HSPs high on my Sensitivity Scale tend to absorb the world's pain. Plus life can hit us with a bunch of emotional wounds or hard times all at impacting both our physical and mental health.
Examples of Emotional Wounding…
- Painful world events and images seen on the news
- Social media, discrimination, hatred…
- Death or pain of loved ones including animals and even trees.
- Negative self talk and self-criticism
- Medical or mental health challenges
What helps?
When life stressors knock us down, here are loving ways to support yourself…
- think about emotional injury as the same as physical injury in the sense that it involves a time of care and nurturing healing.
- lovingly acknowledge the emotions, check in with your inner child with self-compassion, like how we might respond to children when they need support—loving, caring, gentle, patient, compassionate.
- remind yourself that the intensity of the feeling is temporary and won't feel this way forever.
- accept yourself as a deep feeler, think of the ebb and flow of nature, and accept your flow.
- stop your to-do list and focus instead on... "what do I need at this moment." Letting go of some responsibilities allows us to focus on our needs. It's ok to say no or change plans.
- up your self care and also spend a lot of time in nature, in water or near water, and with trees and quiet places. It's HSP medicine for most everything.
- slow down, let go, and ask for help if needed, prioritize tending to your wellness.
- cuddle pets, practice mindfulness, stare at the sky and watch the clouds move slowly, listen to the birds, observe tiny plants, leaves, blooms, make time to see the sunrise and sunset. The little things fill up our positivity tank to support the extra stressors.
- journal to reflect and process, weighted blankets, herbal teas, cuddling pets
- focus on the basics when exhausted…hydrating, making sure to eat something healthy, take baths, drink warm tea, lay under a weighted blanket, and allow yourself to just be.
- be kind and patient with yourself and not add additional pressures or expectations. We can turn to nature to remind us that the season of growth will come again, and it's ok to experience some dormancy and internal time as we work through whatever we might be experiencing.
- Limit news watching and balance it with positivity fill-ups (8 positives to neutralize 1 negative)
- Put action into helping and look for the helpers doing amazing things from their heart
- communities and podcasts like this one!
- connection to kind-hearted HSPs (join our live podcast episodes, events, and monthly Meet and Greets)
- more tools and support means you’ll be more resilient and balanced, learning conscious living choices that work for HSPs.
Recommended Resources
Find everything at SensitiveConnection.com
