What is Guarded?
You have pulled back emotionally to protect yourself from further hurt or disappointment. Being guarded is a natural response to feeling unsafe, but it also creates distance that can deepen over time. It may be worth examining what would need to change for you to feel safe opening up again.
When you might feel guarded
Guarded is a specific form of tense, which itself is a type of strained. You might experience this feeling in situations where strained is present, particularly when the circumstances align with the nuances that define guarded.