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Have you ever felt a knot in your stomach during a tough conversation and brushed it off? Or maybe you’ve swallowed frustration to avoid seeming “weak”? Well, you may not believe it, but showing emotional vulnerability can be a good thing—and we’re not talking about the mushy, oversharing stereotype you might imagine. Today we’ll show you how owning your feelings—even the messy ones—can dial down anxiety, supercharge your relationships, and help you understand yourself like never before. Ready to rethink vulnerability? Keep reading!

Emotional vulnerability means owning your tough emotions (like sadness or anxiety) instead of avoiding them. It’s a skill that lowers anxiety, strengthens relationships, and boosts self-awareness. You can practice being vulnerable simply by pausing to name your feelings and reminding yourself it’s okay to feel them. 

Here’s the deal: Allowing yourself to be emotionally vulnerable is like taking off the armor that protects you from your own feelings and owning up to the emotions you’re experiencing—especially when it’s uncomfortable. It is having the courage to name your emotions, especially the painful ones, without running away from them.

It’s human nature to dodge pain, sadness, or shame. Many of us have go-to ways of coping when we need relief. 

Those behaviors are normal, and sometimes they’re fine. But here’s an eye-opening fact: 

Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is pause and say, “Okay, I feel rotten right now.”

For example, imagine you’re upset because your partner made a snarky comment at dinner. Instead of bottling it up or snapping back, vulnerability looks like thinking. You can say to your partner, I’m frustrated because that comment stung, and we need to talk about it. It’s not wallowing or overanalyzing—just naming the feeling and letting it be.

Most of us aren’t as good at this as we think. Avoiding painful emotions is wired into our brains, and it’s way harder to do this in front of other people, even close friends or family. But that’s where the magic happens.

Vulnerability is worth practicing because it delivers big payoffs. Here are three reasons why:

So, how do you do vulnerability?

This is not about spilling your guts to everyone—it’s about small, intentional moments of honesty with yourself and others. The two-step solution: observe and validate.

Master your emotions like an adult, plus a practical emotional toolkit.

Next time you feel a twinge of sadness, anger, or anxiety, pause for 10 seconds. Name the feeling to yourself or a trusted person. Notice how it feels to let it be instead of pushing it away. Do it a few times this week, and even with this small change, you’ll be amazed at how much lighter you feel.

Sol TV Creator Karly Grant shares a simple way to access emotions consciously instead of suppressing them.

We love you,
Mona & The Sol TV Team ❤️

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