Image by Алина Осипова from Pixabay
There's days when I feel sad, irritable, vulnerable and raw - sometimes for no good reason!
I get the urge to fold into myself. It almost feels like I want to shrink, but that's not quite it. I just feel like pulling myself away from the outer world and into the shelter of my own being, so I can protect myself.
As someone who's intuitive and highly sensitive, these kinds of days have come and gone countless times. I've found that these randomly extra-sensitive days are pretty common among folks like us.
I've observed that there's possible triggers to having "one of those days" - like PMS, over-socializing, and holding unreleased emotion.
(Or, in my most recent case, not being able to breathe clean air or see the sky for days on end, due to the fires in California. Sigh...)
These types of environmental or internal triggers might bring on a super sudden day of hypersensitivity, or it might make you feel extra EXTRA sensitive and raw - way more than you'd normally feel.
And sometimes, you might not have a trigger at all, at least consciously. There might not be an identifiable "reason" for feeling extra vulnerable or self-protective on a given day.
I've made peace with that.
Since you're reading this letter, maybe you have, too.
If you ever find that you're blindsided by one of those pesky random extra-sensitive days, no sweat. They're a bit annoying and uncomfortable, but they always pass.
In the meantime, try these self-care practices to take the edge off.
Get Back to basics.
Drink water. Eat nutritious food that doesn't make you bloat. Go easy on the alcohol and caffeine. Get quality sleep.
What do your fur babies (or even human babies) concern themselves with every day? Only the basics of survival.
And on days when you feel like pulling into the protection of your own self, that's basically what you're doing - attempting to stay safe from harm and nourishing yourself with the most basic ingredients of physical survival.
Step away from hustle culture and maybe even take a break from self-help culture... so you can just zero in on your simplest, most essential needs of this moment.
Catharsis.
Ugly cry. Belly laugh.
Release unexpressed emotion.
Release stagnant energy.
Stir the pot.
Perhaps this is why I find books and film to be so healing. They unlock something in me, even when my learned defenses have gotten me in the habit of acting stoic and overly-private.
Sometimes what helps us get unstuck from that rubbed-raw feeling is to let go of all the feels that have been stocked up (spiritual constipation, anyone?) through a good old fashioned weep, whether you're weeping with sadness, joy, anger, or hope.
Hygge it up!
Get cozy.
Think: Hot tea, warm robes, slippers, books, cuddling with fur babies or safe humans. Cooking and baking. Puttering around your home. Pinteresting under a blanket. Immersing yourself in autumn rituals. Quiet companionship with a good friend.
Often, the coziest, most comfy settings are also perfectly attuned to our ideal stimulation levels as introverts and highly sensitive people.
When we're mindful of our physical and social environments, we can create a sense of contentment for ourselves... creating a soothing external experience to take the edge off of our frazzled internal state.
These three self-care practices give me simplicity, release, and comfort when one of "those" days have got me feeling rubbed the wrong way for no good reason.
I hope they can offer you some relief, too.
Do you have a go-to way of coping with those random extra-sensitive days? Let me know - sharing is caring!
Wishing you groundedness and resilience,
Diana