Self-employment for Environmentally Sensitive People

Guest post by Andrea Weber

Introducing Val Nelson

Environmentally sensitive people often prefer and, more often than not, need to work from home. While things can be done to minimise triggers in the external environment, people with sensitivities to EMFs and chemicals, in particular, have many more options for mitigating their immediate spaces.

These types of sensitivities often have a gradual impact as more and more exposures are added to an environment to the point where someone may not be able to function in the workplace, not because of any lack of skills or abilities but because the environment is no longer conducive to their health and wellbeing. 

Environmentally sensitive people are often told to go away and ‘fix’ themselves and return to work when able. This isn’t how environmental sensitivity works and shows little understanding and empathy for what is needed, which is acknowledgment and accessible options to engage in meaningful work. 

Sometimes adjustments can be made for everyone's well-being, but most of these situations end up in the “too hard basket” regardless of inclusive access. There are several reasons for this, which you can read more about in the link below.

So, where does this leave environmentally sensitive people who can no longer be in the workspace? Over the last few years, many people have worked from home successfully, so this has become a much more accessible option. However, this may not work well for electrically sensitive people who need to reduce screen time.

Environmentally sensitive people who don’t have the option of working at home for their employer are faced with either reducing hours or leaving their jobs altogether, which can be quite paralyzing mentally and emotionally, especially when there is so much already to manage in terms of physical health and well-being.

There’s also the financial impact of making these types of changes, which creates additional stress. Time is needed to reassess major life aspects, with the prospect of moving to be possible for many. A lot is going on that can be completely overwhelming.

One of the problems is often not knowing where to go or who to talk to regarding these issues, which is why Expansive Happiness® was founded to be a place of encouragement and inspiration for environmentally sensitive people. You may have read and viewed some of the posts and videos I’ve created for the HSP Blog and Podcast here with Julie Bjelland (specific links listed below).

My work with Julie and the Sensitive Empowerment Community (SEC) has enabled me to meet many wonderfully gifted people. 

One of these very creative and compassionate souls is Val Nelson, a Holistic Business and Career Coach for highly sensitive people and introverts and a much-loved member of the SEC.

Val has also contributed self-employment guidance on the HSP Blog and the HSP Podcast, as well as Episode 186: Considering Self-employment with Career and Business Coach, with Val Nelson. I could see the collaborative opportunities to support environmentally sensitive people at a crossroads in their careers or considering self-employment.

Seeing and embracing the blessings of new opportunities often hidden when your world is turned upside down is difficult. Val is someone who can help people navigate these challenging times and determine what is right for them in terms of work life and career.

For many reasons, environmentally sensitive people find mainstream work overwhelming and exhausting, and I think the message Val has for highly sensitive people is very relevant:

“You are not broken.

The world needs your gifts, especially now.

There is a meaningful path for you, without overwhelm.”

Val offers one-to-one career and business coaching, group programs, and self-paced courses to help people determine what they really want and need from their work. With the right support, exploring these possibilities can be fun and exciting. Val’s clients and course participants often tell her they find this discovery process enjoyable, uplifting, and enlightening.

In all the frustrations of managing environmental sensitivity, there are gifts to be found. Engaging in work with a purpose that aligns with your heart and soul is certainly one of them.

While we can start to make a difference with honest and open conversations around these issues and making posts such as this, we aren’t going to change mindsets overnight. What we can change is our own path to fulfillment, and this is something that Val and I have in common in how we are helping sensitive people.

If you are currently considering which direction to take in your career or venturing down the path of self-employment, you’re invited to learn more about work-life options at ValNelson.com. 

If you would like to learn more about environmental sensitivity management, please visit expansivehappiness.com

Bio: Val Nelson is a career and business coach for introverts and highly sensitive people (HSPs) who want meaningful work without the overwhelm. She enjoys helping people clarify their career or self-employment decisions. As an introvert and HSP herself, she used to think self-employment was not for her, yet now enjoys a thriving business and has learned to navigate the myths around what is possible. She believes strongly that living your true purpose is a practical possibility. She helps people through coaching, her small groups, her courses, and her blog. Learn more at ValNelson.com

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Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is a Licensed Psychotherapist specializing in the Highly Sensitive and Neurodiverse, with an evolved focus on Adult-Diagnosed Autism in Sensitive Females. She founded Sensitive Empowerment to improve the mental and physical health of those with sensitive nervous systems and celebrate the need for diverse brain wiring as an intrinsic part of humanity. By flourishing at our highest potential, we can share our talents. Learn more at JulieBjelland.com