The HSP and Neurodivergent Podcast with Julie Bjelland
By Julie Bjelland, LMFT
The HSP and Neurodivergent Podcast with Julie Bjelland May 04, 2021
Highly Sensitive, Autistic, or both? Understanding the Differences with Julie Bjelland, LMFT
In this episode, I discuss the differences that set autism apart from high sensitivity, particularly in women. I highlight the outdated diagnostic criteria for autism and the misdiagnosis or lack of diagnosis in many women. We'll explore the unique characteristics of autistic women, such as the challenges of masking, the need for solitude, and the intense sensitivity across multiple senses. I also emphasize the importance of self-compassion and acceptance for autistic individuals and the need for a neurodiverse society.
Resources Mentioned
- Assessments and Consultations with me: https://www.juliebjelland.com/consultations-with-julie
- Stay updated! Join my free newsletter https://www.juliebjelland.com/newsletter
- Product Recommendations: https://www.juliebjelland.com/sensory-friendly
- Sensitive Empowerment Community SensitiveCommunity.com (Join my Autistic Women's Group within the community too!)
- Autism Resources (including free Autism Quiz, Assessment and Consultation Info, Research, Surveys, and Education) AutisticHSP.com
Recommended Resources: HSPcourses.com
- Brain Training Course to reduce anxiety, overwhelming emotions, and the fight/flight/freeze over-activation
- HSP & Neurodiverse Toolbox Course, I share how I balance my nervous system.
- Blooming Brilliantly Course: Learn self-love and self-compassion.
- Your Self-Discovery Journey: Spend time with me and others learning who we are and what we need at this stage of life
- Grow a Heart-Centered Business as an HSP or Autistic Individual. We do things differently!
Key Points:
- Many individuals who identify as highly sensitive may actually be autistic, prompting updates to sensitivity quizzes.
- Autistic women face hidden challenges.
- Many of us have feelings of being different and flawed.
- Autistic women require solitude to reduce overstimulation and restore energy.
- We tend to experience heightened sensitivity across multiple senses, which can be intense.
- We prefer communicating honestly and directly, valuing clarity.
- Accepting an autism diagnosis can lead to reframing experiences and self-compassion.
- Social gatherings, sudden changes, and small talk can be challenging.
- Repetitive movements serve as a way to soothe and focus, with fidget tools aiding in this.
- Written communication may be preferred and eye contact can feel intense and overwhelming.
- Managing emotions, especially when fatigued, is challenging.
- We experience high empathy.
- Building a neurodiverse society that celebrates differences is vital for our well-being.
Themes:
- Unveiling the Hidden Challenges Faced by Autistic Women
- Navigating Intense Sensory Sensitivity in Autism
- Understanding Autism in Highly Sensitive Women
- Unique Special Interests Among Autistic Individuals
- Overcoming Challenges Stemming From a World Not Setup for Us.
Sound Bites
Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Change in Podcast Title
01:21 Understanding Autism in Highly Sensitive Women
08:06 The Importance of Solitude and Alone Time
15:00 Navigating the Intense Sensory Sensitivity of Autism
25:27 Reframing Experiences and Finding Self-Compassion
28:23 Challenges in Social Gatherings and Small Talk
33:22 Creating a Neurodiverse Society that Celebrates Differences
Episode 188: Growing a Business to Support Our Creativity with Neurodivergent Artist, Eli Trier
Eli is known for her vibrant use of colour with multiple mediums including acrylic, gouache, ink, pastel, colour pencil, and collage, and as a highly sensitive artist with autism, Eli's work often reflects in-depth emotional themes.
Her work has been featured in public exhibitions and private collections all around the world and she has also mastered the art of showcasing her studio, drawing, painting and creating on video.
Eli is on a mission to help artists make money from their art or craft, grow a collector base, grow a business without sacrificing studio time and feel really good about selling their work.
The interview features
How Eli came to start a business for her art?
How being neurodivergent influences her business and creativity?
Ways to look after your nervous system when creating and running the business.
Tips and hints for sounding more 'natural' and confident when making video.
Creating a studio and work environment that is efficient and an inspiration to work in.
Exploring the integral nature of business and marketing.
Learn more about Eli Trier (website)
Take a tour of Eli's studio (You Tube video)
Keep In Touch — ELINOR TRIER (elinortrierstudio.com)
Elinor Trier Studio | Helping artists & creatives to think like entrepreneurs | Patreon
Andrea Weber is the Business Group and Events Co-ordinator for the Sensitive Empowerment Community and founder of Expansive Happiness®. Andrea provides encouragement and practical strategies for environmental sensitivity management through her self-paced program, articles and posts, helping people navigate the day to day challenges of emf, chemical and mold sensitivity.
A love of writing and editing has led to the provision of these additional services for highly sensitive people.
Learn more and join our Heart-Centered Business Group
Empty Nest, Menopause, and Autism: A Journey from Darkness to Self-Discovery
In this episode, I take you on a deeply personal journey through some of the most challenging phases of my life. I open up about the experience of facing an empty nest, the physical and emotional upheaval brought on by menopause, and the profound insights I gained from understanding how autism impacts me and others who are sensitive. These challenges led me through some dark times, prompting a pivotal moment of self-reflection and a strong commitment to prioritizing my health. This wasn't just about my physical well-being but about embarking on a path of self-discovery and acceptance. By embracing changes and committing to learning more about my internal world, I discovered the nuances of autism and how it resonates with the experiences of sensitive individuals like myself. This episode is more than a story of personal struggle; it's a testament to the power of resilience, the importance of health, and the journey toward understanding myself on a deeper level.
Resources Mentioned in Episode
- The HSP Podcast: HSPpodcast.com
- Updated Sensitivity Quiz: SensitivityQuiz.com
- Autism Quiz, Education, Assessments & Consultations: AutisticHSP.com
Considering Self-employment with Career and Business Coach, Val Nelson
In this insightful presentation, Val discusses how highly sensitive people are making self-employment a viable option.
Val addresses the 3 main concerns for people considering self-employment:
Money
Marketing
Energy
Practical strategies are given to break things down into manageable steps, including letting go of all the ‘outside noise’, tuning in to what feels good, and creating that heart-to-heart connection.
How we use energy as highly sensitive people is paramount to our well-being and sense of purpose and alignment. Val discusses her own experiences and the importance of visibility, collaboration, and referral. A lot can be learned from the Q&A included in the presentation.
Val Nelson is a career and business coach for introverts and highly sensitive people (HSPs) who want meaningful work without the overwhelm. She enjoys helping people clarify their career or self-employment decisions. As an introvert and HSP herself, she used to think self-employment was not for her, yet now enjoys a thriving business and has learned to navigate the myths around what is possible. She believes strongly that living your true purpose is a practical possibility. She helps people through coaching, her small groups, her courses, and her blog. Learn more at ValNelson.com
Family Wellbeing: Decluttering & Designing a Life Where Everyone Can Thrive with Rebecca Rushdy
Being an HSP is a blessing, but it can also be exhausting, so a decluttering approach centered around energy management, self-compassion, and gratitude is exactly what we need, and we can create space and opportunities for growth by clearing physical and emotional clutter.
Learn how decluttering as a family can cultivate mindfulness and confidence in kids and be a tool to deepen relationships and create more harmony at home.
Meet our Guest Speaker
Rebecca Jo Rushdy guides fellow HSPs & Empaths to declutter their hearts, minds, and homes into sanctuaries that spark joy and flow. She was the first platinum KonMari Consultant in Malaysia and in Edinburgh, where she is currently based with her husband and two daughters. You can learn more about Rebecca and her work by visiting www.sparkjoyandflow.com
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Let Rebecca know how you liked this episode! Visit HSPpodcast.com
Join our next live event in the Sensitive Empowerment Community and find an extensive collection of supportive resources for the sensitive and neurodiverse at www.JulieBjelland.com
The Importance of Self-Acceptance with Willow and Julie
An important area for the well-being of HSPs is self-acceptance. Yet what does this really mean and how do we know when we have a good bearing on it? Self acceptance is one of the greatest foundations of feeling joyful. Conversely, self rejection can be sneaky in how it operates, and a very painful place to operate from, especially as a deep feeling HSP. Join us as we look at what self-acceptance means and how the ‘loving witness’ can become our greatest ally.
Join the next live podcast at SensitiveCommunity.com
Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is an HSP psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, the author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, and founder of the Sensitive Empowerment Community. Her HSP Podcast ranks among the top 5% of the most shared and followed podcasts worldwide. Julie’s webinars. resources, online courses, and blog have helped millions of HSPs reduce the challenges of living with sensitivity in an overstimulating world. Her greatest joy is helping sensitive people discover their significant value and seeing them share their much-needed gifts with the world. Julie loves connecting in her community and warmly invites you to join this positive, inclusive, sensitive family. Explore her resources and learn how her brain training program reduces anxiety within the first two weeks at JulieBjelland.com❤️🌈❤️ (she/her)
Willow McIntosh is the founder of Inluminance and creator of the High Sensory Coaching Program. Unique circumstances during Willow’s childhood led to the burying of his authentic self and complete misalignment to the work he was destined for. He began to carve his own path into understanding how people with sensory processing sensitivity can learn to use their genetic traits to their advantage. As an adult this led to a lifelong enquiry and practise into learning powerful energetic alignment techniques to re-engage with the authentic self. Willow believes that all people with the trait have the ability to tap into a unique skill that draws on a deeper sensory perception. Having successfully facilitated the development of seven figure businesses Willow’s practise has taken him all over the world. Speaking internationally, training in a broad range of fields and facilitating others for more than twenty years. http://highsensoryintelligence.com/
The HSP Podcast is rated in the top 5% most followed and shared globally! Thank you for sharing to help other HSPs! Check out more episodes at HSPpodcast.com
Highly Sensitive Music Concert with Rachelle Jeanty
I am thrilled to share a special concert with you from Rachelle Jeanty, an international singer-songwriter, keynote speaker, and proud HSP. She toured with Celine Dion, has 4 albums, a Ted Talk, and sold-out concerts worldwide.
