Quick Definition: Sensory overload is when our senses take in more information than our brain can keep up with processing.

In this episode:

Problem: HSPs not living to their fullest potential and the world needs you
Purpose: educate and validate that Sensory Overload is a real experience & give you tools & support
Offer solutions for you to live your best life (helps teens and children too!)

We take in more data than the majority. When our brain is overwhelmed by this input, it enters the fight/flight/freeze mode making us want to flee or fight or we might shut down. Once that is activated everything changes!

We release chemicals into the body that can make our heart race, shift how our body uses oxygen and how it functions in general.
We might feel unwell and overwhelmed and lose access to our cognitive brain, lose focus and memory, have an emotional reaction/meltdown/anger burst/irritability
we might get digestive issues, rashes, headaches, migraines, and other short-term, long-term health issues

Imagine that happening every day and what impact that might have on our health! Sensory overload is really hard sometimes and this is just a portion of our experience.

Solutions:

Acknowledge
Normalize
Validate
Mindset shift You aren’t “too sensitive”, the world is too loud and chaotic. You are born sensitive because the population needs a group of people taking in more data and who have higher levels of awareness. But society is not set up for our sensitivity levels and can often cause sensory overload (think about how loud garden equipment is or loud cars or motorcycles, bus brakes, airplanes, announcements, alarms), etc
Practice self-compassion instead of judgment (5 pounds vs 1000)
Be alone a couple of hours daily in quiet nature Try this Spend a few days alone in a quiet and peaceful nature setting and discover who you are without sensory overload! It’s life-changing to realize you can feel so much peace and bliss in nature. Plus creativity increases when you aren't in overload!
Practice “HSP” Self-care (balance lowers sensitivity challenges)
Advocate for your needs
Live consciously to lower sensory overload

Further Recommended Resources from Julie and Willow

Julie offers an online course that helps with Sensory Overload: Brain Training for the Highly Sensitive Person, Techniques to Reduce Anxiety and Overwhelming Emotions. HSPcourses.com

Willow’s High Sensory Coaching Program. This allows us to consciously witness the unique advantages of being able to process sensory information more deeply and how this can be used to create your own business as a coach, facilitator, healer or consultant. https://inluminance.com/the-training

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