Being highly sensitive in this world places big demands on your physical body as well on other levels of your being. My personal experience plus many years’ experience in private practice has given me the opportunity to ‘feel’ in myself and observe first-hand in my clients the many physiological reactions that can occur in the body in response to being highly sensitive.
I believe strongly that if you don’t take into account an individual’s high sensitivity when you are treating that person for any type of physical ailment, then you are not taking into account an important aspect of that person that is critical to their recovery and long-term health and well-being.
One of the reasons I became interested in traditional medicine was a result of my experience with migraines. I was not satisfied with the effects or outcomes from taking conventional medicine. I had a desire to delve deeper and get to the root causes of why I suffered migraines, why I was predisposed to them in the first place. I wanted more than what conventional medicine offered for when they occurred (although often reasonably effective), and I did not wish to take the preventative medicine offered (which I found to be limited in its effectiveness) on a permanent basis. In my journey of discovery regards my migraines (refer to my book, Embracing the Gift of High Sensitivity**) I began to understand myself much better and the way my very nature and high sensitivity contributed to my predisposition to getting migraines. One of the consequences of being highly sensitive for me was that much NERVOUS TENSION (see below) was held in my body as an (over-) reaction to the world around me, a sort of muscular ‘bracing and guarding of self against the harshness of life’. Once I started addressing this ‘reaction’ to life with, amongst other things, regularly practicing meditation I became far less predisposed to migraine, until they became a thing of the past. So, if you are an HSP and a migraine sufferer, you are definitely not alone, and there are effective natural approaches available to you!
As mentioned, psychology and physiology are linked in many ways. As Carl Jung succinctly put it, “The mind and the body are just opposite sides of the same coin.” For more on this refer to “The Message in the Body” section in my latest book, EMOTION HEALED & HARNESSED – create the life you desire.
How High Sensitivity Affects our Body
NERVOUS TENSION
HSP’s react more than other less sensitive type people to the things of everyday life. Their nervous system, therefore, especially when they experience overwhelm, becomes over-stimulated and one common accompanying physical response is muscular contractions which can leave them in a permanent TENSE STATE. Headaches, migraines, twitches, restless legs, cramping, ‘tummy aches’ (refer to DIGESTION below), etc. are all indications of the presence of some form of tissue tension in the body. And unless an HSP takes measures to release the tension in their body through taking relaxing ‘time-outs’, employing relaxation techniques, practicing yoga or meditation, etc. their muscles can become chronically contracted, a persistent state of nervous tension is then experienced. I have found in myself and many of my HSP clients that there is another reason behind why some HSPs develop chronic muscle guarding/tension. It seems to have a ‘numbing’ effect, or as I refer to it, a ‘sensory perception shut down’. Their muscular system braces against and acts like a short term ‘’shield’ against all the different sensations and stimulations to be felt from their surroundings. This is adaptive in the short term to help HSPs get through a difficult situation and prevent it from becoming even more overwhelming, until they can get respite. So, it is not surprising why many HSPs suffer from nervous tension and it becomes their ‘default position’ in life, a pre-set option that is automatically and unconsciously chosen. However, in the long term it is maladaptive response because of the immediate and ongoing negative impact on their physical and mental health and the fact that they are not learning to emotionally self-regulate so they can remain mindful of what action they need to take for their own well-being. And it will remain so until they consciously and pro-actively learn ways to relax the tension in their bodies and minds.
I always make the recommendation for my HSP clients to regularly check in on themselves, especially when overstimulated or overwhelmed or just after, to see if their muscles have become tight or clenched. You cannot relax your muscles properly unless there is an awareness of them being tense in the first place.
DIGESTION
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is especially sensitive to our emotional states and the nervous tension that can result. Any clenching and tightening of the muscles around the intestines will greatly increase our chances of experiencing digestive problems. Unfortuneately, much of this inner tension is not able to be controlled on a conscious level but what more easily can be controlled is the environment within one chooses to eat. Digestive issues can be especially pronounced when eating a meal while not feeling comfortable with the people you are dining with or in the environment you are in, a noisy food court in a busy shopping centre for example. Many HSPs will commonly experience bloating, pain and discomfort, heartburn, and other irritable bowel symptoms. The best environment for anyone, let alone a highly sensitive person, to dine in is a relaxed one, at a time when the individual also feels calm and relaxed within oneself.
It’s always important to listen to your gut — whether it is ‘speaking to you through digestive noises’ or informing you through your gut feeling. Look after yourself so the digestive noises don’t drown out your gut feeling responses. HSPs are very reliant on the information and intuitive understanding they get from their incredibly accurate gut feeling responses to life experiences.
OUR NATURAL IMMUNE SYSTEM
HSPs often find themselves in a hypervigilant state, resulting in the nervous system being over-stimulated. If this is allowed to continue, the body eventually becomes exhausted, energy and vitality are on the decline. The body also responds to being in a hypervigilant state by increasing cortisol production, which is often referred to as the ‘stress hormone’ and something that is well-known to suppress the action of the immune system. There is much research in the area of psychoneuroimmunity supporting that emotional stress, lack of vitality and increased levels of cortisol has a negative impact on our natural immunity and therefore renders us much more susceptible, for instance, to contracting illnesses from viruses, etc.
When your nervous system is on high alert – in ‘flight or fight’ mode – you are far more likely to over-react to your environment. In your mind, every and any little thing can pose a ‘threat’ - from being over-sensitive to anything touching your skin, to being startled by a little noise in the background, or to suddenly display an intolerance to the smell or taste of a certain food while dining. The multi-levels of your natural immunity can begin to break down! If you don’t manage to give yourself breaks and take regular time-outs to recover and calm the nervous system, your health and well-being will suffer.
The Need to Calm Your Sensitive Nervous System
HSPs often live with high levels of anxiety, sensory overload and stress — our emotional responses can easily overwhelm us. Personally, my regular practice of meditation has been a lifesaver for me, and a life-changer when I first began in my early twenties (a long time ago!). No matter how nervously ‘strung out’ or emotionally overwhelmed I have become at times in my life, eventually I was always able to STOP, SIT and meditate, and re-visit that calm, ease and stillness within. But you have many other ways and strategies, as an HSP, to help keep your nervous system calm so you remain relaxed and calm within yourself. There are many ways to achieve not only better mental health but also much better physical health, some I have already described in this blog. Meditation, Mindfulness, Relaxation Techniques, Yoga, Palates, Tai Chi, Swimming, Walking in Nature and especially forests, or just quietly reading a good book, etc. - the list of ways to relax, calm and soothe your nervous system is endless. The more you are able keep your nervous system calm and relaxed, the more you (and others) can really appreciate your High Sensitivity as being the wonderful GIFT it is!
** My book “Embracing the gift of high sensitivity” can now be purchased in eBook form. It is available from a number of online bookstores.
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