I love that She’s a listener on The HSP Podcast, and that’s how we connected. We were so honored that She recorded a special concert for us in the Sensitive Empowerment Community, and I wanted to share her voice, gift, and message with HSPs worldwide.
She is a wonderful example of using your gifts to share a message to inspire and help others rise. She has such a beautiful voice and spirit and shines brightly. She shares a self-love song, sings affirmations, invites you to join, and shares important messages about listening to your intuition and inner voice. This inspires a path of what is meant for us.
You’ll hear her mention gratitude for my efforts to acknowledge and help BIPOC HSPs so our HSP BIPOC listeners know I offer scholarships to my courses and community. We also have a special group within the community called Soul Sanctuary for HSPs of color.
Let’s share this with others and imagine we are all coming together
A note while listening…Sometimes, there are some moments of silence where she closes her eyes and connects. I invite you to close your eyes during those moments, too.
More about Rachelle…
For years, Rachelle has been sharing the space of Spirit and Soul with her voice words, her music and her Joy.
After a two-year world tour as back vocalist for Celine Dion, and on the road with many others, Rachelle decided to leave the glamour of the music industry in order to fulfill a deeper purpose: discover, nurture and serve her Higher Self and help guide seekers to this dimension within, through the power of music and of meditation.
This 20 year path, carved by many triumphs and great defeats, have brought Rachelle to create and present a TEDx talk about intuition and the crucial role it plays in the navigation towards our best existence.
Musically, Rachelle also recorded four albums to her name, performed at the United Nations and has sung with the Vienna Boys Choir.
For many years, she offered her ‘’Spirit of Joy’’ music & meditation concerts and workshops to hundreds of audiences, in churches, halls and sold out venues of Europe, where she has been living since 2010.
Most recently, as her artistry expands, so does her message. Her latest song ‘’BREAK FREE’’ is an anthem, a power funk track and a strong message about breaking the invisible chains hindering Feminine Energy and Female Power to be leading forces in this world.
Her latest song ‘’BREAK FREE’’
YouTube channels:
As you can imagine, Rachelle's schedule is pretty full-on with touring and performing, and we are thrilled for her to record, especially for our community, and make a guest appearance.
Rachelle has the most beautiful, soulful voice, and you can hear lots of her music on YouTube and learn more about Rachelle by visiting www.rachellejeanty.com
Getting to Know Julie and Willow! Answering Your Personal Questions
Have you always wondered something about Willow or me? Join us for a fun conversation where you have a chance to get to know us better! Here are some of the questions we answered...
What is your most unusual sensitivity?
When did you both realize you had High Sensory gifts, and what were/are they? Have more gifts opened up since you first recognized you had the trait?
How have your sensitivity and empathic abilities changed over the years; are you getting more so or less so?
As prominent leaders for the high-sensory global community, how do you see our roles as light-bringers in our new burgeoning world of positivity and growth? Particularly, what roles or manifestations do you have for the near and further future of HSPs?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on your experiences of starting new things as a HSP. Like navigating big changes in career, moving somewhere, or becoming a parent. What are some of the things that you do/have done to support yourself as an HSP through these times when there is so much more new information to process and manage internally?
Julie & Willow, do you have any tips for coping in a workplace or setting where sensitive people are not valued? (while you are making the move to get out)?
Do you ever find yourself in awe of something that you are able to do through your highly unique gifts? I feel that each of you - in your own unique & special way - is extremely rare in the world of HSPs and are natural leaders for the HSP or High Sensory Movement. It's gone beyond grass roots to more global now - largely in part the specific work the two of you do together and individually.
Julie - your SEC community has literally changed the world for so many of us HSPs. Do you often marvel at how far it's come and has it gone beyond your wildest dreams?
Leave comments on this episode and explore more episodes at HSPpodcast.com
Join the next live podcast at SensitiveCommunity.com
Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is an HSP psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, the author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, and founder of the Sensitive Empowerment Community. Her HSP Podcast ranks among the top 5% of the most shared and followed podcasts worldwide. Julie’s webinars. resources, online courses, and blog have helped millions of HSPs reduce the challenges of living with sensitivity in an overstimulating world. Her greatest joy is helping sensitive people discover their significant value and seeing them share their much-needed gifts with the world. Julie loves connecting in her community and warmly invites you to join this positive, inclusive, sensitive family. Explore her resources and learn how her brain training program reduces anxiety within the first two weeks at JulieBjelland.com❤️🌈❤️ (she/her)
Willow McIntosh is the founder of Inluminance and creator of the High Sensory Coaching Program. Unique circumstances during Willow’s childhood led to the burying of his authentic self and complete misalignment to the work he was destined for. He began to carve his own path into understanding how people with sensory processing sensitivity can learn to use their genetic traits to their advantage. As an adult this led to a lifelong enquiry and practise into learning powerful energetic alignment techniques to re-engage with the authentic self. Willow believes that all people with the trait have the ability to tap into a unique skill that draws on a deeper sensory perception. Having successfully facilitated the development of seven figure businesses Willow’s practise has taken him all over the world. Speaking internationally, training in a broad range of fields and facilitating others for more than twenty years. http://highsensoryintelligence.com/
A Key to Flourishing: Nurturing and Valuing Sensitivity by Julie Bjelland, LMFT
High sensitivity is an essential trait that has evolved for the survival of the species, and understanding this leads us to a more compassionate understanding of ourselves. The challenges experienced by us as HSPs are not from any inherent flaw within us but rather from a disparity between our sensitivity levels and the demands of the external environment. By intentionally nurturing our sensitive nervous systems, we unlock our potential to flourish and uncover our valuable gifts.
In this session, you’ll discover:
Understanding and reshaping our perception of sensitivity is an essential foundational step to flourishing
Unknown to many HSPs, sensory overload often triggers our most significant mental and physical health challenges, and taking steps to prevent it significantly enhances wellbeing
A transformative journey, delving into a profound understanding of your authentic self while stepping into your light and purpose
This interview, hosted by David Gandelman, is part of the Empaths, Sensitives, & Intuitives Summit, a free online event. For more information, please visit https://theshiftnetwork.com/s/EvolutionaryEmpath. This recording is a copyright of The Shift Network. All rights reserved.
Julie Bjelland, LMFT
An HSP psychotherapist and a visionary leader in the field of 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 so they can flourish and bring out their valuable gifts that the world needs. Her extensive array of resources stands as a heartfelt endeavor to provide this essential support.Visit JulieBjelland.com for more resources for the highly sensitive.
Thriving Through & Beyond Grief as HSPs with Krista O'Reilly-Davi-Digui
We will all grieve at some point - not only because grief comes in many forms (not only from the death of a loved one) but also because death is a natural part of being human. Yet we live in a grief and trauma illiterate society which often isolates and harms those doing their best to keep their head above water and find their way forward through and beyond painful life experiences.
All trauma involves grief / not all grief involves trauma. As an HSP, our experience of grief (including traumatic grief) can be even more intense, and in some cases complicated, than for others. It can feel scary, we might feel like we're 'doing it wrong,' and internal and external judgment often adds a whole new layer of pain or grief to what we're navigating.
In this session, Krista shares some truths/practices that can help HSPs bring compassion to their grief experience, find a sense of safety in the midst of the storm, and thrive forward through and beyond pain and grief.
Meet our Guest Speaker
Krista O'Reilly-Davi-Digui is a highly sensitive human, life partner of 30 years, and proud and affirming mom of 3 including her highly sensitive son who died by suicide in 2019.
She’s also a writer and Joyful Living Educator, and lives on Treaty 6 Territory in central Alberta, Canada. Through story, grief and trauma-informed education, and brave community, Krista’s words and work empower midlife women to befriend their True Selves and (re)claim freedom, health and joy. If you would like to know more about Krista and her work, please visit: Befriend Your True Self | Walk in Freedom, Health + JOY | A Life In Progress
You may also enjoy a previous event with Julie and Krista: Episode 125: Living Unshackled: How Self-Awareness, Self-Compassion, and Imperfect Action Will Walk You to Greater Freedom with Krista O'Reilly-Davi-Digui
Please share this episode to support others and we love hearing from you in the comments. You can visit HSPpodcast.com to leave comments and explore episodes.
Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is 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.
It's Never too Late to Pursue Your Dreams with Julie and Willow
Have you ever felt that yearning for something yet found the path to change daunting?
We're here to remind you that even amid uncertainty, change is possible, and the rewards are immeasurable. So, whether you're on the cusp of change, already knee-deep in transformation, or simply contemplating the possibilities, I invite you to join us on this enlightening voyage. Together, we'll unearth the courage within you, igniting the flame of possibility and empowering you to live a life that resonates with your deepest aspirations.
Willow and I will delve into the exhilarating pursuit of your dreams and the limitless path to living your envisioned life. It is never too late to embark on a transformation journey and follow your dreams.
The world needs you to follow what lights you up. Your light will light up the path for others.
