The Sensitive and Neurodivergent Podcast with Julie Bjelland

We started out with a beautiful grounding technique followed by answering questions from HSPs! “Tips for staying calm no matter what the outcome of the US election!”☺️ “I am amazed at how little I know about my own emotions. I am now using emotions wheels to help me identify emotions when they occur. I thought (assumed!) that I knew what emotions were when they occurred. Thanks to you I am listening and learning so much.” “What is the connection with Sensitives and overeating for comfort? Especially as I get older I’d like to be good to my body with healthful eating.” "I'm new to this community and so excited to be here. I have recently started working in non profit work as a mental health counselor, love the work, but means back-to-back clients, never-ending paperwork, and being on the short road to burnout! I want to accrue enough hours to get licensed so this job is where I'll likely stay for the next 2 years but I end the day feeling so wired and tired, anxious, flushed, my sleep's suffering... As a fellow therapist, any advice for newbie therapists? Thanks!" "What are your favorite resources for HSPs who are also empaths?" "My dog is having seizures, how do you recommend I handle this situation emotionally at the time he is having his seizures?" "Is being skeptical a trait of being HSP? I find especially more lately that I am very skeptical of people & their motives?" "I had some friendship trauma in my teens and early 20s which made me feel afraid to develop new friendships for years….I want to be open and honest about my past traumas when appropriate, but I have a fear of judgment around friendships. Do you have any advice on how I could share my experience of friendships in an empowered way?" Share comments and explore all episodes at HSPpodcast.com Explore all my resources for HSPs, including books, courses, The HSP Blog, and how to join my Sensitive Empowerment Community at JulieBjelland.com

HSPs tend to be over-givers and toxic people tend to be over-takers. This dynamic has been played out for many of us either in our families, friendships, romantic relationships, or even with work colleagues. Types of toxic relationships included in this discussion: Family Romantic Friendships Work Relationship stages Honeymoon stage (6 months-brain on drugs) Conflict stage (seek therapy early!) Deeper love Here are some pieces discussed: Do internal growth and empowerment work (A big Red flag can be we are not healthy, balanced ourselves) this is first priority Be comfortable to be yourself and feel good around them, you feel accepted for who you are, they can compromise and be understanding. Recognizing Red Flags in Toxic Relationships They might be very self-absorbed, not attentive, and have a sense of entitlement, and require excessive admiration They put you down,  you don’t feel good about yourself when with them Monopolize conversations or look down on people Ignore your needs Take advantage of others to get what they want Not willing to compromise or recognize the needs and feelings of others Become impatient or angry when they don't get what they want or receive special treatment Have significant problems in their relationships and easily feel slighted React with rage or contempt and try to belittle the other person to make themselves appear superior Have difficulty regulating emotions and behavior A few questions answered If you can't cut out the toxic person and need to negotiate, how to protect your energies as an HSP? I’ve had to create some really strong boundaries with a parent, but I struggle with guilt and feel judged.  Any tips for working with the guilt and “shoulds”? I go in waves of feeling empowered or feeling “bad” or selfish? Someone wanted us to cover how to balance not overgiving and how to avoid toxic people. “I want to be open to friendships and relationships but have trouble knowing if someone is genuine and a good person. I used to be too trusting and now I’ve gone to the other spectrum of not trusting anyone because I’ve been so hurt in the past.” Please share this episode and review the podcast to help us help more HSPs!  What was modeled in our childhood can impact how we view relationships and perceive what is ok and what isn’t. Seek therapy if you had a lot of dysfunction or abuse in your childhood or past relationships to shift patterns and learn what is ok and what isn’t. If you are experiencing abuse in your relationship, please reach out for support and visit the national domestic violence hotline that offers free, confidential support and many resources to help too at https://www.thehotline.org/ or Call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) If dangerous, create a safety plan Visit HSPpodcast.com to leave comments on this episode and see our bios. Join the Sensitive Empowerment community, take the free Sensitivity quiz,  check out the HSP Practitioners Directory, and explore more resources for HSPs  juliebjelland.com

Slow down and give yourself the gift of meditation. Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed and let me guide you to a state of self-love and self-honoring. You will find yourself becoming more conscious of your internal world and making choices that make you feel good. Listen to more meditations at HSPpodcast.com Join my Sensitive Empowerment Community and take the Free Sensitivity Quiz at juliebjelland.com  

