I’ve always wanted to introduce this topic to our usual Wednesday Wellness write-ups particularly because this one resonates very deeply with me. As a child, I always used to think I was different from the other kids simply because I was a lot more sensitive to my environment than most kids my age then. I was very picky with my choice of fabrics and food; I also could be very intuitive and was very aware of little things going on around me. I was also a highly creative person.
Growing up I can also say that I have become somewhat of a very spiritual person, very imaginative, a lover of the arts, highly empathetic, and also a great listener. Some of the downsides to this is that I also get easily overwhelmed, stressed out, and emotionally exhausted.
Most times, highly sensitive people like me tend to always want to try to fit in with friends and the larger society. I remember how I would always try to come up with ways to be accepted by everyone, trying really hard to please everybody.
I would attend parties and accept hangouts even though I wasn’t really into it. I would usually be the designated driver because I hardly ever drank alcohol but most importantly, I realized that deep down I wasn’t really that kind of person, I was just struggling hard to fit into what I thought was “cool”. I can sit here and choose to tell you most of the strategies I adopted back then to cope with my identity crises and get along with people, however, I think I would rather share with you my takeaways on how I was able to deal with some of these conflicts just in case there’s someone out there going through a similar situation.
1. So one of the first things I learned back then was how not to be embarrassed by any of my sensitive emotions. I remember how I would usually laugh at ideas I would come up with to help me cope with my some of my peculiarities. This taught me to accept myself better and also how to be a lot more confident in my identity. I no longer have to worry about what other people think or how they feel towards my person.
2. Secondly, I thought to myself, what’s the one activity that I could do where I would be able to channel these emotions into and come out with something more productive and energetic and guess what it was? I’m sure you know by now; it was Fitness.
Fitness training helped me explore my creative and imaginative sides deeper and also helped me experiment with most of my diet preferences. Most importantly I love to be fit; I find so much joy and pleasure in it.
3. Third and the last one I would mention is Self-care. You have to make sure to take good care of yourself; your body, your mind, and your spirit. It is very important; make sure you find your balance. Here’s a list of things I do to help me find my own balance, maybe you can learn a thing or two from mine;
i. Use of essential oils
ii. Listen to inspiring and uplifting podcasts
iii. Meditation
iv. Shutting out my mind to everything (especially after absorbing other people’s feelings)
v. Journaling
vi. Burning of scented candles
vii. Listen to my favorite music,
viii. Give me a good treat every now and then.
ix. Read a good book, self-help, recipes, the Bible.
x. Take some time off to recharge
xi. Enjoy deep and meaningful conversations with friends and family with my family . It’s very intentional; we call it our Reflection Time, where we would set aside one hour every other day to tell each other about our feelings.
xii. Eat healthy
xiii. Take a new class or do a workshop.