Leave comments on this episode and explore more episodes at HSPpodcast.com
Join the next live podcast and learn more about The Journey of Self Discovery I'm creating at SensitiveCommunity.com
Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is an HSP psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, the author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, and founder of the Sensitive Empowerment Community. Her HSP Podcast ranks among the top 5% of the most shared and followed podcasts worldwide. Julie’s webinars. resources, online courses, and blog have helped millions of HSPs reduce the challenges of living with sensitivity in an overstimulating world. Her greatest joy is helping sensitive people discover their significant value and seeing them share their much-needed gifts with the world. Julie loves connecting in her community and warmly invites you to join this positive, inclusive, sensitive family. Explore her resources and learn how her brain training program reduces anxiety within the first two weeks at JulieBjelland.com❤️🌈❤️ (she/her)
Willow McIntosh is the founder of Inluminance and creator of the High Sensory Coaching Program. Unique circumstances during Willow’s childhood led to the burying of his authentic self and complete misalignment to the work he was destined for. He began to carve his own path into understanding how people with sensory processing sensitivity can learn to use their genetic traits to their advantage. As an adult this led to a lifelong enquiry and practise into learning powerful energetic alignment techniques to re-engage with the authentic self. Willow believes that all people with the trait have the ability to tap into a unique skill that draws on a deeper sensory perception. Having successfully facilitated the development of seven figure businesses Willow’s practise has taken him all over the world. Speaking internationally, training in a broad range of fields and facilitating others for more than twenty years. http://highsensoryintelligence.com/
Meditation: Time in Your Essence
'Sensitive' Book Discussion with our HSP Coaches
Join our four HSP Coaches for this enlightening discussion about the recent book Sensitive by Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo.
Together, our coaches will bring perspectives on sensitivity as it relates to parenting, career choices, being self-employed, and working in corporate environments. New insights and real-life stories will be highlighted, and reflection questions will be offered for the audience to share.
This is a wonderful interview full of insights and joyful engagement with the audience, so you're sure to enjoy it.
Meet Your Hosts:
Val Nelson is a career and business coach for introverts and highly sensitive people (HSPs) who want meaningful work without the overwhelm. She enjoys helping people clarify their career or self-employment decisions. As an introvert and HSP herself, she used to think self-employment was not for her, but she ventured into it in 2009 and has been enjoying having a thriving business. Turns out introverts and HSPs can be great at self-employment if we do it our way. Val believes strongly that living your true purpose is a practical possibility and helps people achieve this through individual coaching, small groups, online courses, and her blog. It’s all designed around HSP needs. Learn more at https://valnelson.com..
Robbie Leigh is an empowerment coach, speaker, podcast host, and group facilitator. She helps HSPs craft lives they love by tuning into their sensitive strengths and inner wisdom, growing their self-love and self-compassion, and dismantling limiting beliefs. She spent many years as a trainer, facilitator, and Human Resources professional, never feeling like she fit in, often dimming her shine, and working hard to prove herself. She felt exhausted, frustrated, and unfulfilled which led to a physical, emotional, and mental health crisis. What followed was tremendous healing work and self-discovery. Breaking out of other people's boxes and learning to love, celebrate, and utilize her innate sensitive gifts has been transformational and she is on a mission to help other HSPs do the same. Learn more at robbieleigh.com
Ksenia Eliseev is a wayfinder coach for introverts and highly sensitive people (HSPs) especially in STEM professions who want to find more meaning and ease in their lives and careers. As an engineer-turned-life-coach, she helps logical thinkers reconnect with their creative nature, let go of resistance, and rediscover joy and fulfillment in their careers, leadership roles, relationships, and inspiring projects on their own terms. Ksenia believes in living life as an adventure led by a sense of wonder and curiosity, and she helps her clients achieve this through mindfulness, positive intelligence, and the integration of emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of ourselves. Learn more at www.inneradventure.com.
Lillian Ricardo is a whole life coach for highly sensitive women. She feels passionately about supporting sensitive women in career, relationships, parenting and self-care. Lillian especially enjoys coaching women in support of recognizing their own strengths and joys through play and connection. Lillian finds part of her own joy in holding a deeply present and safe space for others so that they may do the work to live more fully into what energizes and sustains their true selves. You can find more ways to connect with Lillian at www.lillianricardo.com
Founder of The HSP Podcast, Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is 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.
10 Reasons Why Highly Sensitive People Feel Challenged Making Friends with Julie Bjelland, LMFT
Highly sensitive people (HSPs) may encounter specific challenges when making friends due to their unique traits and sensitivities. Learn some reasons why HSPs might find it more challenging to make friends.
HSPs can make friends by leveraging their unique traits and sensitivities. Learn some specific tips to help build meaningful friendships.
Remember that making friends is not about changing who you are but finding individuals who appreciate you for your authentic self. It's perfectly okay to be selective about the people you allow into your life, as quality friendships can significantly impact your well-being as an HSP.
We love the deep connections we are making in The Sensitive Empowerment Community and have so many different ways to connect. We offer live events weekly, virtual Meet and Greets (even introverts love), live written chats, and discussions on various topics of interest. Many HSPs have shared that it’s the first time they have felt a sense of belonging. Being with other kind-hearted HSPs makes has a profound impact on our well-being, too!
Was this episode helpful? Please share it so other HSPs can feel supported! ❤️
Explore all resources talked about in this episode at HSPresources.com
Join the Sensitive Empowerment Community at SensitiveCommunity.com
The Benefits of Being In Tune With Our Bodies with Dr Julia Hipp and Andrea Weber
Join host Andrea Weber with special guest Dr. Julia Hipp as they discuss the benefits of being in tune with our bodies and how this can be helpful to our health and well-being.
Highly sensitive people have the gift of being able to do this more so than others when we are taking care of ourselves, when we are listening, and when we are honoring our needs. We are less able to tune in to what our bodies are telling us when we are stressed and overwhelmed.
Being in tune with our physical bodies can help us in the following ways:
urge us to seek the help that we may be needing
talk to our doctor with questions and concerns
take the time to rest and nurture when needed
make choices that are suitable for our needs
approach challenges with a renewed perspective
Andrea shares her experience with hypnobirthing and how this practice helped tremendously with the birth of her child, and Dr. Julia shares her many years of experience helping people become more aware and cognizant of what is happening with their bodies.
To help you connect with your body and tune in to the messages it wants to send you, Dr. Julia is offering you a link to a short guided focusing meditation, which can be accessed at achilleamedicine.com/meditation.
Meet our Guest Speaker, Dr. Julia Hipp
After healing from digestive issues, anxiety & PTS as a result of living near the World Trade Centers on 9/11, Dr. Julia became driven to help others as a licensed naturopathic doctor and empathic, highly sensitive person. She’s currently creating a new path in work as an Emotion Doula, providing physical & emotional support to women yearning to release the confident, strong & empowered version of themselves into the world.
You can learn more about Dr. Julia’s offerings by visiting www.achilleamedicine.com
Meet our Host
Andrea Weber assists sensitive people who are struggling with the day-to-day management of environmental sensitivities, including emf, chemical, and mold sensitivity. Andrea is the founder of Expansive Happiness® and the Self-Empowered Sensitivity Management Program and invites you to become more aware of the steps you can take to lead a happy and fulfilling life while managing a sensitivity.
Disclaimer: The information shared here is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.
Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is a renowned HSP Psychotherapist and a visionary leader in the field of high sensitivity. As the founder of the Sensitive Empowerment movement, 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.
Hosting a Dream Circle with Katharine Donovan Kane
Dream Circles – what are they, why are they important vehicles for dream appreciation, and how do you form one for your family or friends? These and other queries will be the focus of this intriguing class.
Dreams are stories emerging from our inner wisdom. They speak a non-literal, symbolic language. This introductory class offers participants an outline for hosting enriching, non-therapeutic dream circles, including how to create safe containers for dreamwork.
Meet our Guest Speaker
Katharine Donovan Kane (she/her) is certified in dreamwork, spiritual companionship, and life coaching. She is part spiritual guide, part coach holding space for others as they see and feel for themselves the edgy, energetic patterns in their waking life as well as their dreams.
You can learn more about Katharine's dreamwork offerings by visiting www.kdkane.com.
The Dream Circle PDF, as well as the video mentioned, can be accessed within our Sensitive Empowerment Community, and you can learn more and join at SensitiveCommunity.com
The HSP Podcast was created by Julie Bjelland, LMFT, a renowned HSP Psychotherapist and a visionary leader in the field of high sensitivity. As the founder of the Sensitive Empowerment movement, 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.
How Positive Psychology and Shadow Work Helps HSPs to Flourish with Gemma Sandwell
In this workshop, you'll learn about how the science of Positive Psychology and the method of Shadow Work can help you thrive as an HSP.
In a world full of overwhelm and stimulation having Positive Psychology as a tool is a must for HSPs to thrive. It increases brain regions responsible for creativity and productivity and shuts down those responsible for stress and anxiety.
Shadow work looks at the other end of the spectrum, the negative emotions and triggers we may feel. By using Shadow work, we can understand our subconscious mind and the reasons for our responses, and why we may be manifesting what we don't want into our reality.
It is the blend of these tools which helps us to balance our energy as HSPs and be our absolute best selves.
You will need a notebook and pen as you'll be invited to take part in some journaling if you wish to deepen this process.
Gemma Sandwell is an accredited Coach, Positive Psychology Practitioner and TEDx speaker. After 17 years of study in Positive Psychology, Mindfulness and Coaching, overcoming her own extreme anxiety and burnout and doing a TEDx. Gemma now works with a blend of neuroscience, energetics and Quantum Research to help Leaders, Entrepreneurs and Businesses be the best version of themselves. You can learn more about Gemma's work by visiting gemmasandwell.com
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Inner Child Healing - A Powerful Tool for Growing Self-Love with Julie Aird
Julie Aird has seen firsthand how powerful and profound Inner Child Work can be for personal growth and transformation through her own experiences as well as her clients.
Julie is excited to share with you a specific inner child practice that she has found to be one of the most powerful tools used in her 30+ years of personal and spiritual work.
Working with the inner child is one of the tools Julie uses to help us nurture and release parts of us that are stuck in our past so that we can be totally present in our adult lives. It’s like learning to re-parent our inner child so we are free to move forward.
Practicing this tool encourages more peace and fulfillment within. Challenges that used to overwhelm become an opportunity for healing and empowerment. Feelings of fear, anger, abandonment, and rejection can be transformed into feelings of safety, belongingness, acceptance, and unconditional love. When we grow in self-love, we are empowered to create a beautiful life that works for us as HSPs.
