I grew up being told I was over sensitive. I felt frustrated much of the time, feeling like I could see and feel things that others would not acknowledge. I liked to share my perspectives, ideas and observations, and would call my teachers on their ‘mistakes’ (which never served me well) in my younger years I was part of a church and when I asked about reincarnation was sternly told – those are not the beliefs of this church. When we are sensitive and observe the world in a way that might be different from others we are often shut down.
I have always felt things deeply, seen beneath the surface…heard things that were not being said. I would instinctively know who I could trust or distrust. I was told – you are seeing things that are not there and then voila…the proof would come out… and would discover my instincts were on the mark. Can you relate? Were you told children should be seen and not heard?
There is an ‘energy’ to what we see of feel…our spidey senses tell us the truth all the time. Our nervous system is the delicate instrument that is literally wired to help us sense into our environments to keep us safe.
When we are so – called sensitive people, we often have the following characteristics:
- You are highly sensitive to your surroundings
- You see and feel more than most people
- Have a keen sense of intuition or inner knowing
- Feel deeply
- Pick up on the emotions of others
- Take on the opinions of others in exchange for your own deeper knowing; letting their judgments shut you down
- Feel overwhelmed or drained in social situations (loud, crowded etc.)
So what do we do?
- Honour your deepest truth
- Trust your instincts
- Say ‘no’ when you truly don’t want to attend a function, or spend time with someone
- Set boundaries when you feel overwhelmed or drained
- Let go of caring what other people think of your inner knowing
- Ensure you have a meditation or yoga practice to sustain you
- Self care, self care, self care! – Make sure you take the time to do the things that nourish and refuel
And please read the wellness tip below for 5 ways to set boundaries in your life.
TIP: 5 Ways to Set Boundaries in Your Life Now
-be clear about where you stand
-be okay with saying no without any explanation of the why
-be honest and direct
–be self aware
-make self-care a priority