I have been called “sensitive” since I was a little girl. I thought that something was wrong with me for feeling everything so deeply. I have tried to “toughen up” throughout my life and now realize I didn’t need to do that. Why is being sensitive considered negative and something that people think needs to be corrected?
I tend to over think problems, become overwhelmed and end up angry and exhausted even before I’ve figured out a solution to the problem. Co-workers try to help me by saying phrases like “don’t let them get to you” or “they win if you get angry.” I know they are trying to make me feel better, but it doesn’t. They do not understand to what degree of emotion I can feel. I am not feeling my anger, but I am feeling the other person’s emotions as well.
I couldn’t take the overwhelming feelings anymore, and I decided to try to find ways to cope with being a highly sensitive person.
Meditation
I found a transcendental meditation teacher near me to help me get rid of some stress I kept encountering. Learning this technique has helped me cope with stress better. I will always feel deeply, but at least I have an outlet to let the stress go. I know that the meditation works because if I miss my morning or evening meditation, I end up feeling irritated and am unfriendly.
My mind tends to wander when trying to meditate, so I decided to try meditating while holding an amethyst rock. I had an overwhelming urge to try this, I wasn’t sure where this powerful thought of using amethyst came from, but it helped me settle down during my meditation. I decided to research to see why amethyst might help with my meditation. I found that amethyst helps reduce stress and is used as an aid during meditation to help calm your thoughts. I’m glad I trusted my gut feeling to try this!
Earthing
Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with feelings that I don’t know what to do with. I have no reason for these feelings, so I think they must be ones that I have absorbed throughout the day. If it gets too tough to handle, I walk in the grass barefoot. Doing this helps me feel grounded, and the fresh air is soothing. I breathe deeply through my nose and close my eyes. This act has been called “earthing” or “grounding” yourself.
Taking the time to disconnect from the cell phone, the sound of the TV or people talking is important. I find that being outside is pretty healing, especially when I close my eyes and focus on my feet touching the dirt and grass.
Creating a relaxing atmosphere
My Mom introduced me to essential oils, and she explained the benefits of some of them. She bought me a whole kit for my birthday last year, and I am immensely grateful for this. I have created a space at home and at work that includes a diffuser and essential oils. I found that lavender oil and peppermint oil help me calm down and also help with headaches. I even created combinations of oils and put them in roller balls to take with me for headaches or stress. My go-to oil seems to be lavender. I would highly recommend everyone to try this.
Spending time with pets
Every day when I get home from work, I am excited to see my cats. They have a mysterious ability to diminish some of my problems with the sound of their purr; even when I pet my cats I start to feel better. If you aren’t a cat person, try getting a different kind of pet, such as a dog, guinea pig or even a fish (if you have time to care for one).
It’s nice to have a companion that is always excited when you get home and makes a point to hang out with you without the need to talk, especially at the end of a day when you are ready to sit in a quiet room to get a moment of peace.
I’m sure many other coping techniques are out there, but the ones that I mentioned are pretty easy to start with. I have incorporated these techniques into my life and can still get agitated from sounds, smells, and feelings, but these four things have helped me get through them on a daily basis. I do not promise these techniques will make your problems go away. They will definitely help you cope with the exterior irritations that you have no control over. I would strongly urge any highly sensitive person to begin using each of these coping techniques. If you do decide to try any of these, please let me know. I would love to hear from you!
