Are you highly sensitive? Here’s how to take good care of yourself
Quickly becoming overstimulated, often feeling high in your emotions, experiencing strong empathy, and often needing a few days to rest after a busy activity. If you recognize yourself in this, you might be highly sensitive. Nothing to be ashamed of, but it can make life challenging. I was told at the age of 12 that I was probably more sensitive than the rest. I found that terrible. I just wanted to be like all the other kids, no exception. Now that I am 30, I know that my sensitivity is my strength. It has brought me deep friendships, beautiful conversations, and a nice relationship, but it can still be difficult to navigate through the sometimes overwhelming society. Fortunately, according to psychologist Joshua Kaplow, there are countless ways to make life as a highly sensitive person a bit easier, including the following:
Schedule daily moments of rest
In the hustle and bustle of daily life, highly sensitive individuals can become overwhelmed by all the stimuli around them. Personally, I absolutely cannot handle traffic noise and I almost lose it when someone decides to whistle while I'm around. For some, it's very pleasant; for me, it's my personal hell. However, it's difficult to ask motorcyclists to perhaps choose a different route or to ask your neighbor, who is just happily sweeping his garden, to do that whistling in the privacy of his own living room. Therefore, it is essential to schedule daily moments of rest. This time allows you to reset your nervous system, restore your energy, and maintain emotional balance.
Limit time with emotionally draining people
You know the type: those people who completely drain you after every interaction. Highly sensitive individuals often have a deep sense of empathy, which allows them to strongly feel the emotions of others. As a result, relationships with emotionally taxing people can be particularly exhausting. Although it is not always possible to completely remove these people from your life, it is important to set boundaries. This may mean limiting conversations with them to a certain time limit or regularly checking in with yourself during conversations to see how you feel.
Wear earplugs if necessary
For highly sensitive individuals, the world can sometimes be overwhelmingly loud and intense. Wearing earplugs or noise-canceling headphones can provide immense relief. Use them in situations with a lot of auditory stimuli, such as busy events, sports games, or even while grocery shopping in a noisy supermarket. Reducing these external stimuli can help you maintain your inner peace and prevent overstimulation. Just be extra careful of your surroundings, as I have unintentionally bumped into quite a few people because I didn't hear them coming due to this tip.
Spend time in nature
As a true city girl, I do this too little. Actually, never. Yet nature has a special healing power for highly sensitive individuals who need the much-needed escape. Whether it's a relaxing walk in a nearby park, gardening in your own backyard, or simply visualizing calming nature scenes, the connection with nature can help you find inner balance. Research has shown that spending time in nature is associated with increased feelings of well-being, happiness, positive social interactions, and a sense of purpose and meaning in life. Off to the Veluwe then!
Be creative
Sure: being highly sensitive can pose significant challenges, but one of the benefits of experiencing the world with heightened sensitivity is that you also have a profound connection with your creative self. Creative expression can not only provide a source of joy, but it can also be a way to express emotions and reduce stress. Whether it's writing, painting, making music, cooking, or other artistic expressions: finding a creative outlet can serve as a form of self-care. It can help you experience the world around you in a unique way and process and explore your inner thoughts and feelings.
Source: Well + Good
