HSP – HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON
So you’re a HSP. Congrats, so am I.
Highly Sensitive people are the kings and queens of sensitivity. Their brains were formed in such a way that they possess far more empathy than the majority of the people. From the book, Highly Sensitive practical strategies by Linda Hill.
UPSIDE—
Our other natural skills and gifts are
reflective, deep thinker, natural poet,
deeper spiritual connection, lots of love,
compassion and passion to develop your talents and creativity
DOWNSIDE —
Being overly emotional, being anxious in society or work situations and needing time to decompress from overstimulation, feeling abused by others who may bully you, falling into depression and anxiety.
THE CONFLICT
As a HSP myself, I’ve faced the conflicts of the upside and downsides of this trait many times.
Many years ago In Law School I was approached by a scared fellow resident who had had a confrontation with some of the alcoholics who lived in our building. My efforts to calm her (empathy) resulted in a conversation with the alcoholic attorney who represented the alcoholic residents and I was soon in trouble with the Dean of the Law School who could not understand my meddling in a legal affair. It was a good example of not setting proper boundaries, being too empathetic, going into anxiety, etc. I did not understand my underlying empathetic nature then.
Today there are so many more world challenges to our mental stability than ever before.
We can feel that our basic needs are not being met. Soon we will experience anger, fear, depression, overwhelm and mental health issues.
We are not living with a sense of self fulfillment, inner peace or connection to our Spiritual essence that we all crave. We are not free to let our special innate gifts shine.
One of my big challenge is watching too much news and not processing it correctly before I develop depression or anxiety symptoms. But now I have learned self care techniques and how and where I can create the change I need to feel safe.
If you struggle with managing anxiety and depression, overwhelm, or have trouble dealing with stress, I have some solutions.
SEEKING HEALING
I believe our life experiences along with our past lives, early childhood experiences and thoughts about life influence our emotions and our responses to life. I know that my abusive mom impacted my people pleasing tendencies and my sense of low self worth that have affected my career choices and self esteem and current lifestyle.
When I was a massage therapist, I noticed that my patients carried deep resentment over their injuries and it blocked them from healing. When I added an emotional releasing, self expressive technique to their massage, they healed quickly. Emotions affect the body, Life experiences affect the emotions.
Emotions affect thoughts and thoughts affect emotions. It’s a circular cause-and-effect situation.
SOLUTIONS
Journaling
I started my journey back to wellness with the 12 step writing program. The questions in that workbook forced my mind to question what I was thinking, my brain to open my memories and my soul to yearn to find the answers.
The result helped me so much to be honest with myself, open minded, inquisitive, persistent, and determined. From there I journaled everything I could sense, remember from my experiences or from a conversation with Mom. Then I put together the pieces of my life.
Art — Time for Self Expression
Several years ago when I lived in California, I accepted an invitation to finger paint in a friend’s basement. Large sheets of paper were attached to easels, One table held all the plastic jugs of paint and the paint dishes. I grabbed one, paused, watched the others and jumped right in. As I reached my fingers into the paint an innate feeling overtook me. It was so familiar, like I had done it ages, eons ago and forgotten about it. The joy of stroking my hands across the paper and watching the curves and swirls appear was so joyful to me that I giggled with glee.
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?
My finger painting I was connecting to my innate creativity, imagination, spontaneousness and independent will power – my Inner Child traits.
Last year I had a booth at Mystic Fest in Council Bluffs Ia where I invited adults & kids to fingerpaint to rekindle the joy of being alive like a child, having fun, living in color. Most of the adults passed by my booth, unless the adult had a child with them. The children just walked up to the booth, grabbed a piece of paper and pointed to the colors them wanted— no thought, no hesitancy, no decision making. Time to Paint— I’m ready.
A few adults, mostly artists, did stop and gladly indulge in the exercise really sinking into the experience, loving it, smiling, completely engrossed. “Wow, that was fun.” they said.
CONCLUSION— Our inner child needs of tactile sensations, fun, color, creativity, spontaneity, connection to our intuition, and freedom to play exist within each and everyone of us at all ages— from birth till death.
MY SOLUTIONS
As a life coach, hypnotherapist, Reiki+ energy practitioner, author and budding intuitive artist, I know there is a way to use writing, intuitive art, energy and imagination to heal our life challenges. It’s the best and fastest way to heal anxiety, depression, fear.
I invite you to join me in person through meetups or online through ZOOM and explore your inner dimensions, talk to your thoughts, feelings, wounds, confusion through journaling and art— its called story painting. Yes, we will also share feelings, stories, inspiration and laughter. We will also be building a community of fulfilled, heatlhier and happier HSP people.
It’s a great way to contact your subconscious which deals with pictures and it’s hidden wisdom and calm your conscious mind wrangling with thoughts, memories and experiences and difficult people.
Once you manage your emotions, a New You appears. Your personality, your face in the world, becomes visible to everyone and attracts to you the right opportunities for your well being through the Law Of Attraction. This is the coveted synchronization we all crave.
Once you are calm and centered in self love, your gifts will arise and you will know the way to help the new world we are collectively creating.
NOW I CAN DANCE
My childhood world was gray,
covering me like dark gray cloak
interspersed with drops of yellow—
my hopes. my dreams
In this art class, I threw off that image,
that mindset.
I was ready to set out into the sunshine
and dance through the colors
constantly popping in and out of my head.
Painting freed me.
Colors gave me life
My ship of life now sailed in the sea of possibility
And it was all mine.
