How to Manage Feeling Overwhelmed

with Heidi Hanna

Coming to Your Senses

Quick Assessment
The following questions are here to provide insight on your level of sensitivity, and should not be used as a
diagnostic tool.
1. Do you feel sensitive to bright lights, loud noises, or smells?
2. Do you seem to have more dramatic mood swings than other people, both positive and negative?
3. Do you find yourself overstimulated when being asked to do too many things at one time?
4. Do you consider yourself to be creative, or find deep meaning by the creative expressions of others?
5. Do you notice that you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders sometimes?
If you find yourself answering yes to most of these questions, you are likely highly sensitive. You can find the
HSP Quiz that is used for research and additional resources at my website, www.stresssensitive.com.

Top Three Tips for Stress-Sensitive People

The following suggestions are based on my own personal and professional experiences.
1. Prioritize self-care and downtime. This one is really tough, especially for sensitive people, because we strive to
be a good caregiver for others. However, we have to keep reminding ourselves that we can’t serve others from an
empty cup. We must put our oxygen mask on first. When we are taking care of our own energy needs, we are able
to fully invest in the people and opportunities that matter most to us.
2. Sleep more. It turns out that sensitive people are taxing their energy more than others, which means we may
need more sleep to recover and restore. It’s not unusual for sensitive people to feel and do better with 9 or 10
hours of sleep, especially during certain seasons (high stress, seasonal or light changes, travel adjustments). Do
not let yourself feel guilty or indulgent when you get the sleep you need. You also tend to get much more done in
less time than others because of your sensitive nature.
3. Protect your energy. In addition to self-care strategies like eating well, moving often, sleeping enough, and so on,
it’s very important to manage the energy you spend with other people. Create what I call a PEP Map, for Personal
Energy Protection. Instructions are below, and you can also find a short video on this topic at
www.stresssensitive.com.

Your Personal Energy Protection (PEP) Map

Draw three circles, small to large inside each other, as shown below. In the largest circle, write your Energy
Drainers. These are the people you want or need to have in your life, but who zap your energy if you’re
not careful or not prepared. They’re not bad, and you’re not bad. There are just energy misalignments
sometimes. In the middle circle, write down your Energy Gainers. These are people who give you energy.
Most of the time, you keep them close. But they may also be overstimulating when you need downtime, so
just keep that in mind.

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Finally, in the smallest, innermost circle, write down your Energy Sustainers. These are the people I consider
my rocks. They are grounded, stable, can be energizing if need be but also can sit with me in silence without
any discomfort. These people are hard to find, but important to identify. They may be friends or family, but
often times they’re professionally trained to provide support, such as a doctor or counselor.

I have found this PEP Map exercise to be an essential tool in my own Stress Mastery as a sensitive person, and
I hope it will help you as well.

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