How To Cope With The Pandemic When You Are Highly Sensitive

Coping with the pandemic when you are highly sensitive is a challenge added to all the daily difficulties. Greater anxiety, almost uncontrollable suffering when connecting more intensely with the suffering of others, difficulty in handling worry and fear, feeling of not having control over one’s own emotions …

It is clear that each and every one of us faces the present situation as well as we can. It is not easy for anyone and no one has enabled us either for this complicated matter that is to survive a health and social crisis worldwide. However, within this ocean of difficulties, there are those who have it a little more complicated.

People with mental health problems, psychological disorders or other conditions are, without a doubt, one of the most needy groups in our society right now. In addition, we cannot ignore those who, due to their personality or way of processing reality, have greater difficulties in handling the stimuli that come to them.

Stress, overwhelm, uncertainty, fear … This is not the time to be strong, highly sensitive people must learn once again to be skillful, to make their vulnerability their rock of resistance, to navigate a complex and changing scenario, making emotions be your allies; applying that yes, adequate strategies of “survival”.

Keys to coping with the pandemic when you are highly sensitive

Since Elaine Aron introduced the concept of high sensitivity in the 90s, many have found answers to their way of understanding, feeling and relating to the world. Making your way through the day to day when you are more empathetic, when emotional and even sensory sensitivity is experienced as someone trying to advance along a narrow path full of trees with thorns, it is not easy at all. 

It is true that the scientific community and the most orthodox psychology do not agree with this type of personality. However, the success and importance of the concept of highly sensitive people (PAS) makes it impossible to ignore that 20% of the population.

Thousands of people clearly identify with these traits, with this profile in which the gift of understanding the world from emotions basically converges, and the curse, in turn, of living it often with greater suffering. Coping with the pandemic when you are highly sensitive is therefore quite a crossroads.

Let’s see, however, what keys can help them.

The tank of your emotions and what goes into it

Highly sensitive people have a knack for an often complicated reverse. We talk about your ability to absorb all the emotions from your environment. This “emotional tank” has a limit that, if exceeded, has consequences. In other words, on a day-to-day basis, they must be aware that they will not be able to process everything that comes to them, either at the informational level or through other people.

Knowing how to disconnect is not a recommendation, it is almost a survival mechanism. Therefore, it is convenient to limit our exposure to the news, social networks and even decide what day or at what time it is best for us to talk to those people who turn their problems, fears or concerns on us.

The ball of anxiety in highly sensitive people

When dealing with the pandemic when you are highly sensitive, it is important to focus on anxiety. As studies such as those carried out at the University of California by Dr. Lauren Rutter reveal, difficulty managing emotions and high sensitivity cause many people to suffer from generalized anxiety disorders.

It is important to keep this in mind. Knowing that this factor often mediates the way we face our day to day is key. To do this, it is crucial to consider these strategies:

• Control of the flow of thoughts. Thinking a lot does not get us anywhere, we must think well, through the calm approach and not catastrophism, avoiding anticipating things that have not happened.
• We must pay attention to the present moment, to what is happening now, to what we need and to attend to ourselves.
• Introducing practices such as relaxation, yoga or mindfulness into day-to-day life can help us.

Sensitivity as a channel of expression and emotional refuge

Highly sensitive people find valuable havens in their lonely times, in their connection to music or art. Now more than ever, it is advisable to cross the threshold of those palaces of peace that these artistic practices offer us.

Practices that allow us to restart physically and mentally

Coping with the pandemic when you are highly sensitive also involves taking care of the body and mind. Many of our emotions are imprisoned in our body, in that stomach pain, in the neck, in the back, in that headache or migraine that comes and goes …

One way to alleviate that tension that clings to us is through practices that serve as a “reset button”; that is, activities that make us release energy to recover it again. Doing physical exercises such as running or dancing are very positive. Likewise, taking a nap and having good nighttime sleep hygiene is also essential.

To face the pandemic when you are highly sensitive, connect with those who understand your reality

Sometimes you just can’t handle everything and this is fine. To cope with the pandemic when you are highly sensitive, it is also good to have help, with the support of someone who knows how to listen to you and understands your personal reality.

As Van Gogh said, “ the heart of man is very similar to the sea. It has its storms, it has its tides, and in its depths, it also has its pearls ”. High sensitivity is that precious jewel that we must take care of because it is our treasure.

Coping with these difficult and uncertain times is not easy, but when you make your emotions your allies, you survive any onslaught.