The Number One Pitfall of Healthy Self-Care By Mary Ellen Ott
Guest Post
When it comes to healthy self-care, there are so many things to consider with regard to mind, body, and spirit. While everyone is different, as a Highly Sensitive Person, you will likely find that you have many things in common with other HSPs.
The biggest challenge we face as HSPs is most frequently cited as avoiding overstimulation. There are so many reasons why this is such a big factor in our lives. For one, we take in far more information from our environment than non-HSPs. We notice the subtleties that others miss. This encompasses everything from the body language we observe in others, the tone of voice used when spoken to, background noise and other sounds, strong smells, and for some of us who are Empaths, we can quite literally feel the energy around us as well. In addition, if, as an Empath, you are not skilled at grounding and staying centered in your own energy, you may actually take on the energy of others, which adds even more of a burden to an already heavy load.
Once we take in all this sensory data, we process it more deeply than the average person. This is especially true for anything that involves our emotional response to what we take in. We are simply more affected by the myriad of life’s experiences, whether they are positive or negative. We react more passionately to both pleasure and pain. That’s part of why being a Highly Sensitive Person can sometimes feel like both a blessing and a curse.
The most important thing we can do to help mitigate the challenges of being an HSP and to more fully accentuate our gifts is to practice healthy self-care. This includes the typical recommendations of eating healthy, wholesome foods, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and getting regular exercise. While all of these things apply to everyone, as a Highly Sensitive Person, this will undoubtedly look different for you. That said, perhaps that is the most important thing you need to remember AND be accepting of, too.
As an HSP, your self-care must be tailored to your unique needs regardless of what your non-HSP family members, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and society in general choose or need to do. You simply cannot afford to put yourself at risk by continually striving to keep up and fit in. This leads you to say “yes” when you want and need to say “no” and run yourself ragged rather than setting healthy boundaries to allow you to thrive. Keep in mind that doing what you need to do to thrive is not a selfish endeavor either. Everything you do to help yourself flourish benefits not only you but all those around you as well.
Once you embrace healthy self-care as the foundation for all you want to be and do, your life will definitely change for the better. You will experience less overstimulation and overwhelm. You will have more energy and more resilience. You will learn what you need to do to refresh and renew yourself more quickly and effectively at those times when you get off track. In fact, you may even feel so much better; it may feel as though your sensitivity is no longer an issue! While that may sound like a dream come true, that last statement can be your downfall if it leads you to the number one pitfall of healthy self-care: to stop practicing it consistently.
That’s right. Healthy self-care is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. However, you can only reap the benefits if you actually DO IT. It is not a “one-and-done” thing. It’s also not an “I’m feeling great, so I no longer need to make self-care a priority.” As HSPs, we absolutely need to commit to daily self-care now and forever. Seriously, I cannot stress this enough. Do what you need to do and take plenty of downtime, rest, and be sure to make time for what brings you joy, too. While being an HSP shouldn’t feel like a life sentence, it will if you subject yourself to the roller coaster effect of doing what you need to do to feel your best, then once you feel better, backing off on your self-care because you “no longer need it.”
So there you have it! The number one pitfall of healthy self-care is to feel so wonderful that you stop doing it. The good news is that you are in control. Your choice to commit to daily self-care is the number one key to avoiding that pitfall. Don’t wait. Make that commitment today.
Mary Ellen Ott is a Holistic Wellness Life Coach, and the founder of Nurture U. It is her greatest passion and privilege to provide support for HSPs, Empaths, and Heart Centered People to Be Happy, Be Healthy, and Live a Life That Matters. Please visit Nurture U Life Coaching for more information, to book a Discovery Call, and/or to get instant access to her complimentary Guided Meditation for Relaxation Audio. Why wait? Isn’t it time to Nurture U?
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Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is an HSP Psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity. As the founder of Sensitive Empowerment, she is passionately committed to raising awareness about the extraordinary value inherent in sensitivity. Recognizing the vital importance of education and support, Julie is dedicated to equipping HSPs with the necessary tools to reduce their susceptibility to mental and physical health challenges. Her extensive array of resources stands as a heartfelt endeavor to provide this essential support. Learn more at JulieBjelland.com.
Some men have expressed frustration about my focus on women’s autism experiences, but this emphasis addresses a longstanding research gap that makes women-centered support essential.