Most of us have had those days where our sensitive (to you the listener) thoughts wander to the wrong person, or we worry about our spouses, children, or job. This is an uncomfortable situation for a lot of us. Our minds can become a tangled ball of thoughts that we are unable to untangle and communicate properly with each other. If this sounds familiar, there is something you need to do. You need to learn how to de-stress your mind.
De-stressing is simply the process of emptying out thoughts and worries from your brain. When your mind is constantly bombarded by negative thoughts, it pulls your attention away from the present moment and negatively focuses you on the past and future. This can lead to higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also adversely affect your quality of life because you are focusing on all the things you DON'T want in your life.
Learning to listen to your own mind is one of the first steps to getting better. I am not talking about meditation or deep breathing techniques, although those things can help. I am talking about simply being able to silence your mind when you need to. It is much more effective than focusing your attention elsewhere.
Listen to your thoughts: Find a time to listen to your thoughts and actively participate in them. This doesn't mean you have to get up from the couch and sit down with your back to the television. But just sitting quietly with your eyes closed, and your mind as still as possible, can help. Listening to your own thoughts is as helpful as having a conversation with someone else, except that you can't talk!
Give yourself permission to say, "I'm just stressed out!" anytime you start to feel overwhelmed. Sometimes you have to let go of control and just be done with the fact that life is constantly stressing you out. Or maybe you need to find time to cry in private if you are upset or frustrated. It doesn't matter why you feel these emotions, just that you do.
Get a hobby: Some people like to paint, or keep up a nice garden, or build something for their garden. Others enjoy crafts and writing. The point is to find something you are passionate about and do it. Even if you aren't good at it, you are doing something. That's half the battle. Telling someone you don't know how to do something is like telling someone they can't write.
Practice being alone: People who suffer from social anxiety have a very hard time being alone. There is always somebody there looking over their shoulder. Maybe it is just the simple fear of running into that person again, or maybe it is because they can't handle being alone. Whatever it is, the more alone time you have, the more comfortable you will be.
Trust in God: Many people feel God is watching over them, watching everything they do, and making sure they are heading in the right direction. If you want to gain trust in God, start by believing you can't do anything wrong. When you start to believe that, you will find that others will be much easier to talk with about your problems. If you want to get comfortable with talking to someone, practice talking to yourself sometimes. You'll be surprised at how much easier it is to talk to someone else than it is to talk to yourself.
Put yourself out there: Having a lack of self-confidence can make someone think they are just too sensitive. By putting yourself out there, you will become comfortable in talking to anyone. You will also learn how to deal with other's feelings. When you are more comfortable with yourself, you will open up to others as well.
Surround yourself with support systems: Find people who you can go to with your issues. You might want to set up a meeting with your church or community. You may want to meet with a therapist for individual therapy. Find people who will support you and help you get through this difficult time in your life.
Being sensitive is a choice. You can control it, or you can allow it to control you. The important thing is to not be afraid of it. It doesn't matter how difficult your life is at the moment. Take some time, and look for ways that you can be happy and avoid those things that make you feel bad.