Join Julie Aird to learn about this healing tool and be prepared to experience beautiful shifts and transformation. Only you have the power to do this!
Julie Aird is an inspirational speaker, ICF-credentialed coach, spiritual director, and the Founder of Julie Aird Life Coaching. She is also the host of the Heart-Led Living podcast. Driven by her own journey of finding fulfillment within, Julie works with highly sensitive men and women who have pursued happiness in their careers, relationships, and family but are not feeling satisfied. Through powerful energetic, and heart-led practices, inner child work, and mindset coaching, Julie’s clients experience a profound awakening to an abiding sense of peace and fulfillment within. Julie lives in Mission Viejo, California, with her husband, Steve, and her son, Jacob. You can learn more about Julie and her work by visiting: https://julieaird.com/
Please Note: This inner child practice is one of the tools Julie uses for personal growth and transformation within her capacity as a certified coach. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness or medical condition.
an HSP Psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, and founder of the exceptionally ranked Sensitive Empowerment Community. Julie's HSP Podcast is among the top 5% of the most shared and followed worldwide. Her online courses and free resources have helped millions of HSPs reduce the challenges of living with sensitivity, and her greatest joy lies in helping HSPs discover their significant value to the world. Julie's brain training program has proven to reduce anxiety within the first two weeks. Explore all her resources at JulieBjelland.com
Intentionally Rediscovering Ourselves with Julie Bjelland and Willow McIntosh
Practicing intentional self-discovery after experiencing transitions (relationship/friendship/family/health/life changes, moves, career changes, etc) as well as learning about the trait of high sensitivity is crucial for reconnecting with our truest authentic selves and ensuring that we live in alignment with our current needs and values. Transitions have a way of reshaping us, sometimes causing us to lose touch with our innermost essence. By intentionally engaging in self-discovery, we create a space for introspection and reflection, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of who we are and what we truly want. This process empowers us to make conscious choices, make necessary adjustments, and live a life that is authentic, purposeful, and fulfilling.
We share some of our personal experiences throughout this episode and I hope you'll join us a few minutes before recording for some connection time.
Please visit HSPpodcast.com to leave comments on episodes, review the podcast, get links to our websites to contact us, and enjoy exploring all our episodes! We love hearing from you.
Interview with Jenn Granneman, co-author of 'Sensitive', hosted by Gracie King
Gracie King talks with Jenn Granneman about all things 'Sensitive' -The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too-Much World - and the important messages and insights it gives into the lives of highly sensitive people.
Topics covered included:
- how Jenn, as an introverted HSP, balances demanding entrepreneurship with meeting her own sensitive needs
- why Jenn feels passionate about educating the public about high sensitivity and advocating for HSPs and everyone to embrace the gifts of sensitivity
- what HSPs should carefully consider before deciding whether to have children
- how HSP parents can balance meeting their family's needs as well as their own
- how HSPs who want to change the world can do so without burning out
- why the Sensitive Boost Effect gives hope to HSPs who struggle to appreciate their sensitive nature
- ways to transition from Threat mode into Soothe mode
- what the world might look like after a Sensitive Revolution
Jenn Granneman is the founder of Introvert, Dear, the world’s largest community for introverts. Jenn is also the co-author of SENSITIVE and the author of THE SECRET LIVES OF INTROVERTS.
An educator and a journalist, Jenn has been featured in the NY Times, the Washington Post, the BBC, and more.
Since embracing her own introversion and sensitivity, she laughs about reading too many self-help books and lives a pleasantly boring life in St. Paul, Minnesota. https://introvertdear.com
Host Gracie King has a background in psychology and counseling and is now on a mission as a Positive Psychology Wellness Coach to serve and lift up HSPs who've struggled with recurring depression and exhaustion, accompanying them on their journey toward healing, belonging, and thriving. Learn more at Vibrant HSP.
You can join Gracie's group in the Sensitive Empowerment Community, Spiral Up, to connect deeply with others who are navigating depression, to feel supported around your healing and growth journey, and to learn new tools to strengthen and elevate your health and wellbeing.
** Be sure to check out Gracie's past events located in our replay library about Navigating Change and Taming Perfectionism.
We love hearing from you! Please leave comments and explore more episodes at HSPpodcast.com
Soothing Sound Bath Meditation for Relaxation and Release with Brandy Jenkins
This restorative sound bath with crystal and Himalayan singing bowls was created to promote deep relaxation and stress relief.
Singing bowls elicit frequencies and vibrations that support the brain and work on a cellular level to promote a sense of inner peace, clarity & centeredness, which can help reduce stress and promote a renewed sense of well-being.
The following will help you gain the most from the experience:
- Use earphones, earbuds, or a good external speaker for the best experience.
- Find a quiet space where you can comfortably sit or lay down and relax.
- You may include blankets, pillows, an eye mask, candles or essential oils. Use whatever supports your mind and body to settle.
- Dress comfortably
Brandy Jenkins , MA, MT-BC is a board certified music therapist and sound practitioner. Her specialty is supporting nervous system health and sustainable self-care practices through a blend of coaching and sound-based interventions designed specifically for stress, fatigue, and burnout. You can learn more from her website: www.brandyjenkins.com.
Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is an HSP Psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, and founder of the exceptionally ranked Sensitive Empowerment Community. Julie's HSP Podcast is among the top 5% of the most shared and followed worldwide. Her online courses and free resources have helped millions of HSPs reduce the challenges of living with sensitivity, and her greatest joy lies in helping HSPs discover their significant value to the world. Julie's brain training program has proven to reduce anxiety within the first two weeks. Explore all her resources at JulieBjelland.com
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I invite you to join our HSP family in the Sensitive Empowerment Community! Learn more at SensitiveCommunity.com
The Muddle of the Mind and How to Claim our True Sense of Self with Willow McIntosh
As HSPs, one of the greatest challenges we face is managing our energy and our thoughts. This can wreak havoc when it comes to our well-being, productivity, and sense of self-value.
It is often helpful to consider that we are not our minds. Even though our minds can feel so prominent to us as HSPs because of how extensively we are processing.
The nature of who we are does not reside in our minds and thoughts. The truth of who we are is a much deeper experience.
In this episode, we consider the pain associated with the false self we tend to identify with at the cost of our real sense of self. We look at the energetics of this. In other words, the energetic sensations we experience in our bodies, our hearts, and intuitive senses.
We explore how we can learn to gradually shift our awareness back into self-ownership and experience the truth of who we are. A shift that can relieve us of a great deal of difficulty and lead us to a true sense of purpose, belonging, and self.
Willow McIntosh is the founder of Inluminance and creator of the High Sensory Coaching Program. Unique circumstances during Willow’s childhood led to the burying of his authentic self and complete misalignment to the work he was destined for. He began to carve his own path into understanding how people with sensory processing sensitivity can learn to use their genetic traits to their advantage. As an adult this led to a lifelong enquiry and practise into learning powerful energetic alignment techniques to re-engage with the authentic self. Willow believes that all people with the trait have the ability to tap into a unique skill that draws on a deeper sensory perception. Having successfully facilitated the development of seven figure businesses Willow’s practise has taken him all over the world. Speaking internationally, training in a broad range of fields and facilitating others for more than twenty years. http://highsensoryintelligence.com/
Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is an HSP Psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, and founder of the exceptionally ranked Sensitive Empowerment Community. Julie's HSP Podcast is among the top 5% of the most shared and followed worldwide. Her online courses and free resources have helped millions of HSPs reduce the challenges of living with sensitivity, and her greatest joy lies in helping HSPs discover their significant value to the world. Julie's brain training program has proven to reduce anxiety within the first two weeks. Explore all her resources at JulieBjelland.com
Helping our Young HSP Adults Through Times of Transition with Carolina Mariposa and Andrea Weber
Join us as we explore how to help our young HSP adults transition through major milestones such as finishing school, starting college, moving out of home, taking on their first jobs, and navigating the world around them.
Some of the topics discussed include:
The inherent challenges within transitions and their impact on HSPs
What needs young adult HSPs have from their family members during major transitions
What types of support young adult HSPs and/or their family members may need during times of transition
Types of tools that may be helpful during a transition and how to match tools/strategies to the needs of your particular situation
Join our Community
The Sensitive Empowerment Community is a positive alternative to social media for sensitive people. We warmly invite you to explore all it offers, join our next events, or even host an episode on The HSP Podcast! Learn more at SensitiveCommunity.com
Meet our Guest Speaker
Carolina Mariposa, M.S., M.I.M., is a licensed psychotherapist and medical intuitive who specializes in working with highly sensitive children, teens and parents. She also has the sacred responsibility of being a mother to a strong, sensitive and empathic child. She is passionate about teaching HSP's to connect with their innate wisdom so that they feel more grounded, joyful, creative and empowered. While she is endorsed in California as an Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist, she loves supporting children of all ages and collaborating with those who see parenthood as an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth. You can learn more about Carolina's work by visiting butterflygrovehsp.com. Listen to another episode with Carolina on The HSP Podcast, Episode 153: Strategies to Support Empathic Kids, Teens and Parents
Meet our Interviewer
Andrea Weber is the founder of expansivehappiness.com, an inspirational site helping those with environmental sensitivities lead happy and fulfilling lives through constructive sensitivity management. On the website, you can find practical resources, sign up for regular communications and enroll in the Self-Empowered Sensitivity Management Program. Andrea is on a personal mission to create much needed change and acceptance around these conditions and supports sensitive people through her writing, programs, and presentations.
