You’re facing your own internal battle, and now, on top of that, it seems like the world is at war. Watching TV was your normal go-to that you used as a way to relax and unwind after a long day. Now, your TV screen and social media feeds are filled with images of war, death, and destruction from the ongoing war with Russia and Ukraine.
Do you have a hard time saying no? Are you afraid of disappointing loved ones? Have people told you that you’re too sensitive? If you answered yes to all the above, there’s a good chance you’re a Highly Sensitive Person or HSP. Before you start to worry, being a Highly Sensitive Person is not a bad thing! That being said, everything has positives and negatives associated with them.
Dealing with depression is never easy. Even when things are going well in your life, depression can make you feel hopeless, helpless, and unmotivated to do anything that used to interest you. In challenging times, those thoughts and feelings can be overwhelming. When things aren’t going well in your life, depression will always want to rear its ugly head and make things worse. Being able to cope can feel like a full-time job.
Loss of motivation, feeling drained, skipping work or repeatedly showing up late, harboring a cynical attitude about your day-to-day activities—these are some common symptoms associated with work-related burnout. If your burnout is consistent and debilitating, you might turn to a professional for advice. A therapist can provide you with useful tools to manage burnout. But what if you, the professional, the one giving the advice, are experiencing burnout yourself?
Toxicity in the workplace is a big problem that doesn’t seem to be going away. It’s one thing to not like your job. But, if the toxic environment you’re exposed to each day is impacting your mental health, that’s a different story. Signs of toxicity in the workplace can include your opinions not being heard or valued, gossip, rumors, bullying, and narcissistic leadership.
Like many things in life, the way you talk to yourself can become a habit. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes easy to get into a habit of negative self talk, especially if you’re a highly sensitive person (HSP). If you’re a highly sensitive person, you may: notice small details others do not, feel a strong sense of justice, feel more anxious about conflict, struggle to make decisions, and find yourself constantly being a source of emotional support for others. Understandably, this can all be very stressful for the HSP. Over time, you might absorb all the stress and get into a pattern of negative self talk.
Feeling lonely as a parent is more common than you might think. When you really think about it, parenthood is socially isolating. You give every moment of your time to your kids, but take little time for yourself or your relationships. You might be able to distract yourself from your own isolation for a while, especially if you have a busy schedule. But, eventually, those feelings can catch up with you.
Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s a necessity for everyone. That’s especially true when you’re highly sensitive. But, as a highly sensitive person, your self-care practices might have to look a bit different from what other people commonly do. Things like going out to a restaurant with friends or even heading to the spa might seem overwhelming to you, rather than relaxing.
For the average person, finding a therapist can be relatively easy nowadays. There are so many resources online that can help. From the initial search to learning more about potential therapists you’re interested in, it’s a process, but not necessarily a difficult one. But, it’s easy to forget that therapists are just people, too.
Do you hate feeling rushed or like you have too much on your plate? Do you feel more comfortable when your life is organized in such a way that lets you avoid overwhelming situations? Have people ever called you sensitive or shy? If so, you might be a highly sensitive person.
