There are specific things highly sensitive people need to practice good self-care. Yes, self-care is important for everyone, but highly sensitive people tend to have specific needs. If we don’t take time for these things, we can easily wear ourselves down to the bone.
When we take a look at what it means to be a highly sensitive person, we start to understand that we’re frequently inundated by stimulating experiences that overload our senses. If you’re at all like me, the simplest things like the fluorescent lights of an office space or bustling activities of the grocery store can leave you feeling depleted.
As highly sensitive people, we’re deeply attuned to our environments and we take in a lot of information. We process stimuli at a deeper level physically, mentally, and emotionally. We’re also prone to feeling more intensely and absorbing the emotions of others.
When it all becomes too much, we tend to isolate ourselves in order to recharge. The challenge is that if we spend too much time alone or inside, we start to feel disconnected, as we may still lack the things we need as highly sensitive people to take care of ourselves.
As I’ve come to learn more about how my high sensitivity impacts my life, I’ve been better able to understand the self-care I need to keep myself healthy and anxiety-free. Once we practice these simple means of self-care, we’re able to step into the strength of our sensitivity.
8 Things Highly Sensitive People Need for Self-Care
1. Scheduled recharge time. Highly sensitive people need time to recharge after extensive socializing or intense sensory experiences. While we’re not always at liberty to take time when we need it, we can do our best to schedule it when possible. As an example, for my two Peru retreats, I’ll be “on” the entire time. I scheduled a week in between them to give myself ample time to rest and be able to hold space for the next group. Plan ten minutes to lie down in a quiet room after a day of work. Schedule alone time before parties and avoid back-to-back activities to get the downtime you need.
2. Enjoyable sensory experiences. There are plenty of unenjoyable sensory experiences in the external world. Motorcycles, overpowering fragrances, and uncomfortable textures get me. Since we are so aware of the subtle, it’s important to bring the sensory experiences that we do enjoy to our lives. Chill out with your favorite music, give yourself a massage, or breathe in the smell of fresh herbs. Soft, cozy clothes go a long way for this gal.
3. Connection with people who listen. One of the things highly sensitive people need most, which can sometimes go overlooked, is connection. We don’t need a lot of people, but a few close friends who we feel can offer us the same level of empathy and genuine care that we offer them goes a long way. This can be tough for us to take time when we feel drained. But it’s important to make time for the relationships that nourish us and learn how to connect more deeply.
4. Permission to take time to process information and emotions. As highly sensitive people, we process at a much greater depth than our non-sensitive peers. This means our brains are integrating complex ideas and it may take time to arrive at ideas or answers. Don’t expect that others will extend permission to process at your own pace to you. As highly sensitive people, we need to give ourselves permission that it’s okay to take our time. Then, we must let others know that we need a little time to process and will follow up once we’ve taken that time.
5. Minimalism. Minimalistic practices can really help highly sensitive people create calming environments. When we have too much stuff in our lives, we are prone to stress and visual and mental overstimulation. Think about it, when we have more things in our environment, we’re more easily distracted or worried about attending to those things. Decluttered, calm spaces can give highly sensitive people space to breathe.
6. Connection with nature. The natural world offers highly sensitive people an opportunity to connect with our senses and unwind our minds. Nature can help us to reduce stress and restore calm by giving us quiet solitude and a time to breathe nourishing oxygen into our bodies. If you don’t have time for a hike or retreat, take just a few minutes outside to feel your feet on the ground or the sun or rain on your skin.
7. Healthy food. Highly sensitive people may notice heightened sensitivities to certain foods or find that alcohol, caffeine, or sugar takes a toll on our bodies. This doesn’t mean we need to adopt rigid diets and eliminate the foods we love. But as highly sensitive people, we can really benefit from preparing and eating fresh, colorful foods that feed our senses in a multitude of ways. Likewise, drinking plenty of water is important.
8. Meaning. One of the things highly sensitive people need more than anything is a sense of meaning in our lives. Meaning makes life beautiful for us sensitive souls and it can come in many forms. We may have jobs that feel meaningful, but I wouldn’t call that self-care. There are other ways we find meaning. We crave meaningful conversation with others, but also love discovering meaning in our own solitary practices such as yoga or art.
There are some things highly sensitive people need to show up for themselves and others. It’s vital that we take time to do the things that warm our hearts and give us energy. Sometimes we need time alone and sometimes we need connection.
If you want to connect with highly sensitive people like you who understand your needs, consider adventuring with us from July 29th to August 4th, 2018 on a Mexico Retreat for Highly Sensitive People & Introverts + Snorkel with Whale Sharks!