Julie Bjelland is a psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, Author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, host of The HSP Podcast, and founder of the Sensitive Empowerment Community. Her books, blog, online courses, and free Classes have helped thousands of highly sensitive people (HSPs) worldwide reduce their challenges, access their gifts, and discover their significant value to thrive to their fullest potential. Her HSPs in Heart-Centered Business Group connects and supports HSP healers and practitioners. Julie loves connecting in her Sensitive Empowerment Community and warmly invites you to join this positive, safe, and welcoming space. JulieBjelland.com❤️🌈❤️ (she/her)
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Understanding the Importance of Our Role Locally and Globally as HSPs with Willow McIntosh
The trait of high sensitivity is becoming more and more widely known in the world these days. We are beginning to understand the advantages as well as learning how to manage our challenges.
It is most encouraging to know that the trait is genetic and not caused through trauma or conditioning. It is naturally occurring and designed to give the human race an advantage. Our ability to process more deeply allows us to perceive and understand the world differently. It is understood that initially, nature gave us this ability to be aware of more in our surroundings to give us an evolutionary advantage for our survival.
As we have evolved, so has our ability to utilize these abilities in the world. We are able to see a wider picture of information around us, especially in our own natural area of purpose and competence.
This week we will look at the various areas of life that benefit greatly from our wider perspective such as schooling, the classroom and education, healthcare and wellbeing, and the corporate world of employees and managers. We also take a look at our role in leadership and supporting those in leadership.
The range of our ability provides new ways of seeing things to continue to promote change and evolution. Empowering each of us to recognize our own area of interest and the role we can play at a personal level.
Willow McIntosh is the founder of Inluminance and creator of the High Sensory Coaching Program. Unique circumstances during Willow’s childhood led to the burying of his authentic self and complete misalignment to the work he was destined for. He began to carve his own path into understanding how people with sensory processing sensitivity can learn to use their genetic traits to their advantage. As an adult this led to a lifelong enquiry and practise into learning powerful energetic alignment techniques to re-engage with the authentic self. Willow believes that all people with the trait have the ability to tap into a unique skill that draws on a deeper sensory perception. Having successfully facilitated the development of seven figure businesses Willow’s practise has taken him all over the world. Speaking internationally, training in a broad range of fields and facilitating others for more than twenty years. http://highsensoryintelligence.com/
Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is an HSP psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, the author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, and founder of the Sensitive Empowerment Community. Her HSP Podcast ranks among the top 5% of the most shared and followed podcasts worldwide. Julie’s webinars. resources, online courses, and blog have helped millions of HSPs reduce the challenges of living with sensitivity in an overstimulating world. Her greatest joy is helping sensitive people discover their significant value and seeing them share their much-needed gifts with the world. Julie loves connecting in her community and warmly invites you to join this positive, inclusive, sensitive family. Explore her resources and learn how her brain training program reduces anxiety within the first two weeks at JulieBjelland.com❤️🌈❤️ (she/her)
The Importance of Understanding our Value as HSPs with Willow and Julie
The notion of value can mean different things. Yet in the context of personal value, it can mean the difference between a life of struggle and one of meaning and abundance. As HSPs, the value we bring to the world is often connected to our ability to process more deeply. In other words, the way in which we see and perceive the world brings a valuable perspective to our respective arenas of interest. For example, if we work with people, the ability to see and feel more gives us a greater capacity to enthuse, guide and lead. If we work as therapists or coaches, our higher sensory awareness gives us a great advantage in perceiving what is in the way of someone’s well-being or potential.
Our perspective is often where our value lies. Yet, for many of us, the sensitivities that make this possible were not recognized as an advantage during our early development and schooling. Therefore we can sometimes find ourselves walking a path that we are told to or believe we should walk because society dictates. The end result often leads us away from being able to recognize and actualize our value. Join us this week as we explore how all of us, as HSPs, can find our value by recognizing the area of life that matters most to us. The benefits of owning self-value are there for us all, bringing the opportunity of a life of purpose, worth, and significance.
Willow's Offerings: Willow McIntosh is a leading high-sensory coach that trains HSPs to become coaches! You can train to become a High Sensory Coach through a coaching program exclusively created for HSPs. Learn more about Willow McIntosh’s Coaching Program here. Be sure to mention learning about it from Julie on The HSP Podcast. He has a special place in his heart for you.
Julie's Offerings: My courses are currently 50% off and will help calm your sensitive nervous system, embrace your neurodiverse gifts, and learn how to harness your supercomputer brain. Learn more at HSPcourses.com. Join us in the Sensitive Empowerment Community at SensitiveCommunity.com
Saving HSP Lives and Improving Mental Health with Julie Bjelland
In a recent survey of 326 HSPs collected over five days between December 17-22, 2022
- over 90% of HSPs have had thoughts of suicide.
- over 18% have attempted suicide
- almost 33% use alcohol or drugs to numb emotional pain.
We can learn a lot from this survey on how to support and save HSP lives.
Things that were named that make it hard to cope- Overwhelming and intense emotions
- Sensory overload
- Absorbing the suffering of others and the world
- Feeling different and misunderstood
- Not understanding how to support their sensitivity
In the survey, HSPs also identified three main areas that helped them cope, which we can use to help others. Within each of the three areas, I have resources.
- Learning About the Trait of High Sensitivity
- Self-Care the HSP Way
- Supportive People
- made them feel less alone in how they experienced the world
- opened up a window to understanding themselves.
- helped explain why they experienced the world the way they did
- helped them understand why they always felt different from those around them.
- It also helped them understand, accept, and honor that their self-care needs look different than most.
These factors improved wellness, self-esteem, self-compassion, and coping ability.
2. Self-Care the HSP WayHSPs reported that when they started being consistent about specific types of self-care that reduced sensory overload and supported the sensitive nervous system, their mental and physical health improved, offering greater resiliency and coping skills.
3. Supportive PeopleThose that reported having supportive people around them named it as one of the key factors in improving wellness and mental health.
Immediate ResourcesIf you know someone who is struggling with thoughts of suicide, let them know they are not alone and that there is immediate help available 24 hours a day. They can call, text, or chat at 988, and you will be connected to trained counselors in the United States at the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, always available 24 hours a day, free and confidential. Internationally, you can find suicide hotlines in your country at the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
Resources to Support Highly Sensitive People's Mental Health
Learn more about high sensitivity and self-care tools that work, and join our Sensitive Empowerment Community for daily support! Everything can be found at HSPresources.com
'Our Spiritual Experience as HSPs and the Connection with Purpose' hosted by Willow McIntosh
Willow shares: The depth of our relationship with the natural world is often a very important part of who we are as HSPs. Yet for many of us religion and spirituality become tricky areas. Usually because we have been having a powerful spiritual relationship with the world around us ever since we were little. Oftentimes we are told or taught as young people that our world view is supposed to fit into a particular genre or existing framework.
From all of my work with HSPs over the years, the connection we have at a deeper level with the world, is a big part of who we are. The part of us that feels into the truth of things. A deeper experience of reality, both within ourselves and the natural world. Feeling safe to explore this part of who we are, brings a great gift with it. It helps us to understand that our deeper experience of the true nature of things is very much aligned with our purpose and place in the world. That in fact the ability we have to commune with nature, ourselves and others at a deep level, is what gives us our ability to serve in a deep and meaningful way.
We are often referred to as the 'Spiritual Leaders', the 'Guardians of the Inner World' and the 'Spiritual Advisors'. Owning and knowing how to utilise this part of who we are is a wonderful act of self love and self acceptance.
Join me this week as I open the discussion around our high sensory experience from a spiritual point of view. An opportunity to begin to normalise a very important part of who we are. A part that can bring great clarity and meaning to the work we are here to do for both ourselves and humanity.
Willow McIntosh is the founder of Inluminance and creator of the High Sensory Coaching Program. Unique circumstances during Willow’s childhood lead to the burying of his authentic self and complete misalignment to the work he was destined for. He began to carve his own path into understanding how people with sensory processing sensitivity can learn to use their genetic traits to their advantage. As an adult this lead to a lifelong enquiry and practise into learning powerful energetic alignment techniques to re-engage with the authentic self. Willow believes that all people with the trait have the ability to tap into a unique skill that draws on a deeper sensory perception. Having successfully facilitated the development of seven figure businesses Willow’s practise has taken him all over the world. Speaking internationally, training in a broad range of fields and facilitating others for more than twenty years. http://highsensoryintelligence.com/
The HSP Podcast has been rated in the top 5% most followed and most shared globally! Thank you for sharing to help other HSPs! Check out more episodes at HSPpodcast.com
Lifting the Cloud off Climate Change with Alex Arnold
Climate anxiety and eco-grief are on the rise. Yet the terms are so new that you may not even know that’s what you’re experiencing. According to Dr. Stowe, Executive Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, the most important impact we, as individuals, can have on climate change is by increasing "climate conversations." So let's talk about it!
What I am sharing is non-political, non-judgmental, and not pressuring you to do anything. Quite the opposite. This podcast is for highly sensitive people who feel overwhelmed at the thought of the climate crisis, experience grief, fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and/or other complex emotions. You may also feel stuck and unsure where to start or don't believe that you can make a difference. That’s ok because we hurt where we care.
Acknowledging fear and grief is our starting point. Once we accept our discomfort, we can learn tools to manage it. Once we understand the science of what motivates us, we can gain clarity on what we truly care about and what we do best. And once we meet others with similar interests and values, we can move forward with accountability, support and have fun along the way.
Most importantly, let's give ourselves permission to take a deep breath. Therein lies the source of positive change, for ourselves, for those around us, and for our planet.
