The pursuit of perfection is fueled by our fear of failure and never feeling good enough.  Instead of helping us find happiness and success, it actually keeps us captive in a state of stress and exhaustion.

To prevent overwhelm, anxiety and depression, it’s important that Highly Sensitive People include more sleep and quiet downtime in their self-care routine.

How often do you truly feel energized and fulfilled? If you’re a highly sensitive person (HSP), you’re more likely to feel overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted most of the time. Most HSPs don’t get the self-care and quiet downtime they need to survive, let alone thrive. Instead, they believe the messages from society, the media, or their own social circles that it’s selfish or shows a lack of ambition to take time for themselves, and they feel guilty whenever they do.

You use a lot of emotional and physical energy that needs to be replenished every day. Self-care is more about getting quiet on a daily basis and deeply nurturing your emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical needs.

There is such a love-hate relationship with social media and our devices. You’re fully aware of why too much scrolling and screen time is harmful, but it’s also very alluring. The downside is being so plugged in that you lose connection with yourself, your emotions, and your needs. For the Highly Sensitive Person, screens are also very overstimulating to your nervous system. In this article, I explore my takeaways from taking a complete social media break for seven days.

As another year begins, we get flooded with messages about setting resolutions and making grand changes in our lives. Starting this year on our own terms means honoring our needs as Highly Sensitive People to make changes more slowly and focusing on self-reflection over resolutions.  This approach frees us from the shame of incomplete resolutions and allows us to reconnect with what’s most important in our lives.

Do you often dread the holidays because it leaves you feeling exhausted and depleted? While the busyness and high expectations of the holiday season have the potential to be stressful for everyone, Introverts and Highly Sensitive People are especially vulnerable to becoming overwhelmed during this time of year.

Trying to fall asleep can be so stressful. Ironically the more you need sleep, the harder it can be to actually get enough rest. And the bigger your sleep deficit grows, the more susceptible you become to mood fluctuations and health issues. In this article, I explore how mindfulness can ease a restless mind to get better sleep and offer two exercises to get you started. From the Mindfulness Workbook for Stress Relief by April Snow, LMFT.

Although it may not feel like it, you do have the ability to buffer the stress you’re feeling with intentional self-care practices.

During times of heightened stress or uncertainty it’s important to find ways to integrate comfort, connection, familiarity, and a sense of control. It’s hard being so empathetic and perceptive during really hard times and remember that you have opportunities to care for yourself.

Anxiety, worry and restlessness has become a part of our daily lives, especially for Highly Sensitive People who are more prone to feeling overstimulated.  Making a few lifestyle changes and mindfully practicing self-care can help us feel less anxious and enjoy the benefits of being a Highly Sensitive Person.

Do you often dread going home for the holidays or visiting with friends and family because it leaves you feeling exhausted and depleted? While the busyness and high expectations of the holiday season have the potential to be stressful for everyone, Introverts and Highly Sensitive People are especially vulnerable to becoming overwhelmed during this time of year.

Quiet downtime is essential for all Highly Sensitive People because without it, we end up feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, anxious or irritable.  We can find the balance between productivity and rest by letting go of our perfectionist habits, creating a consistent routine of prioritizing our needs and softening our inner critic.

Working with the Highly Sensitive Client: A Guide for Psychotherapists

Imagine a familiar scene - your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze button repeatedly and stay in bed until the last possible second only to frantically rush through your morning routine in an effort to get to work on time. By the time you leave the house, you are already in stress mode and it is only 9am!