Michael shares: “I share my process of allowing my higher self to guide me on my journey of healing and transformation. You have an innate guidance system that will help you navigate difficult times and reveal paths to grow and transform into your greatest self. Finding a balance between empathy, healthy boundaries and personal power can help you live a freeing life of joy, empowerment, and a sense of peacefulness.” Michael is on a mission to teach the world that we are all capable of intrinsic healing and transformation. If we start with foundational health, we can build upon this foundation to create the life we want to live. Michael overcame, healed, and transformed from having Tourette syndrome, severe asthma, ADHD, obesity, and an eating addiction. He is a US Marine, a Holistic health practitioner, and health strategy coach. www.michaelacoles.com  To take Julie's free Sensitivity Quiz, explore more podcast episodes, and her HSP resources, including her books and courses for HSPs, visit www.juliebjelland.com 

Have you ever been asked the question, what is your reality? Or how do you see the world? One of the greatest tools we have as an HSP is the way in which our cognitive perception works. We get so used to how we experience sensory information we forget that it is actually different from non-HSPs. Yet,  why is it important to know this? The way in which we perceive the world around us is in fact in direct correlation to our gifts, abilities, and purpose. In fact, when we consider this more deeply we come to realize that the way we think and see the world is often due to a particular focus we have. A fascination and slant on life that has been with us since we were children. When we identify this and learn to trust it, we are often led into a deeper understanding of ourselves and the way in which we are born to serve. Join us this week where we will discuss how this occurs, how to reveal the gifts it holds for you, and how you can learn to bring it into alignment with the work you love to do. Comment on episodes, read show notes, and our bios at www.HSPpodcast.com Join the Sensitive Empowerment community, take the free Sensitivity Quiz, and explore all the supportive resources for HSPs at www.juliebjelland.com

Today we celebrate our 100th Episode on World HSP Day! Yay!  I'm answering HSP questions! Here are the questions HSPs asked from my Sensitive Empowerment Community! I would like to understand the difference between the two terms Processing time vs Restorative time a little better. how to help ourselves when we experience feelings of disappointment. In the brain training course, we learn that when we are in fight/flight mode and this reaches a certain point of overwhelm with emotions and stress that we can get stuck in our emotional brain and can't access the logical brain at that point. Would this be the same for physical symptoms that are triggered? Is the brain training course for HSPs suitable for teenagers around 16-17 years or is it mainly a program for adults? Why is it so hard to deal with making a mistake? Even when it’s not my mistake & the mistake of a loved one, I feel so responsible. I'm new here and in Week 3 of Brain Training for HSP's. My question is: what can I say to myself when I have a poor night(s) of sleep (mainly due to peri-menopause) and I need to go to work and do my best to get through the day..? :) Thank you! Do you have any grounding or shielding exercises that you recommend to help HSPs during these intense times? I want to stay informed but COVID, wildfires, US election, racism, etc can all be overwhelming. The amount of stuff going on is hard to process. Thank you! What is the proper use of alcohol for HSPs? Less? None? Hi Julie you recommend 1-2 hrs of alone, unstructured time per day but I am wondering if that has to be consecutive. I tend to prioritize sleep but that leaves me little time for much else. I was wondering, where and what is triggered in HSP's regarding an aversion by some of us to scary movies and or violence and also where or what is triggered in us that makes us more empathetic? I do live events in my Sensitive Empowerment Community every week and I'm there every day offering support.   Hope you join our beautiful HSP family! To take my free Sensitivity Quiz, join my online Sensitive Empowerment Community, and explore all my resources for HSPs visit www.juliebjelland.com To explore all the HSP Podcast episodes visit www.HSPpodcast.com To sign up for my free newsletter for HSPs, visit www.HSPblog.com 

