Moving Through + Shifting HSP Burn Out | Tools to Traverse the Turning Tides

I was having a bit of a rough go trying to decide what to write about as we move into this new month. Sometimes it feels like each day and week are so similar to the one before and other times it feels like there’s so much change happening from one day to the next. Are you feeling this way too? One of the things that has really been showing up for me lately has been the repeating theme about Highly Sensitive People (like yourself) experiencing HSP burn out.

I’m definitely feeling it in my own life and I’m finding it showing up for my clients and friends as well. We’re officially nearing the halfway mark of this year and there are still so many places that are under lockdown orders and still experiencing a lot of restrictions to daily life. You may still be moving through some of this too or know people who are.

This in and of itself has definitely taken a toll, not to mention all of the other intensity, changes, and upheaval we’re seeing all over the globe no matter where we live. So many people have told me that they just feel like they are having a hard time finding balance, feeling like themselves, and finding a way to experience some semblance of peace in their day to day life. There’s lots of feelings of overwhelm and not knowing how to help, and also feeling exhausted from all of the information. If you’re experiencing any of this, I want you to know that you’re not alone.

In fact, you’re in really good company.

It’s not just you.

You’re not the only one having a tough time moving through this time on our planet.

It is a really difficult time and we’re all in it together.

As a sensitive soul it can feel magnified, and that’s not because you’re not trying hard enough.

It’s because it’s really hard.

Take a breath, a big one, in through your nose, and out through your mouth….good.

One more time.

Good job.

One of the most effective ways we can move through this time is to take a little time to check in with how we’re doing and make some adjustments to things that we can change. Taking good care of yourself will allow you to better know how to help someone else and to be ready to help too.

I’ve included 6 things that have been showing up as deep support systems for Highly Sensitive Souls during this time. Please use these as inspirations and ways to help you, but adjust accordingly to make these a fit for you and your needs. I hope these will inspire you to create some tools that will be helpful for you and for your loved ones too.

Change the Channel, Change Your Frequency, Literally. :

Intense frequencies can drain your energy and can create or lead to exhaustion without even realizing it. Just think about that one family member or colleague who always tells you all of their problems non stop; you may feel drained after interacting with them, while they feel better after taking all your energy from you. Changing the channel can help to reduce or eliminate this issue for you. Turn off your television, especially repeating news about trauma and other negative stories. (you can always set a time to check in on that information but don’t need it on all the time.)

Re-set the frequencies in your space; think about layering sounds that are pleasing and supportive for your nervous system, body, mind, and spirit. If you have a sound machine, get it out and play it in the background quietly. Your body will automatically respond to it and it will help to release and manage stress that could be holding space within you. You may also want to layer another gentle sound over that to help create an even more soothing space for you and the people in your home.

Think of walking into a spa or another relaxing place; you’ll notice there are often layered sounds happening to help you instantly shift into a resting state instead of being in the fight, flight, freeze, and fawn state that most people experience throughout the day.

Water:

Increase the amount of water that you’re drinking to help you move stress and tension out of your precious and highly sensitive body. Hydration also helps to increase clear thinking, better quality sleep, reduces cravings for foods and beverages which can have an adverse effect on the body, and helps to keep the organs responsible for cleaning and processing moving and working efficiently.

Pull Your Energy Inward:

You may need to let people know that you’re taking a break from being overly available for all the things. Highly sensitive people like yourself often over extend their energy without realizing they’re doing it, leaving them feeling drained and exhausted. You may need to turn off your phone earlier in the evening, allow some calls to go to voicemail, let emails sit in your inbox, and say no to extra demands on your time so you can find your own footing again and experience some personal life balance. Use this extra time to invest in activities that are restorative and uplifting for you. These things can include creative outlets, reading for pleasure, and yes, even resting.

Sweat:

I know, not the most glamorous thing in the world, but very effective in clearing away intense energies and increasing strength. Moving your body in a way that lets you sweat out any toxins, stress, or repeating scenarios/interactions you’re still thinking about will help you to clear your body and your mind while simultaneously leaving you feeling more like yourself. You’ll also be strengthening your body too which is a win win.

No need to jump into intense workout sessions if this isn’t something you’re already doing; going for a walk is a great full body workout that will allow you to sweat, move, and even get outside. If you’re not able to walk outside, pull out that workout mat, and do some gentle stretching or a gentle workout.

Clear Away the Old:

Let go of the things that are finished for you. Clear up any clutter that could be hanging around, it likes to sneak up when you aren’t looking, often in closets, pantry’s, and well meaning desk piles. That “to be done” stuff adds to the frenetic energy within and around you which over time can make things feel heavy and off. It can lead to overwhelm, feeling frustrated, and that no matter where you look, there’s always something else that needs to get done. Set a timer and do a quick sweep of a room, gathering up anything that is ready to go to the recycle bin, donation station, or to its rightful place in your home.

