I don't know about you, but I love reading about and watching other people's morning routines. There is something about a productive and calming morning routine that makes you feel like you can tackle anything that the day throws at you. If you're interested in what I've been doing during my mornings as a highly sensitive person, just keep reading...

For reference, I am a freelance writer working with one website Monday through Friday. I generally work 10-6. I also run this page and am an oracle card reader, which I generally work on during the mornings and evenings. I don't usually do this routine on the weekends and let myself sleep in until whenever I want to. I am grateful to be able to do this because I am not a mom (except to three fur babies).

I have been charging my phone and Apple watch in my bathroom during the night and it is a game changer! It allows me to unplug before bed and actually get up when my alarm goes off. I used to keep my phone near my bed and I'd spent sometimes an hour laying in bed and looking at my phone in the morning! I decided I wanted a change and wanted a more leisurely yet productive morning, so I've been stowing my phone in my bathroom so I have to physically get up to turn the alarm off. I generally get up around 8-8:30 am. 

Once I'm up and in the bathroom, I try to drink some water. I wash my face and do my skincare routine. I brush my teeth and change into workout clothes. Since I work from home, my winter uniform is usually a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt. 

Once I'm dressed and ready, I head downstairs and feed my three pups! Then I let them outside to go to the bathroom. While they're outside, I will usually take my vitamins and drink more water. I may also clean up the kitchen and living room if I didn't the night before. Next, I've been having a small protein bar while I check my phone and read. At this time, I generally post a video on my Instagram and respond to some DMs. (Follow me at @findyourmagichsp)

Once I've spent some time reading and checking up on my phone, I'll do a quick workout. I really like Kyra Pro's dancing or walking workout videos on YouTube. They're usually only around 10-20 minutes and not too strenuous. I just really want to wake up my body and get some steps in since I sit at a computer all day and right now its so cold I haven't really been going outside at all. In the afternoon when I need a break, I usually walk on the treadmill or use my stationary bike to get some more exercise in. 

Generally, once my quick workout and stretching is done, I am ready to start work! I'll usually work on my first article for 20 minutes and then take a break and make a proper breakfast. Lately it has been oatmeal with fruit and either a chai or matcha latte. 

Now tell me, what's your productive winter morning routine? Would you like me to write about my evening routine as well?

GUEST POST BY SHELBY STERN

You have been assigned a shape to carry in your hands. Without judgment, you carry it gently as you go along your way.  However, you start to notice everyone else has the same uniform shape, different from your own. Before long, you realize yours is also difficult for them to understand, which confuses you because it makes complete sense to you.

Eventually, you start to worry if you have the wrong shape or if something is wrong since it's so different and misunderstood. Trying to change it does no good, and never feels quite right. Over time you start to bump into others with shapes similar to yours, showing you that maybe you aren’t the odd one out. After a while you start to learn that there was nothing wrong with the shape you have been carrying, just that some people get different shapes. There's nothing wrong with being different if you are true to yourself. 

(Of course, now you have to unlearn a lot of self-doubt and fear you had, but it’s possible.)

For me at least, growing up as a Highly Sensitive Person was like that, and I am just now learning that it's okay to be sensitive. For so long, the word sensitive had come to feel like an insult and a trait I needed to hide.

Looking back, it seems as if I scowled at my shape, crumpled it, maybe even stepped on it before walking away. But it never left me. It still followed me home and stayed with me. Injured, lacking love, but there. 

The only thing I truly injured was myself. Denying myself love and compassion because I was surrounded by not fitting in and thought there was something wrong with me. I thought maybe I was broken.

I want anyone else who feels like that to know that no matter how broken you feel, you aren't. You are perfectly and uniquely you. Growing up not realizing you are a Highly Sensitive Person, things can get confusing fast. With so much pressure to fit in, it's easy to start to wonder why you are different and try to suppress your emotions. But something I have learned is there is nothing wrong with having feelings or expressing your emotions. There is nothing wrong with feeling deeply either. 

As Highly Sensitive People, we feel a lot and are often passionate about the things we love and care for. Sometimes, that passion can be misunderstood by others who don't feel the same way as us. To us, how we feel and how much we care about things makes complete sense. After enough time of not being understood we start to second guess our emotions, wondering if maybe we shouldn't feel as deeply as we do. Sometimes it can start to feel like you speak a different language than everyone else around you. 

