in life that when recognized
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on a daily basis can stop you from falling victim to vulnerability.
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Hey Psych2Goers, don't forget that you're not alone on your self-improvement journey.
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Christine is an up-and-coming freelance blogger, documenting her struggles through life and
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the strategies she's learned to get through them.
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This video is one of those stories.
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Feel free to check out her wordpress site link below, we're sure it will help you fill
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us along.
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Thanks for watching!