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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're okay, or even blame our problems entirely on external sources.
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These walls we build around our weak spots can protect us from being badly hurt.
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But the longer we work to hold them up, the more we allow our vulnerabilities to grow within us,
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snowballing into something more sinister, like feelings of self hatred, despair and 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 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 yourself 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 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 change it.
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And that's when you start to take control as a superhero, rather than a damsel 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.
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And as a result, people will feel safer sharing their ideas because they won't feel responsible 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, and once you realize that you're not the only one carrying this burden,
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you'll feel its weight lift from your shoulders and a sudden surge 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 - commit to the new mindset.
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You might expect your brand new super power to make you positively unstoppable.
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But think 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, 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 journaling, gratitude journaling, meditation
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and track your sleep to ensure you get those eight hours.
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These strategies lead to a heightened awareness of the good things in life that, when recognized on a daily basis, could stop you from falling victim to vulnerability.
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Hey, psych2go-ers, don't forget 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 the strategy 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 linked below.
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We're sure it'll help you feel less alone - thanks for watching!