Emotional self-defense

Emotional self-defense is the practice of protecting yourself from emotional harm, maintaining emotional balance, and developing the resilience to navigate life’s challenges without becoming overwhelmed by stress or negativity. Emotional self-defence can be conscious and unconscious.
Conscious emotional self-defense involves intentional actions and strategies that you actively choose to protect your emotional well-being. It requires self-awareness, deliberate effort, and the ability to recognize emotional triggers or threats in the moment.
Unconscious emotional self-defense occurs automatically, without your conscious awareness. These are psychological mechanisms your mind uses to protect itself from emotional pain, stress, or trauma. These defenses are often rooted in past experiences and may develop as coping mechanisms during childhood.


The main signs of self-defense of emotions:

Emotional Detachment - Staying distant to avoid hurt.
Denial - Refusing to acknowledge difficult emotions.
Rationalization - Justifying feelings to make them acceptable.
Projection - Attributing one's emotions to others.
Repression - Blocking out painful emotions or memories.

References:
Miley, R. (2021). Avoiding Pain Denies Your Joy. Retrieved by: https://shorturl.at/zETmp
Understanding Emotional Defense Mechanisms. Relational Psych. (2025). Retrieved by: https://shorturl.at/UKUbA
Holland, K. & Gepp, K. (2022). 10 Defense Mechanisms: What Are They and How They Help Us Cope. Retrieved by: https://shorturl.at/rsrOl