It is funny, we talk a lot about boundaries. But did you ever think of setting boundaries for yourself as you cope with your high sensitivity? In other words, live your life within your own personal limits.
For example, I can’t stay up late at night. While this bothers me a lot, I have to set a boundary for myself to retire at a specific hour. I can’t even enjoy a good night out. If I go to bed past that hour, I pay for it the next day, big time. But then, to be fair to myself, I am up early in the morning raring to go wide eyed and bushy tailed. I am not only showing respect for myself, but I am also showing compassion for myself.
I am not a big eater. But when I get hungry, I get really hungry to the point where I feel irritable or even angry when I am hungry. They call this hangry. The reason for this is that hunger can lead to a drop in blood sugar, which triggers a gust of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This can cause a highly sensitive person to feel edgy and more sensitive to blood sugar imbalances. This increased sensitivity to being hungry can lead to irritability and stress. I am so sensitive to this feeling of hunger, I have recognized I have to be mindful of my blood sugar levels to maintain my emotional well being. Again, it is all about setting boundaries for myself with respect to maintaining good healthy eating habits.
And then when it comes to food, that’s another story. I can’t eat anything with additives in it. I can actually taste the additives. That’s how sensitive my sense of taste is. All my food is made right from scratch, all natural ingredients, lots of fruits and veggies, good meat, salads. The choice is unlimited but it all has to be prepared. Very time consuming. But, I am lucky in that I love to prepare and cook interesting meals.
Did you know that the sun is shining even on rainy days? Well it does and even on rainy days, while driving the car, I still have to wear sunglasses. Why, because I am so sensitive to the rays of the sun.
Does noise bother you? I can hear a pin drop even if the tv or radio are on. The reason for this is research has proven the brain of the highly sensitive person accelerates auditory making us more aware of and reactive to sounds. I again speak from experience on this as I become totally overwhelmed and irritable which raises my stress levels. Again, I have to set a boundary for myself, wear ear plugs, or leave the room. I have no choice. But on the positive side, I have learned to embrace my sensitive hearing as it has been a big help in some very serious situations.
So, in the course of a day, anyone of the above can show up in my life. My brain and that of any highly sensitive person is constantly working and by night time, I am more than ready to retire and relax.
Hope this has been helpful to you as a highly sensitive person.
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