Cleaning out closets and places where clutter builds can help to lighten your load, literally; while also bringing a sense of peace and calm into your space that translates to more peace and calm in your life too.

Ask for Help:

Let people know what you need. This can be a really tough one for sensitive people, because they don’t want to add anything to anyone else’s plate. However, it’s important to let people who love you know what you need and to ask them for help. It’s also important to ask professional people in your circle for support too. If you need a referral for a service that could help you, ask someone you love and trust who they recommend.  

Schedule the sessions that you need to help you, don’t wait for some elusive time where everything will be easier and you have everything figured out and perfectly balanced. You’re here right now, and asking for help and then receiving that help is part of this whole thing we’re doing called life.

I know you’re more comfortable doing the helping, but helpers need to receive help too. Schedule that reading, massage, babysitter, coaching session, hair appointment, energy treatment, or __________.

Whatever it is that you need right now, you know more than anyone what that thing is, please give yourself permission to honor that message you’re receiving. Allowing yourself to receive is one of the most important and powerful ways to help shift you into a space where you feel more like yourself again while also helping your body to come back to balance and homeostasis.

The waves have been rough out there, and the energy has been a bit of a roller coaster but you know what? You’re still here and you’re doing a great job. As you take a little time today, and tomorrow, and the next day to honor your needs and to pull your energy inward, I think you’re going to find you’re feeling more like yourself again.

Please remember to breathe, to go at your own pace, to treat yourself with the same level of kindness, compassion, and love that you so easily give to everyone else in your life, and to grant yourself a little more grace.

You’re not alone. You’re Doing it. You can Keep Doing It.

If you feel guided to reach out for support from me this month, I look forward to working with you and helping you in any way that I can.

I’m sending you so much love and support from my teeny tiny corner of the world.

With so much love,
Kristy~xoxo

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Exhaustion, Fatigue, and Burn Out: How to Reset, Restore, and Replenish from Healer Burn Out

Hi, I’ve been thinking about you and wondering how you’re doing.

So much has happened since the last time we connected so I thought I would check in with you.

Last week, I hit a wall. You know the feeling right, when all of a sudden your body just says, yep, that’s it that’s all, I need a rest.

Even though you’re doing all the things you’re supposed to do to create a support system for yourself; sometimes you need more rest and genuine respite.

In addition to hitting a wall, I also put my back out, which is super frustrating + not fun at all. I was able to keep working which was great but in between sessions, I was resting and lying flat on the floor and doing all the things. (I’m much better now.)

The theme that kept coming up for my clients last week was deep exhaustion, burnout, and fatigue.

Maybe this resonates for you too.

With everything happening all over the world right now, it’s taking a deep toll on all of us.

No matter what you’ve been called to do on a personal level, you’re still being impacted physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually every single day.

Every single one of us are being called to the actions that are a fit for us and they may look different than someone else’s. However, they are equally important and equally impactful on you and your well-being.

One on the things I’ve been hearing a lot is that people don’t feel like they’re doing as much as someone else they know personally or based on something they’re seeing on the gram.

The overall feeling is that they don’t believe they deserve to feel so exhausted because they perceive their contribution as being less than someone else’s.

This belief can trigger feelings of guilt which can lead to trying to do more even if your body is telling you to take a rest.

This can also lead to worry, anxiety, insomnia, and lowered immune system to name a few symptoms.

Any kind of intensity and trauma is deeply impactful on all areas of our lives; and 2020 has been a nearly non stop influx of intensity. This level of stress is completely depleting for all of us and it’s natural for the body to experience physical signs letting us know we need to genuinely rest.

If you’re experiencing this, you’re not alone; in fact you’re in really good company and you’re right on time. Collectively, it feels like we’re all experiencing this need for deep rest across the board.

Like most things, there’s no one way or right way to experience rest, renewal, and restoration; there’s only the things that resonate for you based on your needs.

I’ve included the messages that I’ve received about this for you below so you can see which ones resonate for you. You’ll find that different things resonate for you on different days depending on your energy level and personal needs. However, what I know for sure is that this need for a deep rest is something we all need to honor.

Physical Support:

• Increase Hydration + Water
  Stress increases dehydration in the body so if you’ve been feeling parched, increase your H2O

• Move your Body
  Gentle movement is what’s been showing up, walking, stretching, and low impact activities

• Light Foods and Beverages
  Light, gentle, and cooling foods are showing up to help the body process + work more easily. Heavy foods, alcohol, and sugars can create inflammation in the body which can make you feel sluggish and fatigued.

• Vitamins
  Vitamin D from the sunshine is a big support system. There’s an overall message about increasing your vitamins and minerals so that you keep your immune system strong. (Especially because stress depletes the immune system.)

