how to protect yourself emotionally | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

It's possible to protect yourself emotionally, yet still embrace joy

Walking the fine, fine line between protecting yourself and being vulnerable to allow for growth.

232
It's possible to protect yourself emotionally, yet still embrace joy

It is true that you cannot protect yourself from sadness without also protecting yourself from happiness, as Jonathan Safran Foer once said. In my 20 years so far, I've met hardships that have caused me to become closed off from people for odd reasons... their hobbies, mannerisms, astrological signs, etc. While these things are not always testaments of someone's character, they can often be telling signs of what is to come if a relationship with them forms.

Although this mentality has saved me from some bad situations, it has also put me in a position where I don't really feel like I'm living. I find myself living vicariously through my friends' relationships, often times being lonely and emotionally closed off to the world or the thought of putting myself out there. This then does not only affect my social life, but it also affects my ability to network at this crucial time in the start of my career- whatever that may turn out to be. While my friends have begun their internships, I'm still at home and working to have money in my pocket. While my friends are talking about being presidents of major clubs, I'm not involved on campus. While my friends are out living their truth, I'm busy making sure I can maintain a good mood for right now, too anxious to take the leap to ensure a good life for myself.

Don't get me wrong, emotional protection to some degree is important in social settings. It becomes a way to cope with loss, rejection and other hurtful things we may encounter. It is when our only coping skill is to protect and guard ourselves that problems begin to arise.

So, how do we take the leap? What if it hurts? What if we miscalculated our landing and we find ourselves in the ocean of our own emotions instead of on solid ground?

It's a scary step, I know. The first move to letting yourself feel the emotions your heart gives to you is daunting and absolutely terrifying in every respect, but the thought of never making any meaningful connections in life is even scarier. There are people that would rather be hermits than let themselves open up to what the people around them have to offer, even if they're people who will stick around forever. There are people like me who were once so open and vulnerable, not understanding how people could be closed off like that, yet now find themselves falling into traps of suppressing their emotions in order to move semi-smoothly through life. It's scary, but we're in this boat together.

So what if you miscalculated where you'll land? I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, so if you land in your emotions or your "bag," there was a reason for it. Maybe you, too, were suppressing something that your subconscious needed you to see and feel in order to begin to heal.

I have a question for you: instead of, "What if I fail," ask, "What if I succeed? What if I go beyond?"

My seventh grade English teacher, Mrs. Simon, used to always say, "Shoot for the moon- even if you miss, you'll land amongst the stars." You could get hurt- there will always be that risk- but the view on the other side nine-times-out-of-ten will always be worth it.

If you close yourself off from the bad, you will always close yourself off from the good. If you don't want to possibly be rejected by someone you have a crush on by telling them, you will never know if a relationship or even friendships will have ever come from it. If you didn't have your heart broken by a boy you were infatuated with, you'll have missed out on the personal growth you experienced in the years after you first met him. If you didn't stand up for yourself when things got tough, you would have never felt that pride of knowing what's best for you and taking a stand for what you truly believe in.

The sting of rejection and a lost friendship and relationship only last as long as you let them last. A fear of abandonment and rejection could haunt you wherever you go, or it could be something you decide to push back against and leave behind. It's just up to you to take down those walls and let your heart expand.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

180314
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

7350
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

452549
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

23318
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments