Managing Sensitivity: How to Be Less Highly Strung

Understanding the Highly Strung Personality

Being labeled "highly strung" tends to carry negative connotations. However, it simply refers to someone who feels emotions intensely, processes sensory information deeply, and tends to be veryactive in their thoughts, words, and movements.

The highly strung personality is often very passionate, empathetic, and creative. But overstimulation and stress can also overwhelm the nervous system, leading to anxiety, emotional meltdowns, and exhaustion.

If you identify as highly strung, there are many effective strategies to help manage intensity and cultivate a calmer, happier day-to-day life.

Causes of the Highly Strung Personality

There are various factors that contribute to a sensitive, intense nervous system:

• Genetics - Sensitivity is often inherited
• Brain chemistry - Sensitive people process emotions through different neurological pathways
• Overstimulation/stress - Environments with a lot of sensory information can overwhelm the nervous system over time
• Trauma - Intense or prolonged stress from challenging life events shift baseline sensitivity

Signs of Being Highly Strung

People who are highly strung tend to experience:

• Intense emotions like excitement, sadness, anxiety, anger
• Sensitivity to textures, loud noises, bright lights, certain smells
• Overstimulation and trouble focusing with too much sensory input
• Exhaustion from everyday stimuli that don't bother others
• Difficulty handling transitions, interruptions, surprises
• Strong reactions to hunger, thirst lack of sleep, caffeine
• Racing thoughts and difficulty quieting the mind

Learning To Manage Sensitivity

The good news is you can absolutely cultivate stability and calm as a highly sensitive person. It simply requires understanding your nervous system, figuring out your unique needs/limits, and being very proactive about self-care.

Target Anxiety and Stress

Managing generalized anxiety and daily stress is key. When were already in a state of tension, our nervous system has no resilience for lifes additional stimuli and challenges. Therapy, meditation, journaling, and establishing calming rituals can help target stress.

Reduce Stimulation

Environmental factors like chaotic households, traffic noise, news consumption, and packed social calendars often overload highly strung people. Carefully evaluate and start paring down overstimulating elements in your life.

Structure & Routine

With sensitivity, uncertainty and unpredictability can trigger anxiety fast. Maintaining set routines for sleeping, eating, working out, socializing, and relaxing can provide a sense of comforting structure while freeing up mental energy.

Set Clear Boundaries

Protect your energy and time for yourself. Say no to plans or commitments that feel draining. Ask for accommodations as needed at school or work. Taking control relieves pressure.

Practice Self-Care

Prioritize whole body nurturing with plenty of downtime, healthy food, movement/exercise, time in nature, enjoyable hobbies, and social connection. Listen closely and get the sleep your nervous system asks for.

Cultivate Coping Skills

Have strategies in place to resiliently roll with lifes stressors and upsets deep breathing, going for a walk, calling a friend, taking a bath when something triggers emotional intensity.

Therapy & Mindfulness

Work with a mental health professional trained in sensitivity. Mindfulness, CBT, and somatic therapy can transform your relationship with emotions. Yoga and meditation also calm intensity.

Making Lifestyle Changes

Certain lifestyle tweaks can make a major difference in balancing sensitivity long-term:

Adjust Your Diet

Ensure youre getting nutrients that nourish and steady nerves magnesium, B vitamins, iron, complex carbs from whole grains/produce. Some foods like sugar, excessive caffeine, and alcohol can exacerbate sensitivity.

Increase Nature Time

Spending time outside amongst greenery has proven mental health benefits. Prioritize hiking, beach days, picnics in the park, gardening, open windows with fresh air, and adding plants indoors.

Make Sleep a Priority

Highly strung folks often need extra sleep for neural restoration. Give yourself permission to get 8-10 hours nightly. Keep the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet invest in blackout curtains, a white noise machine, comfy pillows.

Exercise Strategically

Gentle movement like walking, yoga, pilates, and dancing help calm the nervous system. More intense exertion can provide stress relief but ensure plenty of rest days. Customize activity to your energy flow.

Adjust Your Social Life

Instead of lots of big gatherings with acquaintances, opt for regular quality time with just your closest confidantes. Build in alone time for reading, baths, crafting.

Make Time for Pleasure

Delight and have fun daily. Play music and dance around your house. Explore a new hands-on hobby. Savor aromatherapy diffusers. Watch favorite funny movies. Laughter and pleasure boost resilience.

Seeking Additional Support

Learning to channel sensitivity takes time, practice, and support. Consider connecting with highly sensitive/empath communities online and locally. There are many people struggling with similar challenges.

Be extremely compassionate with yourself along the journey. Progress wont be linear. Celebrate small daily victories.

With lifestyle tweaks to reduce overwhelm, therapeutic support, and self-nurturing rituals, you can absolutely find stability and confidence as a highly sensitive person.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.