5 Ways to Feel Less Anxious When You’re a Sensitive Person
How often do you find yourself worrying about getting everything done or struggling to fall asleep at night because your mind just won’t turn off? In our busy, fast-paced lives most of us have anxious feelings at least some of the time. There’s always something calling for our attention and constant pressure on us to do more.
This constant overstimulation can be overwhelming for anyone, but especially if you’re a Highly Sensitive Person who is more impacted by their surroundings and needs quiet time to feel balanced. In this article I wrote for the Broglie Box resource page, I explore more about the innate trait of High Sensitivity and how it could be linked to feelings of anxiety.
Five Ways to Manage Anxiety
Although many people learn to live with symptoms of anxiety, there are countless ways to find relief such as lifestyle changes and self-care practices. Below I’ve included some of my favorite tools to help Highly Sensitive People reduce overstimulation and anxiety so you can feel more calm and enjoy the gifts of the trait such as heightened perception and empathy.
Get Downtime Every Day
The most important self-care practice is getting rid of the noise! Try setting aside at least 30 minutes each day for a quiet activity without any screens or input. You can journal, meditate, walk, play with a pet or daydream.
Feel Your Feelings and Process Your Thoughts
Give yourself time to process your big feelings and complex thoughts. Otherwise, your mind will want to jump into action when you’re trying to sleep. Set aside some time before bed or in the morning to journal or meditate. It can also help to talk to your partner or a trusted friend or seek out a licensed therapist for more in-depth processing.
Practice Grounding
When we’re feeling anxious, it’s often because our nervous system is overstimulated and feeling frazzled. Physical grounding practices can be helpful to calm our anxious bodies. To ground yourself, try mindfully pressing your feet into the ground as you take a few slow deep breaths, gazing around and describing the colors and textures of the objects around you, practicing gentle yoga, taking hot baths, or using a Weighted Blanket.
Incorporate Mindful Breathing
Another way to calm our nervous system is mindful breathing which activates our parasympathetic nervous system or the “rest and digest system”. The easiest way is to take a deep breath in through the nostrils and then exhale through pursed lips as if you were blowing a bubble. Square Breathing and Diaphragmatic Breathing can also be helpful.
Reduce Stimulants
Many HSPs are sensitive to caffeine and sugar, which mimics feelings of anxiety. Begin to notice how your body responds to these substances and reduce or eliminate if needed.
Anxiety, worry and restlessness have become a common part of our daily lives, especially for Highly Sensitive People who are more prone to feeling overstimulated. The biggest culprit is being overly busy without enough quiet downtime to process our thoughts and feelings and rest our bodies. 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.
