How I take care of myself
Long before I had heard about the trait of HSP, I knew that the only way I could happily function in the world was by doing certain things to take care of myself regardless of the opinions of others. I'm sure some thought (perhaps still think) I was being high maintenance or overly dramatic or a little standoffish. The blessing of being in my 40's is these days I just don't care much what others think as long as I know I'm not having a negative effect on them that I have the power to prevent.
Some of the things that I do to take care of myself are:
- Meditate
- Avoid loud, crowded situations
- Yoga
- Walks, especially in nature
- Avoid people who are unkind and/or don't respect my boundaries
- Get plenty of sleep
- Eat healthy foods
- In cooler weather, take hot baths with Epsom Salts and Lavender oil
- Avoid caffeine & sugar
- Speak gently to myself
- Spend time with people who are able to have deep, thoughtful conversations
- Spend time alone when I need to
- Pray
- Give myself time-outs when I need them
- Read
- Knit
- Avoid adrenaline-inducing situations such as roller-coasters or scary movies
Everyone has an overstimulation threshold. For HSP's we reach that threshold more quickly so it's just important to know that and be self aware. I'm sure non-HSP's could benefit from thinking about some of these things as well. Many of my friends are HSP's - I think we gravitate to each other. Those who aren't are kind, gentle spirits.
I'm going to try to figure out how to get my comments section to show up as I'd love to hear from anyone reading this about how YOU take care of yourself.
Blessings!
Caprice