As I have grown, I've learned that feeling as deeply and being as passionate as I am has helped me in so many areas of my life. It helps me to connect and empathize with others and be a good listener. I can understand what they are going through, and do my best to let them feel heard.

Being passionate gives me the drive to not only go after my dreams and goals but keep after them until I accomplish them. 

I also believe being an HSP could be why I can think so deeply and critically about issues regarding other’s experiences. Most of all, I have always had an abundance of love to give and do my best to be a good friend. 

If you are a Highly Sensitive Person, I say embrace it. Once you start learning to show yourself some grace and understanding that you deserve, I think the chances of you seeing the benefits of being an HSP will increase. In the long run, you will be a lot happier with yourself and recognize the gifts being an HSP gives you.

Writer Bio: My name is Shelby Stern, and I am a freelance writer and poet. Over the last year I have learned that I am an HSP and have been on a journey to learn what that means, and how to better accept myself and my talents for what they are.

I was thinking this morning about our future selves. Every decision you make affects your future in one way or another. It could be helpful to ask yourself before each decision or as you go throughout your day, "Am I helping or hurting my future self?"

You could even go further and determine if you would be helping or hurting your future self in the short-term or long-term. Some decisions may affect both. For example, if you choose to eat a healthy lunch at home over a fast food one, you are likely helping your short-term and long-term future self. If you decide to procrastinate on a work project, you are probably hurting your future self because you will have to muster up the motivation later and may feel more stress. 

Of course, we shouldn't look at this question as a way to control ourselves and others too much and be "perfect." We are human and we will never be perfect. There will be days when you don't feel your best and taking care of your very basic needs is all you can do. That is okay!

On the days where you feel your best, asking yourself this question throughout the day can really help you think about the consequences to your decisions, big or small. In these times when everything feels out of our control, we might realize that there are many things we can control to be happier and healthier. 

So today, as you make both small and big decisions, ask yourself, "Am I hurting or helping my future self?" If the answer is helping, you're on to a great decision! If the answer is hurting, determine how much damage that decision can potentially do. For instance, one cookie once in a while will not hurt anything... treat yourself! On the other hand, deciding to do something more dangerous could affect you negatively in the short-term and long-term. 

Let me know, have you ever tried this? If you try it, comment below and tell me your experience with it! It is definitely something I will keep trying in hopes of giving my future self the best life possible.

I was listening to a podcast that was talking about actually feeling your feelings to work through them. A phrase that stuck out to me was something along the lines of "Society teaches us to question and repress our feelings, while you should be letting them come to the surface to heal."

It made me look back. As a HSP child, I was often overwhelmed and that would lead to tears. Think about any time that you've cried or gotten upset, as a child or an adult. The first thing we are programmed to ask is "What's wrong?" Next, we are programmed to help others get rid of those feelings quickly, sometimes to help them feel better but more often to make ourselves avoid the discomfort of seeing someone upset.

I think many kids are encouraged to not have feelings, so we grow up with repressed feelings and don't know how to release and heal. This can cause anxiety, depression, anger, and a ton of other things. I think about how often tears arise as an adult and how quickly I always try to make them go away, especially if I am in the company of others. I remember that feeling of embarrassment as kid. In fact, it came up recently when I saw a girl I went to school with for many years, but haven't talked to in years. All she could remember about me was I cried a lot. 

To be honest, that was kind of embarrassing and it brought back all of those negative feelings. I know people either felt bad for me, wondered what was wrong, or made fun of me. I had no idea that I was a highly sensitive person. The adults around me knew I was sensitive, but it was looked at as something to get rid of or fix instead of something to embrace. 

Moral of the story... the next time that feelings arise, know that feelings come and go. How often do you feel the same feelings and emotions all day long? Feel them and let them pass. Comment below and tell me your experience with this!

By: Helen van Soest of https://myhsp.life/
 
Being a HSP

Some people don’t like labels, but at times, I find them comforting and reassuring. Like when I discovered I was a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), after reading Elaine Aron’s famous book, “The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You”. After I read that book, I felt relieved that my personality was not that unusual after all, given that apparently 15–20% of the population share this personality type.

I have often felt that my high levels of sensitivity were almost like a disability, not allowing me to live the carefree and relaxed life that I craved. I took things too personally, I cried too much and I was affected too much by my environment — crowded trains, people talking loudly around me and construction noise would irk me no end.

