Supporting Your Sensitivities During the Holidays by Julie Bjelland, LMFT

The holiday season can pose unique challenges for us as highly sensitive people (HSPs). Even within the comfort of our own households, the extra socializing and changes in schedules during the holidays can swiftly drain our energy. As HSPs, it helps to safeguard our well-being during this time proactively. Here are some mindful strategies tailored for sensitive souls, helping you navigate the holiday season with wellness.

1. Prepare Your Energy Reserves: Imagine your daily energy as a finite resource. Spending time with family, while joyous (or stressful), can rapidly deplete this reserve. Take a quiet day for yourself before gatherings or events, engaging in grounding activities like nature walks, meditation, or yoga. Pre-event self-care rejuvenates your energy, enabling you to approach the day with a full energy tank.

2. Be Mindful of Sensory Overload: Sensory overload can overwhelm us as HSPs. Pay attention to your surroundings and the stimuli affecting your senses. If the environment becomes overwhelming, find a quiet space to rest your senses. Close your eyes, put some earplugs in or noise-canceling headphones on, and rest your senses as much as possible leading up to the event. Limiting exposure to loud noises and bright lights helps calm the sensitive system.

3. Dress Comfortably: Physical comfort significantly impacts us. Choose soft, loose-fitting clothes that allow freedom of movement. When physically at ease, your mind can focus on the present, minimizing stress and tension.

4. Practice Self-Compassion: Be kind and gentle with yourself. Self-compassion acts as a shield for sensitive souls and even decreases the stress hormone cortisol and increases the release of the feel-good hormone oxytocin, creating a calming effect. Acknowledge your feelings without judgment; they are valid and real for you. By understanding and accepting your emotions, you can navigate challenging situations with greater ease.

5. Embrace Calming Techniques: Begin your day with the 4-2-7 breathing technique to calm your nervous system. Breathe in for four counts, hold for two, and exhale for seven. Do this for about five cycles. This practice activates your brain's calming centers, reducing stress and promoting emotional balance. Repeat this exercise for moments of tranquility.

6. Take Mindful Breaks: Amidst the festivities, carve out time to pause and reconnect with yourself. Step outside for 10 to 15 minutes, immersing yourself in nature's beauty. If nature is inaccessible, find a quiet space to be alone. Use this time for self-reflection, checking in with your emotional state. Listening to guided meditations for HSPs can also be supportive.

7. Set Boundaries and Communicate Your Needs: You aren't obligated to be social throughout the entire gathering. Honor your need for quiet moments. Communicate your boundaries clearly and without guilt. Those who care about you will respect your needs. Those with problems with your self-care boundaries are the very people you need to set boundaries with the most! We don’t need permission to set boundaries; it’s up to us to know our needs and advocate for them. Remember, self-care isn't selfish; it's actually a medical necessity for HSPs!

8. Practice Meeting Your Needs: It’s common for us as HSPs to take care of everyone else’s needs and put ours at the bottom, but that usually means we get depleted. Try taking everyone else’s needs out of the bucket and imagine it’s just your needs. What are they? This practice helps us get to know what our needs are without always filtering them through everyone else. Ultimately, we are the only ones who can truly know our needs.

9. Plan Quiet Moments Post-Event: Allocate quiet alone time post-event for downtime and recovery. Nature often accelerates the recovery process, providing solace and rejuvenation for our sensitive nervous system.

10. Reflect and Develop Your Toolkit: Journal about your experiences. What worked well? What didn't? Reflect on your boundaries and emotional responses. Develop a toolkit tailored to your sensitivities, empowering you for future situations.

Embracing holiday self-care as an HSP isn't just a luxury; it's necessary for your overall well-being. By prioritizing self-care, setting boundaries, and communicating your needs, you can navigate the holiday season with resilience and authenticity. Your sensitivity is your strength; by honoring it, you preserve your energy, fostering healthier relationships and a deeper sense of inner peace during the season.

Was this helpful? Please share your thoughts and your own personal strategies in the comments below. I love hearing from you, and we can all learn from each other! ❤️

Julie Bjelland, LMFT

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.