Tips from a Highly Sensitive Therapist: The Sweet Spot

For highly sensitive people, finding our sweet spot can be a tricky endeavor. We want a place where we can thrive with our creativity, our intellect and insight and our passions WITHOUT becoming overwhelmed and exhausted. That may not sound too difficult to  non-HSPs but for those of us with sensitivity, it can be brutal. For me, the line between what exhilarates me and what overwhelms me is sometimes irritatingly thin. One moment things may seem perfect. By the next, I’m fatigued and want to stop. Or, one day I may be certain that I’m doing things just as I need to and then the next day I’m completely uncertain. This vacillating can be maddening! Can I get any ‘amens’ out there?!

As I learn more about myself and my trait of sensitivity, I have come to realize something about finding my sweet spot—my gut usually has a really good understanding of what I need to do. It’s when I feel a solidness, a certainty deep in my core (literally, I get this strong, secure feeling in my gut, kinda deep behind my belly button) that I go, “Ahhhh, I’m onto something here.” Sometimes I try to make decisions very based on logic. I can do a wicked pro/con list. Other times I’m led (or shoved) to make decisions out of emotion. These decisions are usually driven by fear or anxiety screaming at me, “You have to do something OR ELSE!” Yea, we all know those decisions are no good.

What’s surprising is that sometimes my well thought out, list-making doesn’t work so well for me either. It’s like it’s too logical, too concrete. It very objectively takes into account all the facts while completely and utterly ignoring one itty bitty detail—my sensitivity. And, for HSPs, our sensitivity shows up in about every aspect of life.

So, what have I learned? Ignoring or forgetting about my sensitivity? No bueno. My sensitivity needs space and needs a voice, even when all I really want to do is squeeze a pillow over it and yell, “Shuuuut up!!” Giving my sensitivity space may take longer than I want or may not look the way I expect. But, I do find that, eventually, my gut gives me this message, loud and clear, and I suddenly think, “ohhhh, that’s exactly what I need to do” with beautiful clarity.

On that note, I have realized that trying to blog and send out my newsletter twice a month is feeling overwhelming for where I am in my life right now. My gut’s telling me to cut back. So, I’m going to switch gears and post once a month. (Eek, some fear and worry are already kicking in as I type that! What if you go away and stop reading? What if that’s not what you need from me? What if that makes my blog fail? Ahhhh!)

So, I take a breather. It’s a cloudier message now, but my gut still says to cut back. Even though it’s kinda scary, I’m choosing to listen.

I’m looking forward to connecting consistently and realistically. From here on out, look for my blogs on the 2nd Saturday of the month!