The Healthy Sensitive's Podcast

Highly sensitive people and introverts tend to like harmony. Calm. Pleasant and low-stimulus environments. Friction and conflict? No thanks. But might there be value in being willing to stand firm and endure the discomfort of friction? Is it possible that friction is a necessary ingredient for a meaningful life? For meaningful relationships? In this episode I'll talk about how friction benefits our environment, our political landscapes, our relationships...and even can lead to personal growth within ourselves. 

Honesty is the best policy. That's what we are told. Except...is it? People who are honest appear to have better relationships and better health outcomes. But are there occasions when honesty is not the best policy? Should we all just be saying what we think at all times? Unfiltered? In this episode, we'll cover the benefits of being honest...with ourselves and with others. We'll also talk about the key ingredients you need to be both honest and effective. 

Many highly sensitive people I have met have said they are extremely uncomfortable with angry (uncomfortable when others express it and even more uncomfortable expressing it themselves). I find that intriguing. So when I recently experienced an episode of anger, I thought it a perfect opportunity to explore it. Anger, it turns out, is extremely useful and healthy...so long as it is expressed appropriately. In this episode, I'll discuss what an emotion is...and discuss how anger is defined more specifically. I'll talk about the benefits of anger and how to go about integrating it in our lives optimally. 

With a world trying to acclimate to a new normal with Covid, economic concerns, and in the case of the United States...an election...it's tempting to keep hitting the "refresh" button on our news feed. But to what degree is that helpful? Is it better to just avoid the news altogether? Or is there a sweet spot we can reach where we are informed enough to do what we need to do...but not so inundated with information that we feel paralyzed by it? 

Did you know that the trait "sensory processing sensitivity" is found in both women AND men? Not just that...it's found in equal numbers. Sensitivity is not linked with our sex. I talk a lot about the challenge of being a highly sensitive person, but I thought it might be useful to highlight this fact (that it's not correlated with either sex). I thought it especially important given the climate we all live in right now...where it is easy to assume that men have all the power. It turns out, men are struggling, too. Just in different ways.

In this podcast, I will first talk about the challenges men face in general. I talk about the fact that they are imprisoned in higher numbers, and they account for a greater number of suicides. Then I go into the specific challenge that highly sensitive men face in a world that seems to celebrate rough and tumble boxed-in versions of masculinity. 

We all seem to be in agreement in this country that what we need is to stop pointing fingers and start being willing to have hard conversations and compromise. But...are we willing to walk our talk? Highly sensitive people often struggle with this very thing - the willingness to be assertive and have difficult conversations. In this episode, I'll divulge some of my personal challenges in this area. I'll describe some of the events I've been exposed to more recently that have forced ME to be willing to be more assertive and honest and engage in conversations that are uncomfortable. I'll also talk about why this is such an important skill for all of us...but ESPECIALLY highly sensitive people (as we tend to shy away from it...and often are the people who NEED to do this work the most). 

As we close the month of May (Mental Health Awareness Month) It feels fitting to do a summary of strategies (evidence based, of course) that are known to help foster contentment (irrespective of what may be going on around us). In this episode, I cover specific, actionable steps we can all take to cultivate our best selves. 

When I say I work with "highly sensitive people" I often get one of two responses. I either get "oooohhh...that's super cool! You mean those super special people that are unique and awesome?" OR I get "Eewwwwwe. That sounds gross. Is it contagious?" 

My aim with this podcast is to simply create a conversation about what it is to have a more vigilant nervous system...one that NEUTRALIZES the trait. It comes with some perks as well as some pitfalls. 

In this episode, I try and demystify what it is to have "sensory processing sensitivity" and I talk about our strengths...and our weaknesses. In particular, I talk about the importance of WORKING on our challenges to become more robust, well-rounded people.

Highly sensitive people, contrary to what others might think, tend to be extremely productive. They are creative, intuitive, and capable homo-sapiens, I can assure you. The catch is that they really need to find systems for organizing themselves and their time that honors their specific needs and temperament. In this episode, I'll cover a wide variety of examples that highly productive people have used in order to get a lot done, without feeling overwhelmed. I'll also talk about how HSP's can hack their system and get a lot done while keeping their health intact. 

 

Link to Show Notes: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pAHB7hC5UOWurZVC7ETeSPQML4N3luvp-2G2v1aH650/edit 

What makes a country...GREAT. 

In looking at this pandemic meets economic question mark, I've definitely been preoccupied with that idea. It's easy for some of us to look to countries like China and say "daaaang. They really know how to pandemic. Why can't we do that?!?" But does that mean China is the best country in general? I would argue not...but I'm also biased. 

But shifting gears, is America the greatest? We certainly have the strongest military. We have a pretty strong economy (well...for now). We celebrate the individual and I would argue that's a good thing. But when it comes to situations that require social cohesion...we often flounder. 

How can we integrate both individualism alongside social cohesion? The answer, so far as I can tell, is with good leadership. 

In this episode, I talk about social determination theory, motivation, and research surrounding what makes a good leader and what kinds of leaders are able to both hold the space for each person's autonomy while also facilitating collaboration.