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by Donna Brooks

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Interoception Offers Highly Sensitive People (HSP) Help

Interoception offers Highly Sensitive People (HSP) help. This can be help for overwhelm, emotional flooding and focus. Interoception is a tool you can use when your sensory system get overwhelmed.

Let’s back up. Highly Sensitive People (HSP) need help because we are often overwhelmed by thoughts, sensations and emotions. But, anyone and everyone feels , at times, that life is rushing at them! That feeling is sensory overload. Your thoughts, actions and the events around you are just too much. Happily, interoception offers highly sensitive people (and all people) help to feel good in the face of stress.

Interoception Helps Highly Sensitive People with Overwhelm.

Many people can react strongly to stimuli. Therefore, social activities, lights, noise or crowds can be hard because it is all so much to process. Of course, Internal states can be hard to process too. You may be more sensitive to hunger, pain or temperature. Or just disappointment!

Yes, Interoception means you consciously pay attention to signals from your body. But, it’s really different than getting overwhelmed by feeling too many signals at once. Interception for sensory overload just means you recognize signals of “too much” before they get out of hand.

Let’s pretend something has happened that bothers you. Maybe you just lost a job and the details of your exit interview are just too much to take. You know if you continue with the interview, your thoughts will be catastrophic and you will probable get anxious or afraid. Maybe you need to flee the room!

How can you help yourself?

Try this experiment.

Take a moment to feel your feet on floor. Can you feel their weight? Good. Now feel the back of your body ( from your internal ability to sense). Can you feel the questions or stimulation enter your back rather than try to receive questions or other stimulation from the front?

You may not feel this all at once but just by practicing receiving in the back of your body you will begin to dampen overwhelm. I explain this more below. You can also Learn more about my approach here.

Interoception Has Been Shown to Improve Emotional Regulation.

Interoception Offers Highly Sensitive People (HSP) and others help with emotions. Unfortunately, sensory overwhelm brings with it negative emotions and a cycle of distress can occur as the build. Find a way to feel what is non-distressing and your emotions regulate!

Interception Offers Highly Sensitive People (HSP) Help

Interoception Also Supports Focus

Once you find an alternative to overwhelm and emotional flooding you find yourself with more ability to focus. In fact, interception is a practice that gives you a positive focus. Finding how to limit overwhelm by adjusting input in your body brings a clarity and easy focus to the present moment. Yes, this allows you to have more open attention for what you want to engage with! Like this animal

The animal self feels itself!

Now, are you curious about how interception and embodiment can help you? Try a discovery session on Zoom or in person. I look forward to meeting you! You can also watch helpful videos on my anti-anxiety YouTube playlist.

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