• Grounding
  Get your bare feet on the soil, sod, or sand as often as you can so you can absorb the negative ions and electrons from the earth and offload any surplus of positive ions you may have stored due to living under a tech umbrella. (This is especially important right now since so many people are working from home and their homes are filled with wifi.) Grounding helps to reduce inflammation in the body.

• Detox
  Infra Red Sauna or Sweating can support clearing away toxins that may be stored in your body contributing to inflammation and feelings of fatigue and exhaustion. Please use Infra Red Sauna according to the safety regulations. (You can detox by moving your body too, this is a natural detox system we have built in which is why we sweat when we exercise.)

• WiFi
  Turn your router and devices off while you sleep. Keep your phone out of the room or at least away from your head while you sleep. WiFi can lead to sleep disturbances, inflammation, and even intense nightmares especially for highly sensitive people. Turning off your router allows your body to truly rest and drop into deep reparative REM sleep more easily.

• Sleep
  Increased quality sleep is so important right now. The way the body heals is during sleep, so it’s imperative you’re experiencing deep REM sleep daily. Even if you need to nap and you aren’t a napper, give yourself permission to nap.

Mental and Emotional Support:

• Talk About Your Feelings
  Find someone you trust you can talk to about how you’re feeling; don’t hold everything inside of you because you don’t want to “burden” someone else. You need to find a way to release and talking is a powerful support system.  You can contact a professional if you don’t have someone in your circle to support you.

• Write
  Journaling is another powerful way to process your thoughts, feelings, and insights. Even if you aren’t a journaling kind of person, just writing on notebook paper or even post its and then throwing it away can help a lot.

• Take A Break
  Take a media break. The brain doesn’t differentiate between what you see and what you experience; it thinks it’s all happening to you so it turns on all the chemicals and trauma responses inside your body as a support system for you. We aren’t meant to be flooding our bodies with adrenaline and cortisol all day every day. These stress hormones take a huge toll on our bodies.

• Boundaries
  Say no to extra demands on your time, including but not limited to picking up the phone when you know that you can’t deal with any more additional stress from others.

• Lean Into Activities You Love
  Investing time in things that honor you and fill you up are like an elixir for your body, mind, and spirit. So, play music, work in your garden, swim, ride your bike, make art, read a book, color, soak in your tub, or anything else that resonates for you.

• Let Go of Comparison
  Focus on what you’re being called to do and honor that wisdom. Remember you may be called to something different than someone else and that’s okay. You may Not be called to showcase your efforts online; release the need to explain why you aren’t placing your actions into the public arena. You know what you’re being called to do.

• Oils + Sense of Smell
  Trauma is stored in the amygdala of our brains. The olfactory system which is also housed there, pairs scent with trauma. So, this is why people have such strong smell memories connected to traumatic events. The power of smell allows us to clear and heal trauma and move it out of the amygdala so we can begin to clear it. Oils, flowers, herbs, and simmer pots can all help to release tension and trauma from your mind and body.

Spiritual Support:

• Meditation
  5 to 10 minutes of daily meditation will help to reduce the stress and tension in your mind and body and bring you back to a place of balance and feeling more like yourself.

• Calling on Your Angels and Guides
  You are not alone, even if you feel lonely. Call on your spiritual support team to help you in all areas of your life. You can also ask them to give you a clear sign in your physical world that you’ll easily notice and understand to let you know they’re with you.

• Tools
  Toning, Smudging, Singing Bowls, Space Clearing etc. have been used throughout time because they work and allow us to clear and connect to our higher selves and spiritual support systems. If you have some tools that resonate for you, get them out and use them.

• Prayer
  The power of prayer has been documented over and over again and it works. If you’re called to pray for yourself, or someone else, this is a powerful support system. You can also ask to be placed onto a prayer list if you would like to receive prayer.

• Ask for Support
  Reach out for additional support whether through an intuitive session, an energy treatment, or other kind of spiritual support service that resonates for you. These kinds of sessions create huge shift, clearing, and a deep reset for the body, mind, and spirit.

Creating a recipe of support which resonates for you right now will offer you the extra support you need to begin to truly rest, restore, and replenish. Remember there’s no one way or right way to do this, just the ways that are right for you. Even if you “know” this please remember to implement this so that you can keep your body, mind, and spirit strong and balanced.

We need you.

You’re important, valuable, and seen.

Your contributions matter.

You make the world better by being here.

You deserve to feel healthy, happy, and strong.

Resting is an action.

Healing is an action

Investing in wellness is an action.

Honoring your needs is a healthy and honorable cause which benefits everyone.

I’m sending you love and support from my little corner of the world to yours.
If you’d like to get some oils, click here or send me a note through the contact form.

With love,
Kristy~

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