Managing Overwhelm
As a highly sensitive woman it’s easy to get overwhelmed by life.
In fact, feeling overwhelmed was so familiar to me I was sure it was always going to be there, and I just had to learn to live with it.
Here are a few life experiences that can activate that feeling of overwhelm:
· Having to make snap decisions
· Projects that involve too many steps
· Looking ahead to a future event and imagining everything that needs to happen between now and then
· Shopping at a crowded shopping mall or store
· Events where you’re expected to make small talk
· Being around people who get frustrated with your sensitive nature
For me, recipes with too many ingredients and complicated directions make my head spin. And crochet patterns with unclear abbreviations and stitches make me want to give up before I even start. Or, if I’m trying to learn a new skill and the person teaching it is going too fast. Then my parts that get overwhelmed and I feel stuck.
When I get overwhelmed, I start to feel fuzzy, as if a part of me is withdrawing into a cloud. I can see out but the picture around me isn’t clear.
The examples above of my personal experiences with overwhelm highlight activities I’m choosing to do. They don’t include all the things I have to do just to get through a “normal” day.
I’m an introvert and highly sensitive. So, there are parts of me that would prefer to stay at home and not have to interact with the busyness of everyday life outside my home. I think that’s why virtual work has felt like a godsend. I can be at home, see my clients and hang out with my dog in the backyard.
But I also love seeing the people I care about deeply, but after a long day it can be tiring. I love being with my kids and their partners, but they’re big young men with lots of energy. And I love live music, but it can be overstimulating if it’s too loud or the venue is too crowded. So, even the things I love can leave me feeling drained and overwhelmed if I’m not taking care of my Self.
What I’ve learned over the years is that if I do take care of myself—eating healthy, getting enough sleep, listening to my parts, and creating quiet time when needed—I can manage the parts of life that can be too much.
There are small ways I can give myself the time and space to reset and recharge my sensitive system. Like a slow deep breath or three, a “bathroom break” to have a little quiet time, holding my body to remind myself of the comfort I can give and receive, and taking a nap if I need it.
If you are highly sensitive, feeling overwhelmed is pretty common. And because our overwhelmed parts don’t leave us any space to slow things down it’s hard to get past the feelings.
Your parts are too busy fighting, fleeing, or freezing—your natural nervous system response when you feel threatened. But when you take the time to understand what’s happening inside, you can create space for deeper processing and self-care.
Because being highly sensitive is a wonderful thing. It’s a beautiful set of traits that make you a compassionate, deep feeling human. And when you can embrace your sensitivities with care, kindness, and understanding, life is so much easier.
The good news is, if you know you’re sensitive and you get easily overwhelmed you can work with your parts to find your equilibrium.
And taking care of you, your needs, your soul, is your best resource!