But when I realised I was a HSP, I accepted who I was and that my sensitivity was not going to change. The only thing I could change was how I reacted to my environment. I also needed to make some adjustments to achieve the calm I needed, so I moved into my own flat (no flatmates allowed), had quiet time every day and allowed myself as much sleep as I needed.

Introvert or extrovert?

You are probably already aware of how introverts and extroverts are defined but for me, the key difference is that introverts gain energy from being alone and extroverts gain energy from being with others.

I thought that being a HSP might mean I am also an introvert, but I like socialising too much and feel lonely if I spend too much time on my own. So I realised I am an extroverted HSP — I love being out and meeting people but have limits as I can get overstimulated easily.

Ambiversion

Ambiverts are people that have both introverted and extroverted qualities. As well as being an extroverted HSP, I believe I am also an ambivert as I have a mixture of both personality types. For instance, my introverted side loves meditating, reading, journaling and listening to calming music. My extroverted side loves meeting friends, going out to restaurants, clubs and bars, travelling and even chatting to random strangers.

Who wants to be labelled?

Although I understand why people don’t necessarily like these personality type labels, sometimes I wish my family, friends and workmates knew and understood that I am an extraverted HSP and ambivert. Then they might not get upset if I don’t always answer their calls straight away. They might not get so annoyed at me when I take something they say personally. And when I cry for what seems like no reason at all, they might just let me cry with no judgment but simply with acceptance.

Recommended resources

There are lots of resources available on these personality types through books and the internet if you wish to look into them further. I have found these books so helpful in my journey of discovering my unique personality type and I would highly recommend them: “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain, “Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come: One Introvert’s Year of Saying Yes” by Jessica Pan and “The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide: Essential Skills for Living Well in an Overstimulating World” by Teff Zeff PhD.

Guest post by: Rhea Raje
 
I am assuming if you're reading this that you're an highly sensitive person (HSP). Even if you're not, you may have friends who are. So, I think you will relate to the story I'm about to share. Everyone has different times in their life when they realize that they're an HSP. For me, it was in second grade. My mom had bought me a new set of art pens, which I was extremely happy to have. I took precious care of them. I was in school one day when boom! ---the lid of one of the pens flew off and fell on the ground. I got to my hands and knees and tried to look for it, but no good. It had vanished. As a child, but more due to the fact that I was an HSP, I burst into tears. I cried for an hour over a lost pen lid, whereas any other six-year-old in my place would have forgotten about it. My classmates laughed at me. My teachers called me silly for crying over such an insignificant thing. I felt miserable, but going ahead I realized that being the way I am doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me. As HSPs, we tend to get emotionally attached with everything, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem to others, and cherish it.
 
Getting emotionally attached is only one of the many tell-tale signs of an HSP. HSPs have other qualities such as being empathetic, caring for others, and being kind even when others don't deserve it ;) You may ask, what exactly constitutes being an HSP? Are they any different from the rest of us? Well, not really. We experience the same emotions as the rest of you, but only on a much-heightened scale. We are exposed to the same environment as you, yet we are hugely more perceptive. We have the same 5 senses, but we're so deeply connected to them, that they become our superpower.
 
Busting a few myths:
Are all HSPs introverts?
Although they tend to be introverts, HSPs can be extroverts as well.
 
Are all HSPs serious and solemn all the time?
Absolutely not. We can be goofy and weird too ;)
 
Are all HSPs cry-babies?
I get this a lot, and it's a ridiculous question. The answer is NO.
 
Just a few tips on how to survive and thrive, from one HSP to another.

1. Love and care for yourself. This is very important. You'll never be able to care for others if you don't care for yourself.
2. Don't be too hard on yourself. HSPs have very negative reactions to criticism, and we don't take failures well. We're often too hard on ourselves because we have this notion to be perfect in everyone's eyes. Just the thought of letting people down terrifies us. It's okay to make mistakes, forgive yourself.
3. It's okay to say no. This one can be difficult. As HSPs, we tend to be people-pleasers and want to keep everyone around us happy. However, this leads to people taking advantage of us and taking us for granted. Know your worth. Say no when someone is crossing the line.
4. Don't ever let anyone ridicule you for being who you are. If someone calls you silly or pretentious for being sensitive/ emotional, you have every right to be angry. No one should be made fun of for who they are. Everyone needs a safe and secure environment to grow.

