How I deal with my high sensitivity

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: I consider myself as a highly sensitive person.

I don’t so much think of it as a bad thing anymore – actually I think of it as one of my strengths. It’s one of the things that makes me me. It allows me to experience certain things differently. It allows me to have powerful feelings. It pushes me to express myself better and most of all it challenges me, making me even stronger than I am.

But obviously, it’s not always fun. Sometimes you just wish you could turn it off. Sometimes you wish you could be like the others – that you could just sit there and listen. Just listen – not look through the words and hear every thought that’s ever thought.

Not to talk about your thoughts. There’s just so many, sometimes. The small good things do feel good, but the small bad things feel twice as bad.

Luckily, over time, I have learned to control those things. And embrace my sensitivity. One day I wrote these five things that help me deal with a bad day and my sensitivity. They’ve been in my drafts long enough so it’s time to share them. Maybe some of you will find them helpful.

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How I deal with my over sensitivity – 5 ways to deal with over sensitivity

Find an outlet for your feelings.

Find the best way to express your feelings through art, writing, music, cooking or whatever it is you enjoy or what works the best for you. I have several things I do, but the biggest help for me is writing. When I write down my worries they disappear from my mind and sometimes seem so tiny and ridiculous I’m happy that I have such small problems. Or other times a quick run outside clears my mind.

Let someone know what goes on your head.

It’s easy to get caught up in your own head. But trust me: everything is worse in there. As soon as you translate it in to words, it becomes better. You don’t necessarily have to really get into it, because it can also be overwhelming to the person trying to understand you. The most important thing is to just let someone know what’s going on. A simple “I’m feeling sad today” or “I’m having a lot on my plate right now”  is perfect, without going too much into the details.

highly sensitive

Tire your body and relaxation will follow.

Go for a run, swim or whatever sporty activity you like. Sweat it out. Sometimes you just want a break from the constant work your brain is doing, right? Let your body muscles handle this one. When I’m lifting heavy weights or running as fast as I can, the least of my worries is my brain. After the workout you’re likely to feel better (or relieved that it’s over) – and tired, so you’ll get a good night’s sleep. I think exercising is one of the most important things for mental health. Even if you hated sports and exercising, you should find something you can tolerate, just for your brain.

Distract yourself.

Distraction is not necessary cheating, but it’s giving yourself a bit more time before tackling the subject you’re thinking about. For me horror movies are a great distraction – I find myself lost in the horror movie, hiding from the monsters and screaming every time a sudden move is made (Needless to say I’m not a fun company for horror movies, unless you like your hands to be squeezed to death every time a monster is shown in the TV).

Accept your sensitivity and embrace it.

It might come as a surprise, but there are a ton more people like you – not exactly your image, but people, who are like you and who get you. I remember the first time I read an article about over sensitivity and being so amazed at it being a thing. I mean you don’t have to label yourself, because none of us really fit into a box. But it’s nice to know there are people who understand you, even for just a little bit. We all breathe, laugh and cry. We’re all just trying to survive this thing called life. It’s only fun that we’re all different and unique.

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Do you think of yourself as a sensitive person?

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