Why Vulnerability Is So Important

Vulnerability challenges your confirmation bias.

It is uncomfortable to ask questions, express your opinion, or open up about your emotions with people. You expose yourself to their criticism and judgment, but you also expose yourself to answers and opposing views. And this is a lot more beneficial than stagnating in the comfort of what you already know.

Breaking out of your comfort zone makes you feel vulnerable, but that feeling works in your favor because it improves your performance and boosts your growth. A  constant state of comfort equals steady performance.

Too much anxiety, however, will make you too stressed to be productive. 

In most cases, once you do something scary, you realize it’s not as bad as you thought—it was just the anticipation that frightened you more than anything.

Setting a goal can help you get past that anticipation and feel in control of your vulnerability.

You can encourage yourself to do more vulnerable things by finding a friend who embraces discomfort.

Maybe it’s a networking thing, or karaoke, or surf lessons. Whatever the activity, having a friend by your side makes an uncomfortable thing a little less anxiety-inducing so you can get the most out of it.

• Mindfulness meditation: just set a timer for five minutes to sit and breathe.
• Reminders: set reminders to focus on different activities: to take breaks, to refocus on work, etc.
• Journaling: use it to get your thoughts out of your head and on paper, where you can sort them out.