 
I hope this helps :) I'd like to end with a beautiful quote I saw:
 
"Please don't ever get tired of being an HSP with a good heart. It hurts being taken advantage of and feeling like it's better to be cold-hearted, but people like you matter and are so important for this world❤️"
​

FREEBIES:

• Powerful "I Am Statements" Worksheet - Learn to create positive affirmations that can create your reality. Change your negative mindset into a more positive one!
• Stop Anxiety Now Worksheet - Use when you start to feel anxious to stop those feelings quickly and feel better.
• Oracle Card Readings and HSP Tips YouTube Channel - videos to help you as a HSP and fun oracle card readings. Don't forget to subscribe and let me know what type of videos you want to see next!
• Visualization Meditation - A meditation to help you visualize what you want.

COURSE:

• Heal Anxiety Course - Learn the ways that you can help ease anxious thoughts and feelings. Go at your own pace. You get an email every day for a week.

BOOKS: 

• 21 Days to Learn to Embrace being a HSP - My first course turned ebook!

JOURNALS:

• Everyday Journal for HSPs
• Heal Your Anxiety Workbook
• Daily Planner & Journal
• Individual Journaling Pages on Etsy

OTHER:

• Merch - clothes, mugs, tote bags, phone cases... display your sensitive nature proudly!

If you consider yourself a highly sensitive person, you know how isolating that can feel. Even though HSPs make up about 20 percent of the population, it can be hard to relate to many non-HSPs. Quotes can make you feel less alone and like someone actually understands you. I know many of these quotes have helped me to feel like I am not alone in my struggles. Quotes have even helped me to realize that being a highly sensitive person is a gift. 

Enjoy these quotes and share this post with your fellow HSPs! Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!

1. “For a highly sensitive person, a drizzle feels like a monsoon.”
― Anonymous

2. “Highly sensitive beings suffer more but they also love harder…”
“…dream wider and experience deeper horizons and bliss. When you’re sensitive, you’re alive in every sense of this word in this wildly beautiful world. Sensitivity is your strength. Keep soaking in the light and spreading it to others.”
— Victoria Erickson

3. “We try to be like others. But that leads to our becoming overaroused and distressed.”
“We are a package deal, however. Our trait of sensitivity means we will also be cautious, inward, needing extra time alone. Because people without the trait (the majority) do not understand that, they see us as timid, shy, weak, or that greatest sin of all, unsociable. Fearing these labels, we try to be like others. But that leads to our becoming overaroused and distressed. Then that gets us labeled neurotic or crazy, first by others and then by ourselves.”
― Elaine N. Aron, The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You

4. “Am I too sensitive to be in this world?”
“How do you ever explain the feelings of anxiety and paralyzing fear? I can’t answer those questions. It’s just a feeling of ‘Am I crazy? Am I too sensitive to be in this world?’ A feeling that the world is just too complicated for me right now, and I don’t feel like I belong here. But it passes, and fortunately today I feel blessed for all the good things in my life.”
― Winona Ryder

5. “I’m extremely-extremely sensitive. I can cry at the drop of a hat…Anything upsets me. I cry all the time. I cry when I’m happy too.”
― Mandy Moore

6. “Being a sensitive empath is a beautiful thing as an artist…”
“I am very sensitive to the interactions I have with people. Whether it’s a momentary glance in an elevator, or a deep philosophical conversation over dinner, or a brush-by in a café, I feel (sometimes exhaustingly) attuned and affected by the subtle exchanges that pass seemingly benignly between us as human ships. Being a sensitive empath is a beautiful thing as an artist, and it fosters a deep burning curiosity about why we do the things we do.”
― Alanis Morissette

7. “There is nothing wrong with you if there are times you get weighed down by the heaviness of the suffering in the world.”
― Rachel Samson

8. “Highly sensitive people learned early in life to try to control the external world as a way to attempt to manage their inner one.”
― Sheryl Paul
​
9. “Everything I experience hits me deep, raw, and intense. As an empath, I feel the energy of myself and others. As I age, this ability only grows deeper and stranger.”
― Sylvester McNutt III

10. “Even a moderate and familiar stimulation like a day at work can cause a highly sensitive person to need quiet by evening.”
― Elaine N. Aron, The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You

11. “I can’t stand chaos. I hate loud environments. Art makes me cry. No, I’m not crazy; I’m a textbook example of a highly sensitive person.”
— Anne Marie Crosthwaite, You’re Not Crazy, You’re a Highly Sensitive Person

