As a Highly Sensitive Person myself (take the free Sensitivity Quiz here to find out where you fall on the scale) I know it can sometimes feel like you are surviving more than thriving in this world that definitely hasn’t been designed for HSPs. I have found several resources that have really helped me when my sensitivity has made me feel anxious and overwhelmed. I wanted to put them all together in one place for fellow HSPs who may be looking for some support.
For starters, I have an HSP Resources Category on my blog. If you lose the link to this page, just go to my blog and click on the link on the right side of any of my blog posts to find all kinds of free resources for HSPs: articles, breathing techniques, yoga practices, meditations and more!
I offer Personalized Yoga Sessions for HSPs, weaving together yoga, meditation, breathwork and other self-care advice to tailor a customized yoga practice sensitive to HSP’s needs for greater nervous system regulation. These one-on-one sessions are available in-person on my poolside patio in warm weather, in-person at the studio once we’ve both been vaccinated, or via Zoom.
If one-on-one sessions aren’t in the cards for you, check out this guest article, Yoga for HSPs: Advice from an HSP Yoga Teacher, I wrote for Sensitivity Expert and Psychotherapist Julie Bjelland’s HSP Blog to help you find the best yoga class and teacher for our unique trait. (You might also just start here with my wellness-themed classes and courses or, if you’d rather practice on your own, check out all the various audio downloads I offer. In particular, the Yin audio sessions are wonderful for balancing HSP nervous systems.)
Speaking of Sensitivity Expert Julie Bjelland, I highly recommend her Brain Training for the Highly Sensitive Person Course. This 8-week course is self-paced so you can go as quickly or slowly through it as you like. If you are an HSP in need of support and tools to help you feel more empowered, it is worth the investment. I am always a little skeptical of courses like this, but I have taken it myself and am so grateful for the positive impact it has had on my life. A secret tip: If you sign up to take her FREE Masterclass for Anxiety, she gives you a 50% discount at the end for the Brain Training course! ;) She also has a lot of other free resources on her site, including a podcast that I enjoy listening to.
I hope you check out these various resources and find benefit from them. I know firsthand that being an HSP is not always easy, but the fact is that we HSPs have such wonderful gifts to share with the world–our empathy, deep thinking and attention to detail, to name just a few. Once you understand the trait better and know the tools to use for good self-care, you will feel empowered and really thrive!
Addendum:
After I wrote this blog post I reached out to a handful of HSP therapists in the area to see if they’d like to be included in my HSP Resources. Two of them responded. I don’t know them beyond initial introductions via email, but they were both very friendly–and both HSPs! :) I think it’s so beneficial to find HSP practitioners to work with who are already familiar with the trait.
Stephanie Gardner-Wright specializes in working with HSPs who outwardly have everything together but feel overwhelmed and burnt out. She works exclusively via video sessions with clients across Michigan. www.stephaniegardnerwright.com
Melanie Miller just recently moved back to Ann Arbor. You can view more info on her at Psychology Today and contact her at melaniemillerllpc@gmail.com.
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