One of my personality traits is that I am a highly sensitive person. You may already know that you are a highly sensitive person, or perhaps you are starting to realize that you may be. Dr. Elaine Aron has done some great research around this topic. Want to know if this is one of your personality traits? Her website includes a test that can give you insight.
As I continue on my journey, I have found these choices help navigate and circumvent much of the unnecessary drama that causes stress in life. I hope that you will find them helpful.
Make Boundaries
Boundaries come in many forms. The first and most important is to make boundaries in your relationships. Surround yourself with people that do not create more stress for you. However, this also means letting those you love to know when they are creating more anxiety in your life.
The second type of boundary is one of time and space. If you know that a jam-packed schedule will create tension in your day, do your best to plan your schedule to allow breathing room between meetings or activities. Or give yourself a lunch break away from people and places so you can reset. One of my daily requirements is naptime - a perk of being self-employed & having a home office. Even if I don’t sleep, I have a 2-hour window set aside for just this.
Be Mindful
Again, there are many ways to be mindful. You can be mindful of your schedule, but you can also be mindful of what you allow into your mind. Consider practicing meditation, either guided or on your own, or try yoga in the privacy of your own home. YouTube is a great place to find guided meditation and beginner yoga practices.
Areas of Relaxation
Create areas of relaxation in your life. Your home and office (if you have a private one), should be areas you feel comfortable, safe, and not triggered by anything. Incorporate things like soothing lights, sounds, and scents.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
Self-Care
Self-care is more than pedicures, massages, and guilty-pleasure TV shows. However, if all those things help you relax, go for it! Self-care is as basic as eating nutritious meals that fuel your body and mind, drinking water, and getting plenty of sleep. Also, not over-doing it on things that make your body go crazy like caffeine or sugary foods. Simple self-care can go a long way and help give you the energy to practice self-care in other forms, such as setting boundaries.
Know Yourself
You know what causes you stress, so do your best to avoid those. If you do not know what your triggers are, you should work at being more mindful, so you can find the pressure points. Consider keeping a journal and writing about your feelings when you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious. This may allow you to uncover what is causing the tension and you can avoid those in the future. Knowing yourself and your triggers will allow you to better achieve the first four tips in this article so you can be your best self.
Being a highly sensitive person is nothing to be ashamed of. It merely means you need to know yourself a little better and take steps to prepare yourself every day. Through the process of learning to better care for yourself, you may just find that you are stronger and more resilient than you thought.
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Further Reading
Stress can be a tricky thing to manage, but these 5 ways should help.
Stress is sneaky and icky – it sneaks up on you while your guard’s down – thanks for sharing these!
I agree it can be very sneaky.
You make great points. I am also an HSP, as well as a true introvert, and I have been increasingly crafting my work and my personal life to honor my true nature. I’m a stress management professional, unsurprisingly. We all would do well to think about the overall shape and texture of our lives, and step back now and then, thinking about how well our life matches our nature. It’s the divergence that causes stress.
That alignment is becoming more and more important for me.
Useful notes about stress. You are right that looking after yourself is so vital when reducing any cause.
Glad you enjoyed it and found it useful.
These are great tips – I get stressed easily sometimes and I think these will help me!
I’m glad to hear that you found them helpful.
Thanks for sharing these great tips! I think these will be really helpful.
Glad you found them helpful.