12. “It seems my heart is made of tissue paper; I wish the world would handle it more delicately.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich

13. “The highly sensitive person has an important mission…”
“The highly sensitive person has an important mission, which is to serve as a balance to the more aggressive behavior of some of the non-HSPs who advocate a less than nurturing policy toward humans, animals, and Mother Nature.”
― Ted Zeff, The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide: Essential Skills for Living Well in an Overstimulating World

FREEBIES:

• Powerful "I Am Statements" Worksheet - Learn to create positive affirmations that can create your reality. Change your negative mindset into a more positive one!
• Stop Anxiety Now Worksheet - Use when you start to feel anxious to stop those feelings quickly and feel better.
• Oracle Card Readings and HSP Tips YouTube Channel - videos to help you as a HSP and fun oracle card readings. Don't forget to subscribe and let me know what type of videos you want to see next!
• Visualization Meditation - A meditation to help you visualize what you want.

COURSE:

• Heal Anxiety Course - Learn the ways that you can help ease anxious thoughts and feelings. Go at your own pace. You get an email every day for a week.

BOOKS: 

• 21 Days to Learn to Embrace being a HSP - My first course turned ebook!

JOURNALS:

• Everyday Journal for HSPs
• Heal Your Anxiety Workbook
• Daily Planner & Journal
• Individual Journaling Pages on Etsy

OTHER:

• Merch - clothes, mugs, tote bags, phone cases... display your sensitive nature proudly!

Have you ever been told you’re too sensitive?

To just get over it?

Have you ever been out to eat at a restaurant with your friends and suddenly felt super overwhelmed? Rationally, you were having fun. But suddenly, the 32 TVs blaring, the fluorescent lights, the drink you’re sipping, the collective noise all hit you at once and you HAD to get out of there.
Do you suffer from anxiety or depression?

Have you been called annoying, dramatic, or even crazy?

I feel you. I am you.

You’re not annoying. Or dramatic. Or crazy.

You might just be highly sensitive.

You might be familiar with these terms or you might be thinking, “well isn’t being highly sensitive the same thing as too sensitive?” “Does that mean I should just get over it after all?”

No way!

Being highly sensitive is an amazing gift, even if sometimes it feels like a curse. In fact, about 20% of the population can be considered highly sensitive. Elaine Aron first shared research about highly sensitive people and I personally am so grateful for that! I've been able to find out so much more about myself. 

Here are some of the ways to know if you might be highly sensitive. This is a quick highly sensitive person test. You might say a resounding “YES” to everything on this list or just a few:

1. You’re very aware of subtle changes in the environment or other people. For example, you might notice a spot where paint has chipped that no one else noticed or when your best friend who always texts you with a smiley face, suddenly doesn’t anymore.
2. You’re easily overwhelmed in a place with bright lights and loud noises.
3. When you’re around someone with a sour mood, it affects you very easily.
4. Whether you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert, you need time for privacy and alone time. Often in your bed in the dark!
5. You’re extra sensitive to pain.
6. You find you can’t drink caffeine because it gives you crazy reactions. Same goes for alcohol or certain types of alcohol.
7. You’re usually extremely polite and aware of how you speak to others and how others treat you.
8. You overthink and have vivid dreams or daydreams.
9. You love the arts… you’re deeply moved by movies, poems, music and other forms of art.
10. You cry a lot… happy and sad tears.
11. You jump or startle very easily.
12. You hate change.
13. You also hate anything violent… scary or violent movies are a no-go. Even a disturbing image on Facebook can send you into a tailspin for the day.
14. You hate being overly busy and having too much to do in a short time leaves you extremely rattled.
15. You avoid conflict at all costs.
16. You often know how to make people feel better or more comfortable.
17. You hate small talk and love deep, rich conversations with loved ones.
18. If your boss is watching you work over your shoulder, you tend to screw up and become much more nervous than usual. For this reason, a lot of highly sensitive people tend to work from home.
19. When you were young, you were very shy. You might still be shy.
20. You hate making mistakes!
21. You might feel very overwhelmed often. 

​
So, what now? Do you recognize yourself as a highly sensitive person (HSP)? Do you see it in someone you love like your child, your partner or your best friend?

