How to Handle Anxiety as an HSP
If you are a highly sensitive person, you probably know what it’s like to live with some level of anxiety daily. While not all HSPs have a diagnosis of anxiety, many are forced to cope with feelings of anxiousness as they process life on a deeper level.
As an HSP, you feel the emotions of others around you and are highly sensitive to your environment and life’s fast pace, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and shaken. Or in other words, you experience anxiety.
And this is likely a daily occurrence for you as an HSP.
But the good news is, there’s support available for highly sensitive people dealing with anxiety. From self-care exercises to HSP therapy, you don’t have to live life feeling anxious all the time.
Lifestyle Changes and Exercises to Help You Handle Anxiety as an HSP
First off, it’s important to understand there’s nothing wrong with you. Highly sensitive people aren’t weak or overly sensitive or too emotional as you may have been labeled in the past. Being an HSP means you are more attuned to the feelings of others, making you perceptive and empathetic.
Those are positive qualities many people love about you.
With that said, living in a fast-paced, overstimulating, and anxiety-inducing world as an HSP is tough on your nervous system. The good news is, there are several ways you can reduce the symptoms of anxiety as an HSP.
Be mindful of your caffeine and sugar intake: Relying on sugar and caffeine to get through your days won’t do you any favors in the anxiety department. They can actually increase your feelings of anxiety rather than reduce them. Be mindful of how you feel after a cup of coffee or sugary snack. You may not even realize these types of things contribute to your anxiety.
Practice mindful breathing techniques: There are many excellent mindful breathing exercises out there to help calm your anxiety. Even if it’s only for a matter of minutes per day, if you can incorporate some of these exercises into your daily routine, you will not only be able to lower anxiety levels, but you’ll also arm yourself with a helpful tool in times of stress. One of the most common breathing exercises is Square Breathing (also called box breathing).
Get daily downtime: Highly sensitive people often struggle with worrying about disappointing others. This leads to them stretching themselves too thin and leaving little to no downtime for themselves. If that’s you, make sure you make yourself a priority and make time to separate yourself from the daily life stressors. Go for a walk, read a book, take a bath, or snuggle with your dog. It doesn’t have to be anything monumental. A little self-care goes a long way.
Incorporate grounding practices: Connecting with the earth has been proven to positively affect your mind and body. Perhaps take a yoga class or use tools like a weighted blanket or vest while pressing your feet to the floor. From here, you can also incorporate some of your breathing techniques. A helpful way to integrate grounding practices into your life is through ecotherapy.
Reflect on your feelings regularly: Just like it’s crucial to take some downtime for yourself every day, it’s also essential to recognize your feelings and emotions daily. You may go throughout your day dismissing them or putting yourself down for feeling a certain way. Take time to reflect on what you felt and write your feelings and thoughts in a journal at the end of each day. This can be especially helpful if you choose to work with an HSP therapist.
But one of the most important things you can do to reduce anxiety is to be kind to yourself. As an HSP, there is a heftier level of emotions you have to deal with every day. Let yourself feel your feelings and know you aren’t broken. You just need a little guidance.
If you are in the Oakland, CA area of the San Francisco Bay, I can help as your HSP therapist. And thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I can help you through your computer!
You don’t have to figure out how to handle anxiety as an HSP alone. I’m here for you.
How HSP Therapy Can Help You Handle Your Anxiety
Learning how to accept yourself as a highly sensitive person and how to reduce your feelings of anxiety can be challenging without the help and guidance of an HSP therapist. Whether you already know you are an HSP or if you’ve just been living your life feeling like there’s “something wrong” because you feel so deeply, HSP therapy can help.
As your HSP therapist in the San Francisco Bay area, I have first-hand experience with what it’s like to be a highly sensitive person. But I’m here to tell you, you are not broken, and there’s nothing wrong with you.
You just need to get to know yourself a little better to learn what triggers your anxiety and the steps you have to take to reduce it.
I help children, adults, and families learn to understand their HSP trait and its challenges in my practice. Because everyone who walks through my door or logs on for help is so wonderfully unique, their HSP therapy may include one or several different modalities.
The types of therapy I offer are:
Reflect On This
Making the necessary changes in your life to live happier and feel more fulfilled can be challenging but worth it. Ask yourself these reflection questions to see if you’re ready to make these changes.
What would you like to work on within yourself as a highly sensitive person? Try naming at least three things in order of importance.
What would embracing the positive aspects of being a highly sensitive person look like for you?
Who, what, where, and why questions help get to the bottom of what people, places, and situations trigger your anxiety. What are three anxiety triggers that you currently experience?
What are your current coping strategies for anxiety and is there something new or different you’d like to try to decrease your anxiety as an HSP?
What is something small you could do today to show yourself some care and compassion
Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Don’t be ashamed of who you are.
Learn to understand the way you’re wired.
Learn how to embrace the beautiful characteristics of being an HSP.
Learn to love yourself.