How to ground intense emotions in your body—without getting overwhelmed
How do you handle your most intense feelings? Are you able to keep them company when they come up, or do you feel swamped, like they are “taking over?” Intense feelings are a familiar feature of the emotional landscape for sensitive people. We may be able... Read more
How do you handle ugly, unforgivable thoughts and feelings?
I wish I could say I’ve never had an ugly, unforgivable thought or feeling. But I have had them. One memorable example: during an overwhelmingly stressful period with my ex-husband, I caught myself wishing my daughter had never been born. I felt like a swimmer... Read more
Do I really need to be alone? or do I need the right kind of company?
It’s common wisdom that sensitive people seek solitude to recharge. But is solitude always our best strategy when we are upset or over-aroused? In this 6-minute video, Emily takes a closer look at three reasons we get overloaded as HSP’s, along with... Read more
Focusing partnership helps sensitive people with our two essential life tasks. Here’s how.
Elaine Aron, who literally wrote the book about high sensitivity, defines two essential life tasks we must complete as sensitive people to feel happy and fulfilled. One is to accept ourselves despite our significant differences from the majority of people. The other... Read more
How to approach your most raw, vulnerable feelings
My partner and I came around a corner and nearly stepped on this baby rabbit —he was that close. Who can resist a baby rabbit? His fur looked so soft…but I held still, not wanting to scare him off. Our rabbit-human interaction reminded me what it’s like to... Read more
3 keys to setting boundaries
Boundary-setting is a skill I learned the hard way. By “boundary-setting,” I mean the art of being honest with yourself and others about what you need and what you are and aren’t willing to do. This is easier said than done: our sense of what we are... Read more
My new boundary gurus: 4 baby skunks
When we bought our house, we didn’t know it was a five-star groundhog resort, complete with deck refuge and salad bar—our garden. Overnight, my beloved partner became the long-suffering CEO of a groundhog relocation service. Last week he stepped out back to... Read more
What 100 audition disappointments taught me about goals and spirituality
I worked incredibly hard over many years to win a principal oboe job. Ultimately, I failed at that goal. But along the way, the effort itself became a spiritual practice. In this 9-minute companion video to the article, Chronically dissatisfied with yourself? You may... Read more
Chronically dissatisfied with yourself? You may be setting the wrong goals.
I can’t deny I’m a perfectionist. But that word fails to evoke the painful lived experience: a nagging feeling that I should have known better, done better, done more. Whatever you call that mindset, it has a key symptom: a chronic sense of dissatisfaction... Read moreGet your FREE guide to sensitive anxiety
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