I’ve got you! As someone who is an HSP and an INFJ personality type, I’ve developed some tools to share with you to cope when things get rough and to start to LOVE yourself and the fact that you’ve been given this gift. I've developed a course that will help you Find Your Magic as a Highly Sensitive Person! I've also created workbooks for HSPs with anxiety and am a HSP coach. 
​
I’ll teach you:

• More on what it means to be an HSP
• If you might also be an Empath and what that means for you
• What your specific personality type is (introvert vs. extrovert, etc.)
• How to cope with the unpleasant feelings that sometimes arise as an HSP
• How to embrace your gifts
• How to stay grounded and focused
• How to explain how you feel to others and deal with different reactions 
• Much, much more!​​

FREEBIES:

• Powerful "I Am Statements" Worksheet - Learn to create positive affirmations that can create your reality. Change your negative mindset into a more positive one!
• Stop Anxiety Now Worksheet - Use when you start to feel anxious to stop those feelings quickly and feel better.
• Oracle Card Readings and HSP Tips YouTube Channel - videos to help you as a HSP and fun oracle card readings. Don't forget to subscribe and let me know what type of videos you want to see next!
• Visualization Meditation - A meditation to help you visualize what you want.

COURSE:

• Heal Anxiety Course - Learn the ways that you can help ease anxious thoughts and feelings. Go at your own pace. You get an email every day for a week.

BOOKS: 

• 21 Days to Learn to Embrace being a HSP - My first course turned ebook!

JOURNALS:

• Everyday Journal for HSPs
• Heal Your Anxiety Workbook
• Daily Planner & Journal
• Individual Journaling Pages on Etsy

OTHER:

• Merch - clothes, mugs, tote bags, phone cases... display your sensitive nature proudly!

Guest post by: Lauren Littlewood

With every month of 2020 feeling like the next level of Jumanji, it has been harder than normal to find mental balance as a HSP. I personally have had more panic attacks than normal, have had an eating disorder relapse due to quarantine weight gain, have lost my temper more often and have spent an insane amount of time on social media and YouTube to try and escape my reality. In a nutshell, 2020 has been a bit of hell in a handbasket. 

When you seen images of healthcare workers busting their butts or protests across the country, that alone is enough to break any person's heart. Then you add all the deaths and politics and it is just too much to handle. Those around us that are not as sensitive are even having a hard time with the world today. 

So how can we learn to manage our energy and help our loved ones struggling to do the same, when the world feels like it is going to collapse?

By taking a holistic approach to your life you can learn how to improve your vibes and live with greater ease in these troubling times. In life in general we are still going to struggle and have a wrench thrown in the cogwheels of our day from time to time but with these tips we might be able to maintain balance more easily. 

First, we must look at the information we are consuming. I originally built my Instagram around people who made me feel happy and inspired but I have found even they have taken to making their pages into more of a social activism page now than when it was just cute yoga pictures. 
Choosing to continue following people that make you feel good or people you give you valuable information that you can act upon is one way of balancing energies. We obviously want to learn more about how we can help make positive changes in the world but social media feeds that constantly note everything that sucks about the world and is not informative or action driven is just another energy vampire in your life. In addition, we need to monitor the news we are consuming. Are we getting the highlights to stay informed in our ever-changing year of chaos or is it just feeding our personal anxieties? If you are spending more than an hour a day on news outlets and you are not getting paid to do so, then stop! What we put in our heads matter and the amount of content matters. 

Second, what are we consuming… literally. The food we eat has two avenues. It increases inflammation or decreases it. The inflammation in your body affects just about everything in your body. Everything is connected! Emotional eating tends to be the increasing type… unless you tend to crave kale. If so, then rock on and ignore this part. 

When we eat highly processed food or food that have felt pain and stress, i.e. animal foods, we take on that energy. Slow and sluggish like processed junk food or fearful and panicked like the animal in which your food did. Many people don’t realize this, but the energy of food is real and makes a bigger impact than you can imagine. Don’t believe me? Spend one week eating a whole food plant-based diet and just see. You positive energy will be up and your FML feeling will be down. Feeding your body, feeds your mind. 

Third, create happy chemicals in your brain. This can take many forms. My personal routes are drawing, running and yoga. Yes, you can create happiness with things that don’t require you to get off the couch. Sing! Dance alone in your room! Make a painting of your feelings or of what you want to be feeling. Do something that makes you vibe and don’t feel guilty for it. 

Fourth, take some action. If there is something that is really bothering you, then take some action to stop it. Use your sensitivity for the greater good. Sign petitions, make a petition, donate time or money to a cause you care about. Just by making a small action you can alleviate some of your suffering by helping relieve someone else’s.  

