Why sensitivity + speed= high stress…and 5 ways to put on the brakes
If you are highly sensitive, you know firsthand that sensitivity + speed= high stress. Don’t accept this as the status quo. Slow down. When I passed this sign near our house, I laughed out loud. I rarely speed behind the wheel. But put me in front of a computer and...
Intent: your key to create a sustainable life as an HSP
To create a sustainable life as an HSP, you need strong intent. Intent empowers you to take action guided by your spiritual intuition, rather than by old habits and fears. Writing in my journal the other day, I found myself playing with the word “sacred.” I let the...
As HSPs, are we more vulnerable to injury and illness?
Highly sensitive people can certainly appear to be more vulnerable to injury and illness. Fortunately we can take steps to lower our risk. I can’t believe five years have passed since our skunk nightmare. An unfortunate skunk, evidently ill, dug through our basement...
Coherent breathing: a powerful resource for HSP self-regulation
How do you meet the challenge of HSP self-regulation? Coherent breathing is an ideal tool to regulate your sensitive nervous system. Self-regulation is a central challenge for highly sensitive people. In addition to our characteristic emotional intensity, our brains...
6 reasons I never miss my morning meditation
I rely on my morning meditation to set me up for the day. For HSPs, a spiritual discipline like meditation is essential. I’ll never forget the first time I meditated. I’d been living in Rochester for a year or so, attending yoga classes. Somehow it took me that long...
Understanding your HSP Trait, Part 4: Sensory Sensitivity
Sensory sensitivity manifests in unique ways in each highly sensitive person. If you recognize how it shows up in you, you can take better care of yourself. In the first article of this four-part series about the highly sensitive trait, I explored deep processing....
Repeating the same story over and over? There may be a good reason.
If you—or someone close to you—keeps repeating the same story over and over, you can choose to go deeper and find out what’s underneath. When I start describing a recent event to a friend and they stop me and say, “You already told me about this,” boy, do I feel...
Understanding your HSP Trait, Part 3: Emotional intensity
Where does our HSP emotional intensity come from? And how can we keep ourselves emotionally regulated? Dr. Elaine Aron, who first described the trait of high sensitivity, has identified four aspects of the trait that are shared by all HSPs: deep processing,...
How to melt your shame by being with it
Even if you’ve learned to be painfully hard on yourself, you can melt your shame with awareness and presence. If you’ve ever told yourself you were “too sensitive,” you know how painful that is. To reject a trait you were born with is to reject your very being....
Understanding Your HSP Trait, Part 2: Overarousal
Overarousal is the central challenge for HSPs. The causes are both external and internal, and managing both is essential for your well-being. In the first article of this four-part series, I explored deep processing— the first of four characteristics shared by highly...