Passive vs. Active Processing for Highly Sensitive People

Hey, Highly Sensitive Person!

There's a hallmark of High Sensitivity that I take for granted as a concept because I've arranged my whole schedule and energy around it for the last ten years.

But I definitely notice it with my clients, especially the clients who are just now learning about their high sensitivity and how it shows up in their lives.

We Highly Sensitive People (HSP) need a lot of time to process.

I'm talking the deep, energy-intensive, mental and emotional processing around: 

• big, meaningful areas of your life

• tension in your relationships

• making decisions

• riding the pendulum of hope and despair over your progress towards your current dreams or project

... to name a few.

The kind of stuff that keeps you from going to sleep, or wakes you up at 3am in the middle of the night with your mind chattering at you like a toddler on sugar.

The things that hang out in the background, patiently waiting for you to acknowledge them, while you're taking care of meals, answering emails and texts, rushing to your next appointment, and the myriad other things you do in a day.

You might have heard that you "should be over something by now" or "why are you getting so worked up about this?"

The answer is because your brain works differently.

It's not a bad thing when you know how to work with your need to process deeply and holistically.

When you give your highly sensitive mind and nervous system the opportunity to process something deeply, you:

1. feel calm and clear about where you are in your life (and where you're going)

2. approach conflict with a desire to grow, not hide

3. get out of overwhelm and take steps forward

4. create consistency towards your dreams, goals, and projects - instead of wishful thinking or chaotic dashes when inspiration hits

It's simply a part of who you are and how you work with high sensitivity.

The sooner you make space for processing, the sooner you get out of resistance, doubt, overwhelm, and other intense, uncomfortable emotions and get into clarity, security, and connection.

In this week's episode of the Highly Sensitive Club, I'm going over the procs and cons of passive processing vs. active processing.

Listen on your favorite podcast app and / or watch on YouTube.

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Audible | YouTube | Website

Many of us HSPs get stuck in passive processing too long and find it comes out in weird ways (cue the middle of the night loops, tearing up at things that don't normally make you cry, fixating on that comment someone said in passing, etc.)

While passive processing has it's place, I'm giving you practical action steps to figure out how to create space in your schedule and mind to process the things your highly sensitive mind can't help but pick up throughout the day.



Try out one of two of these strategies this week, even for 10 or 15 minutes, and notice what it does for your highly sensitive nervous system.

I'm willing to bet you'll notice shifts in the way you approach problems, other people, and even you own inner monologue.

You deserve to feel in control of your emotions and your mind, no matter how intense they may feel.

You can have that sense of internal stability whenever you want.

Lean into the flow of your high sensitivity, give yourself active time to process, and watch the magic unfold.

To neuro-spiciness,

Steph

P.S. If you're ready to get regular support from a fellow HSP who knows how to help you make decisions, trust yourself, and get unstuck, book a consultation call, and I'll help you see what's really getting in your way so you can finally make progress. Let's talk!