I'm Alex, an ICF-accredited (ACC) climate resilience coach with a Master’s in Organizational Psychology. As a coach and someone with High Sensory Sensitivity (HSS), I am here to provide a sanctuary for other sensitive, shy, or introverted women who deeply care about climate change so that they, and the planet, can thrive. Using strengths-based approaches like Positive Psychology and Appreciative Inquiry, I support women who feel stuck, overwhelmed, helpless, guilty or don't know where to start to make a difference. Through powerful questions, deep listening and empathy, I help them discover their strengths, get clarity on what they really want for a meaningful life and sustainable future, and share practical tools so that they can learn to coach themselves and build hope, resilience, and a strong sense of confidence that they too, can make a positive difference - no matter how small. thequietactivists.com
For more information about this podcast, and the courses and community mentioned in this episode visit SensitiveConnection.com
Personal Update, New Resource, Neurodiversity, HSP Library
Sharing a personal update and a new resource I created for you to help you advocate for your needs medically. Plus, I talk about the Standford Neurodiversity Summit, the similarities and differences between Autism and HSPs, and how our challenges with Sensory Overload are similar for those of us high on the sensitivity scale. Sensory Overload tends to be one of our biggest challenges and often the culprit of emotional reactivity, anxiety, irritability, sleep issues, exhaustion, and even loss of productivity, creativity, and focus. I share some of the HSP events we have coming up and how to watch the replays of past events in our HSP library! I love that the community hosts HSP events every week and benefits from many different HSP experiences and gifts. About the HSP Trait and Sharing it with Others, Addiction and Recovery, Ayurveda, Black HSPs and Leadership, Boundaries, Climate Change, Creativity (painting & cooking classes), Dreams, Empaths, Empowerment and Confidence, Energy Medicine, Healing, and Protection, Environmental Sensitivity, High Sensation Seeking (HSS HSPs), Inner Child, Intuition, Julie and Willow, Julie Teaches and Answers HSP Questions, Leadership Sensitive Males, Meditation, Mindfulness, and Grounding, Music by HSPs, Nutrition and Health (includes Menopause), Perfectionism, Relationships and Sexuality, Self-Compassion and Self-Acceptance, Sensitive Kids and Teens, Stress, Yoga
Find all the resources mentioned in this episode at www.HSPresources.com
Lower Anxiety, Improve Wellness and Discover Your Sensitive Gifts with Julie Bjelland, hosted by Bevin Niemann-Cortez
This interview is part of the Empaths, Sensitives & Intuitives Summit, a free online event. For more information, please visit https://evolvedempathsummit.com. This recording is a copyright of The Shift Network. All rights reserved.
I'll discuss the three steps to conscious wellness for Highly Sensitive People and Empaths. Learn about high sensitivity, understand brain differences making you more susceptible to anxiety, and how to regulate your sensitive nervous system. Live consciously, guided by your body cues and intuition, doing what's right for you, and self-care the HSP way. Spending time with other Highly Sensitive People and Empaths transforms your life, helping you to normalize your experience and see your value. In this session, you’ll:
- Feel understood and validated in how you experience the world as a highly sensitive person (HSP)
- Learn why HSPs need to practice a different type of self-care than most of the population, what works, and what doesn't
- Understand your incredible gifts that come with sensitivity and how you are needed in the world
Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is a psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, and host of The HSP Podcast. Her Sensitive Empowerment Community, online courses, blog, and free webinars have helped thousands of highly sensitive people (HSPs) worldwide reduce their challenges, access their gifts, and discover their significant value. Julie loves connecting in her community and warmly invites you to join this positive, safe, inclusive, and welcoming space. Take her free sensitivity quiz, get a letter to give to your medical and mental health team, learn how her brain training program reduces anxiety quickly, and find all her resources JulieBjelland.com❤️🌈❤️ (she/her)
Navigating Change as HSPs with Gracie King
Big life changes (even positive ones!) can turn our worlds upside down. For HSPs, being able to put many routines on autopilot can save precious energy and processing time.
So how can we better navigate the big changes that interrupt our finely honed routines?
This event addresses why change impacts HSPs so much, and how we can better prepare for expected changes and bounce back sooner from unexpected ones. Several tools are offered for maneuvering effectively through change using openness, curiosity, and lightness.
Gracie King has a background in psychology and counseling and is now on a mission as a Positive Psychology Wellness Coach to serve and lift up HSPs who've struggled with recurring depression and exhaustion, accompanying them on their journey toward healing, belonging, and thriving. Learn how to work with her at Vibrant HSP.
You can also join Gracie's group, Spiral Up, within Julie Bjelland's Sensitive Empowerment Community to connect deeply with others who are navigating depression, feel supported around your healing and growth journey, and learn new tools to strengthen and elevate your health and wellbeing.
How to discover your purpose as an HSP with Willow and Julie
As HSPs we actually have an advantage when it comes to discovering our purpose. Our ability to process the world at a deeper level allows us particular abilities. These abilities are intended and why the trait naturally occurs in 20% of the population. The way in which we each process the world from a sensory point of view is unique to each of us, yet it is happening for a reason. A reason that is linked to areas of life we each care deeply about. By exploring what matters to us most and considering how we have had particular callings since we were children, helps us to see how our sensory perception is actually designed to serves them. It is through this inquiry that we can begin to reveal innate areas of competence and how we can serve the world in a way that is deeply fulfilling. This in turn is how we can each find our area of interest and how this begins to reveal our purpose. Join us this week as we open the discussion around this exciting topic!
I recommend Willow McIntosh’s Coaching Program here.
Explore more episodes, get resources to thrive, and join our Sensitive Empowerment Community at SensitiveConnection.com
- Join our next live podcast in the Sensitive Empowerment Community
- Take Julie's Brain Training Course
- Explore all our episodes at HSPpodcast.com
- Find everything at SensitiveConnection.com
- HSP Practitioners Directory
Redefining our Relationship with Money With Sarah McCrum and Andrea Weber
Sarah McCrum has a most intuitive and insightful perspective about money, how money is seen, how it is valued and how it is used. Her enlightened approach has helped so many people make a real difference in their lives, both personally and professionally.
So much of what is possible for us to accomplish is unwittingly blocked by our own ingrained beliefs, our misalignment with receiving and our focus on worry and limitation.
There is a way forward through all of these challenges. In this refreshing presentation, Sarah will cover the following:
- How to make money your friend
- What money really is and how it really works
- Asking for what you want in a way that works
- How to relax about money
- Becoming open and receptive to money
- The new energy of money for business models
- A glimpse into the future of money
Sarah McCrum is an author, educator and business innovator. She's the Founder of Liberate Humanity, which is a place for learning and sharing the skills for liberation of the human spirit. Sarah has spent more than 20 years teaching and coaching business owners and their families. She's the creator of the innovative program, Thank You Money, based on the principles of her book, Love Money, Money Loves You. Over 10,000 people have completed courses with Sarah, building a relationship with money that's founded in love, abundance, generosity and nature.
You can connect with Sarah and learn more about her work by visiting liberatehumanity.com
Sarah has a special offer of listening to a relaxation music video and if you like this presentation you can sign up for the first four chapters of Sarah's book, "Love Money, Money Loves You." Please visit lovemoneyebook.com
About Our Host
Andrea Weber is the founder of Expansive Happiness®, an inspirational site designed to help those with environmental sensitivities lead happy and fulfilling lives through constructive sensitivity management. On the website, you can find many more resources, sign up for regular communications, take the free Environmental Sensitivity Quiz and enrol in the Self-Empowered Sensitivity Management Program.
Conscious Living for HSPs Seeking Wellness with Julie and Willow
Conscious living means paying attention to what supports our mind, body, and soul to help us live fulfilling, healthy lives. As sensitive people, we are exposed to and more affected by stress, environmental concerns, the energy of the people around us, and what we eat!
Overwhelm, anxiety, brain fog, low energy and mood, skin problems, pain, chronic health conditions, etc., can all improve when we make conscious choices about what is right for us and what isn’t.
Sometimes that means we do things out of the box, too, and we want to encourage and support you to pave your own path that works for you.
Mind
Manage stress, set boundaries, and live consciously. What supports you and what doesn’t?
Lowering your stress will have a significant impact on your health.
Body
Food is medicine, and it’s even more true for HSPs! What we put in our body, what is absorbed in our skin (the largest organ), and what we are exposed to daily in our environment can all significantly impact our health and well-being. Are you eating whole, healthy foods? Processed foods aren’t good for anyone, especially HSPs! What products are you using on your skin and cleaning with around your home? Are they natural or filled with chemicals that might be hurting you?
-Your body gives you cues about your wellness. With increased insula activation, you are even more conscious of how your body reacts. Pay attention. Slow down and listen.
Soul
Living in a meaningful way, doing work, hobbies, volunteering, etc. that fulfill you is especially important for HSPs. Spend time every day in nature. It’s a reset button for us and incredibly good for our wellness!
- Trust your flow and know that what works for you might be different than others.
- Spend time with nature every day.
- Take time to yourself every day. Slow down and pay attention.
- Pay attention, be conscious, and be intentional.
- When you eat something, how do you feel after?
- Set boundaries when you are around people that make you feel icky.
- Is the energy of your home positive or chaotic? Are there things you can do to improve it?
- Are you overgiving to others and under-giving to yourself?
- Honor what makes you feel your best.
- Surround yourself with people who support your well-being
We’ve covered so many topics supporting your wellness we encourage you to explore the episodes at HSPpodcast.com and join our Sensitive Empowerment Community and see how good it feels to be surrounded by kind-hearted HSPs living consciously.
Recommended Groups to Join in the Community
- Spiral Up Group- Overcoming Depression: 💗 Healing, Belonging, & Thriving
- Design Your Life Group-
Celebrates conscious living by encouraging you to create a life that lights you up ✨
Every little bit helps. There is no such thing as perfection. Start with areas in your life that feel doable. Working on our inner selves with a guide can be so helpful too. Find an HSP coach, healer, or therapist on our HSP Practitioners Directory.
Join our Sensitive Empowerment Community, explore more episodes and resources for highly sensitive people, including the sensitivity quiz, letter to give your medical and mental health providers, an HSP Practitioners Directory, Julie's courses, and more at www.JulieBjelland.com
Learn more about Willow's Coaching Program to help you share your gifts with the world.