Current times are challenging. Several months into a pandemic with no known end in sight, dividing families, economic crisis, racial unrest, political divide, climate crisis, etc. Families are struggling. It’s easy for fear to take over in all this uncertainty and when you combine the intensity of emotion we experience as HSPs it can be overwhelming. In survival mode, we just try to get through the day but there is something different about those listening right now. You are taking a step toward empowerment by choosing to listen to this podcast. Those of you attending live have taken several steps to join our Sensitive Empowerment Community and that’s taking intentional action toward change and that is exciting! You are open to a shift away from inaction to action and a shift in mindset. Consider this... When you lift heavy weights it tears down muscle tissue. But when you feed your body the right nutrition afterward, the muscles repair themselves and become even stronger than before. If we think of challenges in the same way we might be torn down from them but with the right care and balance, we can be even stronger. Just as a muscle is stronger after the repair, so are we! You might have noticed that in our own stories and in the HSP guests we’ve had that most of the HSPs rising up into their potential, helping others in some way, started out of a challenge. How can we become stronger in this current challenge? Learn about trait Understand that self-care for HSPs is different than the majority Learn how to honor and advocate for your needs Spend time with other HSPs, like in our Sensitive Empowerment Community to normalize and validate your experience Learn tools created for HSPs to balance your sensitive nervous system Grow self-compassion and self-love Take intentional action to move toward change Find meaning and do what fulfills you Know your value Live consciously instead of unconsciously Know that your purpose can be found within this challenge. What calls out to you? Are you listening? Let’s discuss it! Come join us in the Sensitive Empowerment community!  Members receive: Ask me questions directly about the trait of high sensitivity and how to thrive Ask me and Willow questions about your website and growing your online business! Access to join weekly HSP live events free Get your questions answered and join an amazing group of HSPs dedicated to growth and empowerment Normalize and validate your experience by being with us who also experience life in the same ways Learn more about how to join the online Sensitive Empowerment community, explore resources for HSPs and take the free Sensitivy Quiz at www.juliebjelland.com 

We are experiencing extreme challenges in the world right now and some moments are really difficult. I share some tools that help me during hard moments. Explore resources for HSPs, including a free Sensitivity Quiz at www.juliebjelland.com

We will learn how the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can help HSPs deal with overwhelm or feelings of stress, anxiety, or shyness, or can help them excavate and identify feelings they’ve lost touch with and we will go through a round or two of EFT so we can be comfortable using it on ourselves. Terry wants us to know that the power to feel better, calmer, less overwhelmed, and clearer is literally in our own hands. She shares: "I will offer tips and information about how Emotional Freedom Techniques can help calm the nervous system, facilitate clarity, and eliminate unhelpful beliefs (i.e., “If I say no, they won’t like me... .” Terry Hernon is an EFT practitioner who specializes in helping her clients find their voices and stand up for themselves. She has helped people beat food cravings, improve athletic performance, and end patterns of unhealthy relationships. She is an INFJ who discovered the power and efficacy of EFT when it relieved her of a stubborn case of insomnia after the death of her mother. www.terryhernon.com Book mentioned: THE SCIENCE BEHIND TAPPING by Peta Stapleton, Ph.D. To learn more about host, Julie Bjelland, and explore HSP resources, including a free Sensitivity Quiz visit www.juliebjelland.com   To explore all episodes, read show notes, bios, and leave comments visit  www.HSPpodcast.com  Please share and review this podcast to help more HSPs find it!    ❤️

Joy! What does it look and feel like to be truly happy as an HSP? What is it exactly we are striving for? Are we often comparing our happiness to what it looks like in non HSPs? The pursuit of happiness is a huge topic in itself and is often referred to as being only attained through the acceptance that we can’t be happy all the time! However it goes deeper and research indicates that happiness means the pursuit of meaning, service and authentic social relationships. Whilst there is certainly a need for meaning, service and authentic relationships for us, how should we be pursuing this as HSPs? What do these things really look like for us? What do we value as most important in our lives as HSPs that perhaps is not being acknowledged when we compare to the happiness of non HSPs? Are we truly recognising and honouring our needs? Are we being honest about what truly makes us feel a sense of contentment, achievement and happiness? Where might we be over processing or over complicating what happiness really means to us? Join us this week as we consider the importance of recognizing whether we are on the right path in the pursuit of our own individual happiness as an HSP.  Learn more about the course discussed in this episode, How to Grow a Heart-Centered Online Business www.HSPcourse.com  Feedback about the course: “Julie draws on her own unique experiences as well as her many years of professional knowledge and expertise to bring together the practical tools, tips and techniques HSPs need to thrive in their online business.  Julie Bjelland is the real deal and her authenticity and genuine desire to help HSPs prosper and succeed certainly shines through in course content and presentation.  The course offers very valuable and necessary information, effectively integrating what HSPs need to build strength and resiliency for themselves and for the growth of their business. There is so much to be learnt and shared with the world and with the right tools and support, HSPs are in the perfect position to do this.  Participating in this self-paced program will put many things in perspective and provide a solid platform to continuously adapt, evolve and ultimately thrive in your business. Thank you, Julie for all the encouragement, compassion, inspiration and direction you offer in this well designed and well-rounded course for HSPs."   -Andrea Weber, Founder of Expansive Happiness Explore more at www.HSPpodcast.com