Social media can worsen anxiety and depression, especially for highly sensitive people, as it’s often a stream of anonymous people venting stress, and sensitive people tend to absorb that stress more than most. It’s not a safe space for the mental health of our sensitive nature.

It’s why I created a positive alternative to social media for sensitive people. The Sensitive Empowerment Community is on a private platform (not social media), it’s professionally moderated, so it stays safe, and we focus on forming deep connections and creating life-long friendships. We talk about what supports us, and we learn and grow together.

We consider our community a family and a "co-op" that we collectively build. Our community of sensitive individuals operates on mutual support and reciprocity principles. 

A supportive community can offer a range of benefits, including:

1. Fostering Positive Relationships: Supportive communities can help individuals develop positive relationships with others, which can improve social health and overall well-being.

2. Emotional Support: A supportive community can provide individuals with a sense of belonging and emotional support. This can be especially important during difficult times, as community members can offer empathy, encouragement, and understanding.

3. Sense of Connection: Being part of a supportive community can foster a sense of connection and help combat feelings of isolation and loneliness.

4. Improved Mental Health and Reducing Stress: A supportive community can positively impact individuals' mental health by reducing stress, improving coping skills, and providing a safe space to discuss challenges and feelings.

5. Increased Resilience: A supportive community can help individuals build resilience and develop the ability to overcome obstacles and setbacks.

6. Opportunities for Growth: A supportive community can offer opportunities for personal growth and development, as individuals may be exposed to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences.

7. Shared Resources: A supportive community can offer shared resources and knowledge, such as advice, skills, and practical assistance.

8. Promoting a Sense of Purpose: Supportive communities can help individuals find meaning and purpose by offering a sense of belonging and shared goals.

9. Validating and Normalizing: Our supportive community helps us validate, normalize and understand ourselves in new ways as highly sensitive people.

10. Increased Overall Wellness: Our supportive community improves overall wellness. Here, we get to be our authentic selves and put our walls down, allowing us to establish profound connections as our truest selves.

This community can profoundly impact people's lives by creating a secure refuge.  

In a poll, community members shared that their wellness has improved since being in the community. Having a supportive, kind, loving, sensitive family in our lives normalizes and validates our experiences, making us feel less alone and more connected.

Sometimes life throws a lot at us at once (illness/loss/grief/transitions/etc.).  I equate it to feeling like holding too many heavy bricks at once, and sometimes they keep on getting added. Then the load can feel too much for us to carry.

That’s such a beautiful thought that this sensitive family, our community, can lessen your load. When too many bricks get added to your load, I hope you remember this too. 

As sensitive souls, the load can feel like it’s too heavy at times, and I hope you feel the love and support here that lessens your load and know that your beautiful energy lessens the load for others here too.

You are not alone. We are together, and this community's loving, supportive energy can help you through. I’ve loved hearing from so many of you that you feel less alone and supported daily since being in this community. That our community supports you in some way every day is so beautiful!

We will cycle in and out where some of us carry too many heavy bricks, and others will ease the burden with loving kindness and connection.  So know this… we are always here for you and for each other.  This kind of support can make all the difference and make our load easier to carry.

So you never have to carry your load by yourself.  I hope there is comfort in that for you.

I’ve always believed in a giving and receiving philosophy for our community. There are times you will be the giver and times you are the receiver.  That’s what family does. We are here for each other. ❤️❤️

It’s wonderful being together in our sensitive family. We warmly invite you to join us. ❤️

Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is an HSP Psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, the author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, and founder of The Sensitive Empowerment Community. Her HSP Podcast ranks top 5% of most shared and listened to worldwide. Julie's free webinars and resources, online courses, and blog have helped millions of HSPs reduce the challenges of living with sensitivity in an overstimulating world. Her greatest joy is helping sensitive people discover their significant value and see them share their much-needed gifts with the world. Julie loves connecting in her community and warmly invites you to join this positive, professionally moderated, ad-free, inclusive, welcoming, sensitive family. Explore her resources and learn how her brain training program reduces anxiety within the first two weeks at JulieBjelland.com❤️🌈❤️ (she/her)