Overcoming overwhelm as an HSP.
Overwhelm, we all experience it, and we all deal with it in different ways.
Avoidance, shame, paralysis, and numbing, are a few that come to mind. Avoiding whatever it is that overwhelms you, so you don’t have to deal with it followed by shame because you’re avoiding it. Being unable to even start because you’re so overwhelmed you feel paralysed; numbing the feelings with social media, or food
Overwhelm happens when there is a lot going on, internally or externally (or both, if you’re super lucky). This is especially prominent as a highly sensitive person, because you take longer to process things. Imagine this situation; you have a big project due at work, but someone is playing music. The music isn’t exceptionally loud, but it has a strong base sound. It feels like it’s punching your eardrum into oblivion; you can’t focus on your task at hand, but it’s incredibly important that you finish it within the next hour. Your mind is racing; it’s important you finish this project, you feel like your colleague is being inconsiderate but you don’t want to say anything for fear of judgement or conflict, all while the base continues to beat against your ears.
How do you feel right now?
Even writing that out I became tense. My shoulders inched up towards my ears, I started clenching my jaw, and I could feel the base in my ears. My mind is racing, worrying about everything that’s going on in that situation. I had to pause for a second before continuing writing.
I am overwhelmed.
Overwhelm can also come from having a lot on your plate. Being a mom who manages the family schedule (meals, activities, drop offs and pickups), a wife, an employee or entrepreneur, a friend, daughter, sister, the list goes on; plus managing your own wellbeing, all while there’s a magnitude of conflicting sounds, bright lights, or strong smells surrounding you- it’s a lot. You might compare yourself to other people in similar situations, noticing how well they manage everything, even though you can barely get out of bed in the morning because you’re overwhelmed by everything you need to do.
You, like most women, wear a lot of hats on any given day. You have people that rely on you to show up as your best self, regardless of how you feel inside. You’ve figured out how to manage it fairly well, until you crash and cry for two days straight (I’ve been there!).
As highly sensitive women, we’re often more prone to feeling overwhelmed, but this doesn’t mean that we can’t manage and overcome it. I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out what works best for me, and I created a free guide in hopes that it can help you to overcome overwhelm, so that you can get back to being productive and the best version of yourself.
In this guide I take you through my 4 steps to overcoming overwhelm; meditation or breathing, journalling, planning, and movement. I have found when I follow these 4 steps as closely as possible, I am much better at managing overwhelming feelings.
A lot of overwhelm comes from feeling out of control, externally or internally, or a combination of both. Fortunately, you’re able to take control over the one thing you have control over, yourself. This guide teaches you how to take back control of your internal environment, regardless of what is going on externally.
You can find The Sensitive’s Guide to Overcoming Overwhelm HERE!
I hope this guide is helpful! I would love to hear your thoughts on it, the good, the bad, what works or doesn’t work- all feedback is welcomed!
Love always,
