Protect Your Sensitivity. [One Thing I Learned From Cheryl]

When I read “The Art of Extreme Self-Care”, in a chapter about sensitivity Cheryl quoted her coach, Thomas Leonard:

”The way I see it, your sensitivity is your greatest gift. If I were you I would protect your sensitivity rather than hate it.”

It might be a new concept for you as it was for me, when I read the book several years ago. It clicked.

Lets see… how your sensitivity is adding value to your life and to lives’ of those around you? Do you see deeper and clearer? Do you have lot’s of compassion? Are you particularly creative? We all are sensitive to a different degree. Sometimes being more sensitive may be a result of your life’s story, sometimes this is in our nature.

You may worry that when you appear sensitive  (and when you show that you honor that part of you),  you will send a message you are weak, but you know it’s rarely true. How often people who want to appear tough are really strong?

In the end it is not about creating impressions, but about honoring your needs.

• How do you respond to too much noise?
• What is your body’s reaction to violence you see in the movies?
• What does your psyche really need to feel comforted?
• How much work can your body take?

If you are often irritated with too much noise, or with a crowd, and dream about running away to nature, or just hide in a hotel room to have some peace – that’s a hint: you need to protect your sensitivity.

How do we do that? How can we create more nourishing environment?

Cheryl wants us to ask ourselves:

• where do we need to turn down noise in our environment ?
• how can we limit violent or disturbing news?
• who are the toxic people around us and how can we limit our time with them or not see them at all?
• how can we manage technology so we have adequate time for rejuvenation?
• thinking about our 5 senses what we need to do to create surroundings that help us be present and relaxed?

No matter what your life looks like, there is always something you can do to honor yourself, your needs.

Few years ago to honor my needs and my sensitivity, I decided I need to live alone. I created a space without TV (and since childhood I dreamed about a home without TV) to cut the intruding noise, which makes us feel alerted all the time. Cut the flood of information, that only separates us from our thoughts and emotions. I filled my home with classical or spa music, I used essential oils to fill the space with delicate fragrances, and used lighting to create a cozy, soft feminine space. Daily. Poetry, hot chocolate and a soft like a cloud, winter comforter was all I needed then. It worked. Perhaps it took a miracle, but definitely not a fortune.

Do you have new ideas to honor your sensitivity? Did you change anything in the past that improved the quality of your life?

Cheryl writes: ” My decision to protect my sensitivity was one of the most influential acts of Self Care I have ever taken […].Once I made the decision to embrace my sensitivity, it did the opposite of what I expected. Rather than leave me feeling like a pincushion in a world full of pins, it actually made me stronger and better able to use my gifts.”

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