The Link Between Highly Sensitive People (HSP) and Anxiety | Praise Podcast

Have you ever cried at a commercial? Felt emotionally spent after a tense conversation? You might be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). Tune in for more! 🎧

https://momo634.com/p/link-between-highly-sensitive-people-anxiety

#bible #inspiration #motivation #motivational #inspirational #MentalHealth #faith #anxiety #highlysensitive #hsp #emotions

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00:00:00 --> 00:00:04 Have you ever cried at a commercial or felt emotionally spent

00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 after a tense conversation?

00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 You might be a highly sensitive person.

00:00:09 --> 00:00:14 If you've ever felt too much, maybe you're exactly enough.

00:00:15 --> 00:00:16 Tune in for more.

00:00:19 --> 00:00:20 Hello,

00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 and welcome to Momo 634,

00:00:22 --> 00:00:26 a bite-sized podcast that's chock-full of inspiration,

00:00:27 --> 00:00:28 motivation,

00:00:28 --> 00:00:29 and positivity,

00:00:29 --> 00:00:33 straight from the intersection of faith and mental wellness.

00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 Please like, share, and subscribe.

00:00:37 --> 00:00:42 Momo 634, motivational moments just for today.

00:00:51 --> 00:00:55 I've mentioned before that I cry at the drop of a hat.

00:00:56 --> 00:01:00 I was forbidden from watching Lassie as a child.

00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 I got too upset with what we called pet peril.

00:01:04 --> 00:01:08 I had to be taken out of the theater when Mom and I saw Bambi.

00:01:08 --> 00:01:13 I got hysterical during the scene with the hunters and Bambi's mother.

00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 My husband and kids know this about me also.

00:01:18 --> 00:01:22 I get goofy over books, commercials, you name it.

00:01:24 --> 00:01:31 I am currently being absolutely gutted by book number 172 for the year,

00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox.

00:01:35 --> 00:01:40 I've gone through half a big box of tissues and I'm only halfway done.

00:01:41 --> 00:01:45 That seems like a lot of feeling.

00:01:46 --> 00:01:47 But here's the thing.

00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 There's a term for people like me.

00:01:50 --> 00:01:54 Highly sensitive people, or HSP.

00:01:54 --> 00:01:57 You may remember from the first episode on executive

00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 functioning deficits that

00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 they're common in folks with HSP,

00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 as is anxiety.

00:02:05 --> 00:02:10 About 15 to 20% of the population are HSPs, according to the experts.

00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 So while not common, it isn't rare either.

00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 Our nervous systems are more responsive.

00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 We process things deeply.

00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 We feel things fully.

00:02:25 --> 00:02:29 And yes, that means we're more prone to anxiety.

00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 It's not just emotional stuff.

00:02:33 --> 00:02:37 HSPs are biologically more sensitive to sensory input

00:02:38 --> 00:02:42 bright lights, loud noises, even scratchy fabrics.

00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 And that tracks with my experience also,

00:02:46 --> 00:02:47 at least with light and sound,

00:02:48 --> 00:02:53 and also with the sensations discussed on the episode on somatic memory.

00:02:54 --> 00:03:00 The HSP brain shows increased activity in the insula and mirror

00:03:00 --> 00:03:01 neuron systems,

00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 which are tied to empathy and emotional awareness.

00:03:05 --> 00:03:09 We don't just notice subtleties, we absorb them.

00:03:10 --> 00:03:11 However,

00:03:11 --> 00:03:12 for some people,

00:03:13 --> 00:03:17 that deep processing can lead to overstimulation.

00:03:18 --> 00:03:25 And when the world feels too loud, too fast, too much, anxiety kicks in.

00:03:26 --> 00:03:31 Studies show HSPs are more likely to experience social anxiety,

00:03:32 --> 00:03:33 generalized anxiety disorder,

00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 and even panic attacks.

00:03:37 --> 00:03:41 Not because we're broken, but because our systems are overloaded.

00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 As stated in the episode, it's my party and I'll cry if I want to.

00:03:47 --> 00:03:52 God gave us emotions to be able to process the stuff of life.

00:03:53 --> 00:03:54 Additionally,

00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 we are called to bear one another's burdens,

00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 rejoice with those who rejoice,

00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 weep with those who weep,

00:04:02 --> 00:04:03 And in order to do so,

00:04:04 --> 00:04:08 we need to feel the emotions of others and come alongside them.

00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 Jesus demonstrates this in the shortest verse in the Bible,

00:04:13 --> 00:04:14 John 11,

00:04:14 --> 00:04:24 15,

00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 where he responds to the news of the death of his friend

00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 Lazarus with tears,

00:04:20 --> 00:04:24 even though he knew he was about to raise him from the dead.

00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 That said, we do need coping tools.

00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 Science backs this up.

00:04:30 --> 00:04:34 Check out some of the episodes in our episode guide on grounding,

00:04:35 --> 00:04:35 belly breathing,

00:04:36 --> 00:04:37 aromatherapy,

00:04:37 --> 00:04:38 music,

00:04:38 --> 00:04:43 and sensory hobbies for ways to assist with emotional overwhelm

00:04:43 --> 00:04:44 and becoming

00:04:44 --> 00:04:45 re-centered.

00:04:46 --> 00:04:46 Of course,

00:04:47 --> 00:04:47 the first,

00:04:48 --> 00:04:48 last,

00:04:48 --> 00:04:53 and best tool is to take it to God in prayer and listen to His

00:04:53 --> 00:04:54 wisdom through the

00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 reading of His Word.

00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 And that's also backed by science.

00:04:59 --> 00:05:03 Studies from Duke University and others show that spiritual

00:05:03 --> 00:05:04 practices can reduce

00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 stress and improve emotional resilience.

00:05:08 --> 00:05:08 So yes,

00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 HS peers may cry easily,

00:05:12 --> 00:05:12 feel deeply,

00:05:13 --> 00:05:14 and get anxious more often,

00:05:15 --> 00:05:17 but we also love more fully,

00:05:18 --> 00:05:19 create more beautifully,

00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 and connect more authentically.

00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 Do you know or are you someone highly sensitive?

00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 Chime in with your experiences below.

00:05:32 --> 00:05:33 Thanks for listening.

00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 To have episodes and or the daily Bible verse emailed,

00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 subscribe at momo634.com.

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00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 please become a premium Substack subscriber.

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00:05:56 --> 00:05:56 Have a blessed day.