Sensitive, Not Sorry

By Lily Sahaguian, LPC

*This blog includes a tiny mindfulness practice. If you wish to skip it, skip it!

~Mindfulness Practice~ 

Start by dimming the lights, then bundle up with your softest blanket. Option to plug your headphones into an ambient playlist. Gently bring your gaze back to your screen and slowly move your focus toward the end of this sentence. Take a soft inhale through the nose … and a full open mouth exhale. Pause. Take a moment to observe and feel into the bodily sensations present for you here. Continue breathing normally.

~Blog Content~

If you engaged in this pre-blog meditation, then, you did it! You just regulated your nervous system. So, why do this? Regulating your nervous system can be particularly helpful when you are struggling to cope with stress. And if you identify as a “highly sensitive person” (HSP) and/or an HSP who is recovering from trauma then, self-regulation is key. 

Trauma is our nervous system’s way of responding to distressing events. Some of these responses include things like: fight, flight, freeze, fawn, and flop. Individuals born with HSP traits have a stronger nervous system response and heightened sensitivities to stressful situations – making them especially vulnerable to developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

Keep in mind, HSPs are more vulnerable to trauma especially when they do not receive adequate emotional care during childhood. They are often shamed for being “too sensitive” which can in itself be traumatic since shame communicates that there is something “wrong” with how they experience the world. Later in life, these traumas may reappear as shame spirals, making it super difficult to regulate emotion. And once that shame spiral starts, it can feel impossible to stop. The good news is you can learn to make it stop. Here are some tips:

1. Notice 

Notice when you are dysregulated. Keep a journal nearby and note every time you feel triggered. Keeping a log can help you notice and soothe your nervous time sooner rather than later. 

2. Say

Say, out loud, "I’m feeling dysregulated,” or, “I am having a [feeling/sensation].” If you are not able to say it out loud, then, writing it down or visualizing the words on an object nearby can be just as effective. 

3. Breathe

Take a soft and slow inhale through the nose and a deep and long exhale out the mouth. Repeat this three times. 

4. Hug!

Give yourself a hug! Wrap both arms around you and nestle your chin near your arms. 

Moving through the world as an HSP and/or an HSP recovering from trauma can be a gift. Self-regulating techniques and offering yourself compassion can allow your intuitive senses to shine. After all, naming what you are experiencing and calming your nervous system is the essence of true presence and embodiment.