 Are you having difficulty opening up in a relationship? Life is about being courageous, but this doesn't mean you don't fear. It's natural to be doubtful or uncertain when you take a risk. The same can be said of being in a relationship. You don't stop being afraid just because you're romantically involved with a person. Rather, it allows you to grow, even if it means failure or heartache. You have the benefit of building something worthwhile and fulfilling. There are six ways to be vulnerable in love. 1. Admit and own up to your mistakes. Our pride and ego can ruin our relationship with our partner when we worry more about being judged by them than admitting our flaws. Granted, it's not comfortable letting your guard down and allowing someone else to see your not-so-good side, quirks and all. But being self-aware and viewing ourselves in a healthy manner will help us grow and improve personally, contributing to a loving relationship. 2. Listen to your partner's needs and difficulties without quickly trying to problem-solve. While it's always good to quickly solve problems so that they don't stress you out unnecessarily, sometimes it's not always easy to think straight when your emotions are all over the place. Being vulnerable, then, means putting yourself in your partner's shoes. It means not only being in touch with your own emotions, but the emotions of your partner, too. You're essentially mindful of the pain or distress that they are going through. This will help you realize that maybe all they really need is a shoulder to cry on and not just a solution. 3. Learn to let go of your control. If you have a strong leader personality, it may be difficult for you to give up the reins and allow your partner to take the initiative. In order to be vulnerable, you need to allow your partner to make decisions for both of you at times. If you don't, you could seem dismissive or hard to approach in times of disagreement. Vulnerability is a good thing because it shows that you trust your partner, so it's good to let go every once in a while. 4. Hold on to who you are without allowing shame or embarrassment stop you from being real. Maintain a strong sense of self and never feel as if you have to dumb yourself down or worry about being too nice. If you're a bookworm or a philanthropist, do what feels right and natural for you. It's perfectly okay to have opinions and perspectives that are different from your partners. Never compromise who you are to be with someone. You also shouldn't have to always rely on your partner to make you feel better about yourself because that would be codependency, not vulnerability. It's important to know when to assert yourself. 5. Check in with reality. Geraldine Pirkowski, author of Too Close for Comfort Exploring the Risks of Intimacy, writes, Rather than invalidating what you're feeling, it can help to have a different perspective on whether your emotions and the actions that follow them are in line with the facts of what's actually happening. Insecurity can make you distort your reality. It's important then to ask your partner to help you figure out what's real or not. For example, if you think that your partner is cheating on you, it could be that you're being affected by your own personal past experience. Make it a habit to check in with reality so that you don't jump into conclusions without concrete evidence. 6. Help your partner feel safe. Vulnerability is not just about your needs, thoughts, and emotions. It's also about your partner's needs, thoughts, and emotions. It's better to establish communication that allows both you and your partner the space to express yourselves freely rather than bottling up your emotions. Show your partner you have their best interests at heart by encouraging them to let you in at a pace that they are comfortable with. Do so in a non-pushy, non-aggressive manner. Love can't be forced nor rushed, but it can always be well. What is holding your heart back? Share your thoughts below. If you enjoyed this video, please like and subscribe to see more content from Psych2Go. Thank you for watching!