Fifth, get that shit out! Sometimes you can do everything right, but you just can’t stop feeling all the feels. When that happens, get it out. Feeling left inside will fester and repeat. Journaling is in my opinion the best way to get them out especially, for those who struggle to get the words out of their mouth. Write everything you feel, ignore grammar and spelling, throw decorum out the window. If you worry someone is going to read it then burn it. Burn it and all those negative feelings with it. Release them to the great beyond. 

I sincerely hope that this holistic approach to managing your energies is helpful to you. Remember that your sensitivity is a superpower not a curse. When you find a way to balance it, that’s when you can find your magic. 

​Lauren's Bio: As a child I was a very sensitive person and very empathetic towards everyone and everything. This is probably why I because a vegan, a therapist, a yoga instructor and a health coach. Through my life I have struggled with rage issues, anxiety issues and depression. I have learned many techniques to overcome these issues which I love to share with others. If we are not lifting each other up, then what are we here for?

Guest post by Arabella Goldsmith

I want to share with you today a little meditation trick which is relatively unknown, and of which is extremely useful in reducing internal chatter! I also use it in self-hypnosis and sometimes in hypnosis, to help some patients calm their mind.
 
For those who meditate, or who have tried to meditate before, you have surely noticed that the first thing we see is the seemingly uncontrollable flow of thoughts that arise in our consciousness. As if our conscious mind were a crazy monkey jumping from one idea to another without our consent.
 
Several guided meditation techniques teach concentration on an object first. It can be focusing on a candle, a spot above the eyes or on your breathing, to help develop some control and gradually bring a state of tranquillity inside. And these techniques still work well. However, there is one particularly useful technique which has been taught by Anna Wise, a specialist in neuro-feedback. She explained this technique to monks who had several years of practice meditation. Apparently, their reaction was unanimous: they were flabbergasted by its effectiveness and would have liked to learn it sooner!
 
Anna had scientifically demonstrated (and I have also been able to measure this) that the use of this technique reduces the beta waves in our brain. These are waves between 12 and 30 Hz, typically produced by our left brain and characterized by rational analysis, logical reasoning, also appearing when we are agitated or excited. It is, therefore, a technique that radically reduces our mental activity, decreases our internal dialogue, and controls the monkey in us! There she is:

It's about sitting comfortably, closing your eyes, and focusing your attention on your tongue with the intention of relaxing our tongue. It is, therefore, a question of concentrating attention on the language and nothing else, by relaxing it as much as possible. And by relaxing it, you may find that your tongue thickens, or seems to shorten slightly. And you can even allow your jaw to relax completely, perhaps by letting your mouth slightly open. And each time you exhale, imagine your tongue and the area of ​​your mouth relaxing ... more and more ... with each exhalation ...
 
By doing this, you will immediately notice, from the first minute, that the stream of thoughts has significantly decreased. Why is this so? This is because when we think, we tend to speak inside ourselves, sometimes even unconsciously. In fact, when we have a dialogue or an inner monologue, our language expresses microphones -movements. And it would be impossible to maintain an interior dialogue when our language is REALLY, deeply, relaxed and relaxed.
 
I invite you to try this experience! First, take only a minute in which you do not relax your tongue, do not try to control anything, and simply observe the flow of your thoughts. Then take another extra minute, following the language relaxation guidelines explained above, and compare the difference. You will most likely, like me, perceive a clear difference. You may even feel like time is expanding, and the minute seems longer.
 
In short, it's something that helps me personally in my meditations as well as in self-hypnosis! And if you try it, don't hesitate to share your experience and share this post!
 
From a hypnotic point of view, it can be argued that the relaxation of the tongue is an element very rarely caused consciously. So, bringing consciousness there, with the relaxation of the other parts of the body and a little bit of confusion over it, quickly brings an individual into a state of hypnosis and internal focus. It remains a focus.
 
Extra tip: also relax all the muscles of the face: forehead, temples, muscles around the eyes (and behind the eyes), nose, mouth, jaw, cheek, and even the skull, scalp, leaving the head slowly resting (do this lying down or in a chair with headrest).
 
Proper meditation, good trance!!!

Arabella Goldsmith is a British hypnotherapist and yoga teacher who loves helping and showing others a positive light. She is always incredibly keen to show how simple exercises can change peoples lives and believe optimism is where it begins!