Discussing Environmental Sensitivity with Family, Friends and Colleagues with Andrea Weber
Thousands of people all over the world manage environmental sensitivities every day. While chemical sensitivity, mold sensitivity, and sensitivity to light and noise are more readily understood and accepted, there is still much-needed change around electrical sensitivity (EHS or sensitivity to EMFs). Environmentally sensitive people typically struggle with having these conversations due to the misperceptions, judgment, and negativity surrounding them.
The only way to bring about positive change and remove the stigma often associated with these sensitivities is through open and honest discussion, raising awareness, acceptance, and understanding of the impact environmental exposures have on day-to-day living for those who are sensitive.
Andrea Weber shares the importance of discussing environmental sensitivities with family, friends, and colleagues in this informative presentation and how to do this comfortably and confidently. The information shared is based on Andrea’s experience of what has and has not worked as an environmentally sensitive person.
Andrea Weber is the founder of Expansive Happiness®, an inspirational site designed to help those with environmental sensitivities lead happy and fulfilling lives through constructive sensitivity management. You can find many more resources on the website, sign up for regular communications, take the free Environmental Sensitivity Quiz and enroll in the Self-Empowered Sensitivity Management Program.
The Gift and the Curse of Decision Making as HSPs with Willow and Julie
Making decisions as HSPs can be taxing at the best of times. Our ability to process at a deep level means we can end up in an ever-expanding thought cycle. Things can become quite difficult when coupled with the anxiety of a potentially unwanted outcome. With high levels of intuition and the ability to feel deeply, we have a significant advantage in decision-making. When we allow it, there is a strong sense of knowing that is there to guide us on a day-to-day basis. Yet how can we tap into these abilities more consciously and come to rely on them? In this episode, we look at some tried and tested methods that can be valuable tools in this area. Including what it means to support a decision once it has been made. We will also explore the common sensation of expansion and contraction that many of us experience in our bodies when we ask for guidance. We will also look at the differences between thinking and knowing and the profound relationship many HSPs have with the notion of truth.
Explore more episodes at HSPpodcast.com
Resources Mentioned in Episode
Take Julie's Brain Training Course
Learn more about Willow's Coaching Program
Find more resources for HSPs at JulieBjelland.com
Strategies to Support Empathic Kids, Teens and Parents with Carolina Mariposa
Calling all Empaths! Do you and your children have difficulty discerning which emotions are yours vs. which belong to other people? As a parent, do you sometimes get overwhelmed or into conflict with your sensitive empathic child when they show intense emotions? This event includes an overview of the energetic anatomy of empathy and an introduction to three energy healing techniques which may support you and your child in managing emotional input and fostering feelings of calm in your relationship. There is an experiential component in the last 10 minutes during which you will be guided to use the three tools.
Carolina Mariposa, M.S., M.I.M., is a licensed psychotherapist and medical intuitive who specializes in working with highly sensitive children, teens and parents. She also has the sacred responsibility of being a mother to a strong, sensitive and empathic child. She is passionate about teaching HSP's to connect with their innate wisdom so that they feel more grounded, joyful, creative and empowered. While she is endorsed in California as an Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist, she loves supporting children of all ages and collaborating with those who see parenthood as an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth.
Anyone who signs up for her email list via the Butterfly Grove website receives a link to a free 90-minute webinar: Cornerstones of Sensitive Parenting. You are also welcome to check out the resources page of the website which is updated weekly with blog posts, videos and guided meditations! https://www.butterflygrovehsp.com/resources
Join our next live events in The Sensitive Empowerment Community
Explore all HSP resources at JulieBjelland.com
Self Care Ritual for HSP Empaths with Sara Dessau Lopez
During this self-care practice, Sara gently guides us through a series of at-home rituals and sends us healing reiki to help create a clear and clean energetic line. I encourage you to revisit this whenever life gets overwhelming and you desire peace, calm, and focus.
Please add your comments and thank Sara for sharing these beautiful tools with us ❤️
Sara Lopez is an intuitive coach, empath expert, and reiki healer in Vermont, U.S. She is the founder of Empath Magic, a digital community for empaths creating focused transformation.
Sara’s experience with chronic pelvic pain and severe anxiety in her 20’s finally led her on a journey to overcome overwhelm from high sensitivity. When she learned about highly sensitive people and empaths, she finally understood herself better and learned to navigate the world in a new way.
Her journey led her to teaching in the public schools for 14 years and then to doing an intensive apprenticeship with women’s health experts based in New York City. From there, she coached countless women struggling with pelvic pain. She found something was missing from the women’s health coaching world: the emotional piece. When she began supporting women to focus on emotional healing, she was amazed to watch them find physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental balance and transformation.
Now, she guides empaths to create focused transformation from a place of confidence and calm. She believes empaths are healers of the world’s wounds who deserve to be better understood. Her work has been published in the Sensitive Empowerment community, Core Spirit, and Period magazine. https://empathmagic.com
We warmly invite you to join (or host) our next live events in our Sensitive Empowerment Community
Answering HSP Questions with Julie & Wilow
Julie and Willow answer your HSP Questions!
- How can we stay regulated and balanced while we are feeling deep excitement so we can sleep?
- Can you speak to how perfectionism keeps us trapped from trying out new things and leading our lives with curiosity?
- I get severe overwhelm when driving, particularly in busy or unfamiliar areas. Also going to places such as airports. I was wondering what advice you might have for such situations
- When things get really busy for me I can become very drained and tired. My body can become achy and fatigued and also mentally it's like I have brain fog and can't process quickly or focus, and that leads to making mistakes. I know that it's because we are sensing and taking in so much and that we need to rest and practice self-care at such times. I'm wondering if you have any tips in terms of energy when going through busy times when you can't always practice those self-care tips that help preserve energy.
- How do/did you establish your boundary around what you share publically about your childhood when it comes to emotional neglect, childhood trauma, and parents?
- How can you find an HSP psychotherapist?
- I was wondering if you could share any tips you have to deactivate the flight or flight response when it kicks in.
- And More
Join us live for our next podcast in our Sensitive Empowerment Community, and check out our bios and more episodes at HSPpodcast.com. Explore more resources for HSPs including free classes and our HSP Practitioners Directory at SensitiveConnection.com
How to manage low energy, negative thoughts, and overprocessing as HSPs with Willow and Julie
Links mentioned in the episode
Join our next live podcast in the Sensitive Empowerment Community at SensitiveCommunity.com
Learn more about Willow's Coaching Program to help you share your gifts with the world. www.juliebjelland.com/hsp-blog/making-life-make-sense-again-by-willow-mcintosh
Explore all our episodes at HSPpodcast.com
Explore all of Julie's HSP resources at SensitiveConnection.com
Emotional Wounding Support During Hard Times with Julie & Willow
HSPs high on my Sensitivity Scale tend to absorb the world's pain. Plus life can hit us with a bunch of emotional wounds or hard times all at impacting both our physical and mental health.
Examples of Emotional Wounding…
- Painful world events and images seen on the news
- Social media, discrimination, hatred…
- Death or pain of loved ones including animals and even trees.
- Negative self talk and self-criticism
- Medical or mental health challenges
What helps?
When life stressors knock us down, here are loving ways to support yourself…
- think about emotional injury as the same as physical injury in the sense that it involves a time of care and nurturing healing.
- lovingly acknowledge the emotions, check in with your inner child with self-compassion, like how we might respond to children when they need support—loving, caring, gentle, patient, compassionate.
- remind yourself that the intensity of the feeling is temporary and won't feel this way forever.
- accept yourself as a deep feeler, think of the ebb and flow of nature, and accept your flow.
- stop your to-do list and focus instead on... "what do I need at this moment." Letting go of some responsibilities allows us to focus on our needs. It's ok to say no or change plans.
- up your self care and also spend a lot of time in nature, in water or near water, and with trees and quiet places. It's HSP medicine for most everything.
- slow down, let go, and ask for help if needed, prioritize tending to your wellness.
- cuddle pets, practice mindfulness, stare at the sky and watch the clouds move slowly, listen to the birds, observe tiny plants, leaves, blooms, make time to see the sunrise and sunset. The little things fill up our positivity tank to support the extra stressors.
- journal to reflect and process, weighted blankets, herbal teas, cuddling pets
- focus on the basics when exhausted…hydrating, making sure to eat something healthy, take baths, drink warm tea, lay under a weighted blanket, and allow yourself to just be.
- be kind and patient with yourself and not add additional pressures or expectations. We can turn to nature to remind us that the season of growth will come again, and it's ok to experience some dormancy and internal time as we work through whatever we might be experiencing.
- Limit news watching and balance it with positivity fill-ups (8 positives to neutralize 1 negative)
- Put action into helping and look for the helpers doing amazing things from their heart
- communities and podcasts like this one!
- connection to kind-hearted HSPs (join our live podcast episodes, events, and monthly Meet and Greets)
- more tools and support means you’ll be more resilient and balanced, learning conscious living choices that work for HSPs.
Recommended Resources
- HSP Practitioners Directory
- 'Tips & Tools to Thrive' Topic in the community.
- Brain Training Course and HSP Toolbox Course
Find everything at SensitiveConnection.com
Discovering You Have an Environmental Sensitivity - Managing Overwhelm and Important Decisions with Andrea Weber
Realizing you have environmental sensitivities to things like chemicals, EMFs or mold can be overwhelming. Many people don't know much about these sensitivities, what to do, where to go for help or how to explain what's happening and this can lead to additional stress and emotional burden on top of what is already being experienced with physical symptoms.
