I protect this time like my life depends on it.
Halfway through our trek, my sisters face suddenly turned white.
She spotted a bear about 30 feet from us.
Olga Rolenko / Moment / Getty
Self-preservation doesnt just occur for humans.
Fleeing the scene gave me and my unborn child the best chance of survival.
Some people are more resilient to physical or psychological threats while others may be severely impacted.
The Role of Self-Preservation in Mental Health
Self-preservation has an important role in mental health.
It helps us protect ourselves from emotional and psychological harmit doesn’t just mean running way from bears!
For instance, when paramedics first enter a scene, they do not immediately rush to the injured person.
Their first step is to check for danger and assess the environment to ensure its safe before approaching.
Not every difficult situation you encounter in your life will be this dramatic.
With luck, you’ll never face an inherently dangerous situation at all!
Self-Preservation and Personal Growth
Self-preservation can be used as a personal development tool.
This involves consciously prioritizing your emotional and physical well-being and safety.
Overcoming Fear
Romm shares that self-preservation can help toovercome fearand self-doubt by building resilience and confidence.
When you take care of yourself, you have a greater capacity to navigate challenges," Romm says.
Cultivating Self-Compassion
When you focus on self-preservation, you become more mindful of your needs and feelings.
This allows you to respond to yourself with kindness rather than self-criticism.
Setting boundaries to protect your mental and emotional health reinforces the idea that you deserve care and respect.
This helps you build a compassionate attitude towards yourself.
Stress and burnout are threats to our well-being.
Nurturing Self-Acceptance
Self-preservation encourages acceptance of your limits, imperfections, strengths and vulnerabilities without judgment.
It recognizes that its okay to prioritize your needs and not always meet external expectations.
When you preserve your well-being, youre creating a safe space to grow and heal.
It gives you permission to accept who you are now while you work on becoming your best self.
“And then understanding what gets in your way of taking care of yourself.
However, if someone wants to improve their self-preservation skills, she recommends working on emotion regulation practices.
Healthy emotional regulationmeans recognizing and understanding your emotional responses.
Use strategies to reduce the intensity of emotions when necessary.
This allows you to maintain control and behave constructively when youfeel triggered.
Lastly, resist impulsive behaviors that might come up when youre upset, such as lashing out.
Therefore, leaning into your biological instincts may be the key to protecting your peace.
The next time you face a challenge, stop and take a moment to listen to your body.
It might just tell you what you’re gonna wanna do.
APA Dictionary of PsychologySelf-Preservation Instinct.
