Vulnerability means you are coming from a place/sharing from a space where your guard, your defenses, or your worries about what someone else may think is put to the side.
Being vulnerable in a romantic relationship entails maintaining your integrity (i.e., your truth), in light of knowing that your partner may or may not hold the same views.
For some, it can be difficult to be vulnerable if they were shamed in the past. Vulnerability takes courage, commitment, and an honest look into one’s own experience. Individuals who are prone to people-pleasing might often feel challenged to speak their truth. When someone isn’t in touch with their vulnerability, it can lead to a sense of mistrust, confusion, and disconnection with themselves.
Three tips to be more vulnerable:
1. Don’t be afraid to gather your thoughts first.
This could look like writing down your thoughts or writing a letter to your partner. You could then share your thoughts out loud or have your partner read your letter.
2. Hold space for your truth and someone else’s truth to exist together.
When we are vulnerable, we are not trying to change or control someone else’s perspective. We are reaching into our inner world and allowing someone else a glimpse of it, with the aim of strengthening our connection.
3. Practice.
Vulnerability and growing more comfortable in your own skin and your own voice, is empowering. It becomes easier to become vulnerable when we can tune into our own feelings and needs, and share it with trusted others.