This insightful presentation will cover the following:
- Self-compassion through initial overwhelm
- Gaining perspective and the next steps to take
- Finding a medical practitioner who can help
- Immediate interventions to reduce exposures
- Working through tools for relief and wellbeing
- Planning ahead to minimize triggers
- Thinking about the future in terms of home/work environments
Discovering you have an environmental sensitivity can be an overwhelming and isolating experience with so many questions, emotions, and decisions to make. In this informative presentation, Andrea shares how to navigate your way through this and provides a practical roadmap of important considerations. It's empowering and reassuring to know that there are things you can do to make a difference and that help and support are available.
Find out more about the valuable work Andrea is doing to help environmentally sensitive people by visiting expansivehappiness.com
You can take the free Environmental Sensitivity Quiz and explore the Self-empowered Sensitivity Management Program.
You'll also receive the "Top Ten Tips to Managing an Environmental Sensitivity" when you sign up for regular communications.
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- See Andrea's previous episode: Episode 137: Keys to Managing Environmental Sensitivity with Andrea Weber
- Join us for Q & A with Andrea in our Sensitive Empowerment Community (SEC).
- Plus explore more episodes on The HSP Podcast at HSPpodcast.com
Believing and trusting in ourselves as HSPs with Willow and Julie
We often hear how important it is that we believe in ourselves, yet what if we are struggling to make something happen? It is all too easy to slip into self-doubt and a spiral of negative beliefs. One of the greatest resources we have as HSPs is our commitment to our growth and development. Also, our tenacity to pursue our personal evolution and what is most important to us in the world. When it comes to believing and trusting ourselves there are some very useful tools and techniques we can use that help us to access this in any and all circumstances. For instance, when we allow ourselves to look back over our lives we will see that have evolved and we have grown through many challenges. There is a great deal of evidence of us finding a way and being successful. Even if those examples may not be to the degree we wanted, the evidence is there nonetheless. In this episode, we take a look at why it is important not to be over-critical when we are in transition or doing our best to achieve something important. Instead by recognizing the deeper truth of our ability we can access and develop a reliable source of trust and belief in ourselves.
Read Willow's Blog Post: How to Reveal Your Innate Expertise as an HSP
Join the Sensitive Empowerment Community
Find an HSP Therapist, Healer, Coach on our HSP Practitioners Directory
Redefining Masculinity. How the HSP and LGBTQ+ Community Can Influence and Lead us With William Allen. Hosted by Willow McIntosh
William writes...“On many occasions, Dr. Elaine Aron has written that Highly Sensitive People were designed by nature to perform an evolutionary function. We are the wise counselors, the cautious advisors, and the thoughtful and empathetic souls who aid the human race.
We are at an important juncture in human history. A form of exploitative and dominance-focused masculinity has been running the planet for millennia. The consequences of this form of masculinity are evidenced in the planet's current state. We as a planet are in a state of imbalance, as we allow this form of distorted masculinity to jeopardize our future.
After getting a degree in Psychology with an eye on doing psychology research, he recalibrated for a career in Information Technology. He found himself in a thirty-year career as an Information Technology manager at Wells Fargo who enjoyed managing highly intelligent, often difficult staff, many of whom were highly sensitive.
As we know it in the West, masculinity is not always inclusive, emotionally expressive, empathetic, intuitive, or nurturing – all qualities that HSPs come by naturally. As a result, HSP men have often been left out of this exclusive club, as have many others identifying as male. This must change not only for men's sake but also for the planet.
It is important to understand that masculinity is by and large a cultural construct and is learned. We can reshape the construct to be less toxic for men, allowing men to become fully human in their ability to be authentic, loving, strong, empathetic, and constructive. Being a male is not the issue. It is about the cloak of masculinity that many men wear, which is hurtful and dangerous. I believe that HSP men and members of the LGBTQ+ community can serve as role models for this new form of masculinity. These two communities share a common goal of recognition and inclusion.”
William Allen is an author with a writer’s heart and researcher’s mind. After getting a degree in Psychology with an eye on doing psychology research, he recalibrated for a career in Information Technology. He found himself in a thirty-year career as an Information Technology manager at Wells Fargo who enjoyed managing highly intelligent, often difficult staff, many of whom were highly sensitive.
He retired early from his corporate job to start his Hypno-coaching and neurofeedback brain training business, BrainPilots, in Bend, Oregon. In late 2016, he began his blog, The Sensitive Man, about his experiences, as a highly sensitive man. The blog became the genesis of his first book, Confessions of a Sensitive Man. His new book, On Being a Sensitive Man, is the follow-up book, which focuses on how to live in the world as a sensitive man.
He feels that HSP males need to take their keen insights and intuition and make them public. He would like to shed more light on highly sensitive males and the much-needed role they need to take in our society.
Explore more episodes on The HSP Podcast at HSPpodcast.com
Meditation for the Sensitive: you are wonderful as you are
Do you know how special you are as a sensitive person? You are valuable and wonderful, just as you are.
Do you feel in resistance to yourself as an HSP?
As HSPs we can often feel like we are in constant battle with ourselves internally. Almost like interference with our own energy and well-being. Whilst this sounds counterintuitive to our own happiness we can often be unaware of how much we are doing it. The cause of this is often as a result of feeling we needed to hide our true feelings as children in order to protect ourselves. The trouble is as adults this no longer serves us and can have a great cost to our health, well-being, and personal success. Some of the signs to look out for are inner tension and a habit of constantly second-guessing what we feel, think and do. The good news is, this habit can be reversed once we take the first step of becoming aware of it. Then we can gradually move towards the promotion of a calm and loving inner experience as we learn to be ourselves again as adults. Join us this week as we look out for the warning signs and the ways in which to bring balance and healing to this most meaningful endeavor.
Explore all episodes and connect to us at HSPpodcast.com
Register for my free Masterclasses for HSPs at HSPmasterclass.com
Simple Self-Care for Sensitive Souls, part of the Empaths, Sensitives & Intuitives Summit
This interview is part of the Empaths, Sensitives & Intuitives Summit a free online event. For more information, and to register free, click here. This recording is a copyright of The Shift Network. All rights reserved.
The modern world is often overwhelming and stressful for those with sensitive nervous systems. You often suffer from the challenges of sensory overload, impacting your mental health, and also your physical health. Fortunately, there are simple tools that Julie Bjelland, LMFT, will share that have helped thousands of highly sensitive people (HSPs) move from surviving into thriving, allowing you to live life to your fullest potential — because the world needs you.
In this session, you'll discover:
- The modern world often causes sensory overload for sensitive people
- Solutions to the challenges of high sensitivity, including fierce self-care to stay balanced and healthy
- Sensitive people are needed to change the world
Meditate with Me Camping in Nature
I invite you on my camping trip to meditate with me in the woods, with a campfire, next to a creek. You'll hear different sounds of nature and the outdoors. I hope it helps you feel relaxed and at peace, the same way I did in nature.
Do you have guilt or shame around being sensitive? A discussion with Julie and Willow
Guilt and shame tend to be a big problem for HSPs.
For the purposes of this episode, we are going to discuss this in relation to the trait of high sensitivity.
Guilt Culprits: We often try to please people. We don’t want to experience their disappointment. We try to do the right thing. We might feel guilty for setting boundaries, taking alone time, or needing to do things differently.
Shame culprits: Most of us have been told our whole lives that something is wrong with us for being “too sensitive” so we often walk around with shame about who we are.
Guilt and shame are exhausting and drain our energy. If we take alone time to restore but we feel guilty when we do it then we don’t restore. It even zaps us of our energy!
If we feel shame about who we are we have a hard time putting ourselves out into the world and deeply connecting to who we really are and finding our life purpose.
Ways to intentionally let go of guilt and shame
1. Acknowledge, normalize and validate your experiences
2. Learn about your positive gifts within this trait of high sensitivity.
3. Practice self-compassion for the hard feelings as it helps us feel more resilient too
4. Set boundaries. Redirect to internal focus. Remind yourself why you had to set that boundary or say no and remember your inner child’s needs.
5. Know that when we give up our needs we don’t thrive and that’s not good for anyone. Your needs are not less important than other people's needs.
6. Shift your mindset. It’s not possible to “please” anyone. That’s not our job, that’s their job.
7. Surround yourself with people who support you and limit or let go of those that don’t. Know that this community supports you! ❤️
8. Be intentional and give time to consciously shift
9. Seek out support from an HSP Psychotherapist who can be a great source of support to guide us through the deep parts. Check out the HSP Practitioners Directory!
10. Keep practicing! The more you practice the easier it is to release the guilt and shame.
Explore Julie's courses to help HSPs be at their highest level of wellness at HSPcourses.com
Explore all our episodes and links to our websites and resources at HSPpodcast.com
Learn to Trust Your Intuition and Tap Into Your Personal Power with Martina Barnes
From Martina: "ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OF BEING AN HSP IS FINDING IT HARD TO IDENTIFY AND LISTEN TO YOUR INNER GPS SYSTEM, YOUR INTUITIVE GUIDANCE. THESE MESSAGES ARE OVERSHADOWED BY YOUR NATURAL EMPATHY AND ABILITY TO FEEL WHAT SOMEONE ELSE FEELS. ADDITIONALLY, SOCIETY GIVINGS YOU FALSE MESSAGES, TELLING YOU HOW YOU "SHOULD" BE. IN ORDER TO TRULY UNDERSTAND AND BE ABLE TO STAND IN YOUR STRENGTHS, YOU HAVE TO DEVELOP THE COURAGE TO TRUST YOURSELF."
Martina is an experienced licensed psychotherapist, coach and master intuitive for high-achievers who are introverts and/or HSP’s. She has over 30 years of experience in helping others transform their lives by learning to listen to their inner guidance, embrace their gifts and get comfortable with being seen. She helps clients achieve Reliable Personal Power in every area of their lives. www.thebraveintrovert.com
Join the Sensitive Empowerment Community and explore more resources for the sensitive at JulieBjelland.com