Putting up walls to protect yourself is costing you (Episode 357)

Why does putting up walls feel like the safest way to protect yourself from getting hurt, when it can quietly cost you so much? Most walls go up for very good reasons, which is exactly why so few people ever question them. And the more protected you feel the smaller life can become, so gradually that there's rarely ever a particular moment that tells you it's happening. It's easy to miss, too, because everything can look perfectly fine from the outside. So where does healthy self-protection end and hiding from your own life begin? In this week’s episode of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I'm talking about where that line sits, why walls tend to grow rather than shrink, and how to lower them without feeling reckless or exposed. You'll walk away knowing whether your self-protection is really protecting you, and with a realistic way to start lowering your walls.  👉 Ready to discover how to protect yourself without shutting life out, even when putting up walls might feel safer? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: Putting up walls and healthy self-protection can look identical from the inside… so how do you tell which one you're doing?   ℹ️ Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I help you understand and improve your mental wellbeing with simple mental health tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome, and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Self-protection and mental health 0:47 Are you putting up walls? 2:50 When self-protection stops protecting you 7:25 Why putting up walls feels safe 12:41 How to start lowering your walls 24:45 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21748       👨🏻‍🏫 Protecting Your Peace coaching program: https://ltamh.com/programs  📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Protecting your peace (Episode 354): https://ltamh.com/?p=21557  Letting go of control (Episode 356): https://ltamh.com/?p=21709  Feeling lonely around others (Episode 332): https://ltamh.com/?p=20200 👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Let's Talk About Mental Health website: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ 📚 Research mentioned in this episode:  Loneliness and social threat: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364661309001478  Hiding your emotions during a big life change: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4141473/  #puttingupwalls #bettermentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #emotionalwalls #selfprotection #fearofgettinghurt #fearofrejection #mentalhealth #selfawareness #personalgrowth #ltamh #mentalhealthpodcast #mentalwellbeing #protectyourpeace