2024 - Mental Self-Defense: 4 Emotions That Hold Us Back

Mental self-defense
How we declare war on emotions that weaken us

“I am confident and strong”. Such a sentence is completely foreign to you? Then maybe it’s time to practice mental self-defense to boost your self-confidence and resilience.

Expressing your own opinion, remaining steadfast – these and many other things are difficult for some people. In our society, women have long been the caring and loving sex, and even today we still struggle with such role models. Where the man is “strong in leadership,” the woman is “domineering.” Where he is “passionate,” she is “hysterical” – and so on. That’s why many women have never learned to become aware of their strengths and make themselves small. This makes it all the more important that we practice mental self-defense.

Being mentally strong: why it is so important

Even a strong look can show a person you meet that you are alert. Something you also learn in many self-defense courses. We shouldn’t neglect our own mindset. Because others have a very different image of us, depending on whether we put up with things or address a problem directly. If we neglect “psychological self-defense”, this can lead to stress, fear or overstepping boundaries.

Emotions that can weaken us mentally

Certain emotions can make us feel weak and incapable. That’s why it makes sense to work on your own reactions and inner standards. “LiveReal” has valuable tips on this:

Fear: In general, fear is not a bad thing because it warns us of possible danger. But if we appear anxious in certain situations, we appear vulnerable to others.
Fault: People often blame themselves for things that they have no control over. If we ourselves see the problem, it means to us mentally: We are doing something wrong. And when others can trigger this feeling in us without much effort, they easily gain control.
Shame: When we feel ashamed, we want to escape the situation. What happened eats away at our self-confidence and can weaken us mentally because we feel defective or worthless. Or when we remain silent about experiences because we are ashamed of them.
Confusion: Less clarity of mind means being more easily influenced. Anyone who tends to doubt their own points of view and question themselves is easier to manipulate.

There are many other aspects that can contribute to a negative self-image. Stress, our relationships or envy, for example. Working on ourselves and reflecting on our surroundings is therefore an important step towards mental self-defense.

How we strengthen our mental self-defense

You now have a basic knowledge of what can weaken us mentally. Now it’s time to think about where these things happen to you. In which situations do you not stand up for yourself, where do you let another person make decisions for you or accept something because you can’t sort out how you feel about it? Mindfulness is the be-all and end-all for mental self-defense. When we become aware of the reactions an interaction triggers in us, we can work on acting differently in the future. Sharpen your senses. Why do you feel bad after a conversation? What may have been subliminally communicated to you that wasn’t okay? And how can you deal with the negative in yourself and draw strength from it?