The Healthy Sensitive's Podcast

Highly sensitive people are often dubbed "thin-skinned" by those with a slightly rougher hide. We are told we need to toughen up. For a long time, I have resisted (and many of those I know who are highly sensitive tend to resist this idea as well). But are we maybe missing an opportunity? Is there, perhaps, something to be gained by getting a thicker skin?

We often lament about the challenges in our lives. But it might be worth stopping to consider the possibility that a good life doesn't come without problems. Rather, a good life simply means having the right kind of problems

An instructor I was observing while leading a class gave the group a quote: "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." It made me think about how I, myself, tend to be really adaptable. I find that most highly sensitive people are. It's probably something we picked up while trying to blend into a not-so-sensitive world. It's a muscle I'm proud to have developed. BUT - when is "adaptable" simply "weak-minded" Is that even a thing?

A few years ago, Susan Cain wrote a book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking." She researched not only what it means to be an introvert, but also what it means to be a highly sensitive person, and a sensation seeker. She covers how all these things speak to each other, and how we might better create systems to honor the gifts that each has to offer. In this podcast, we'll review some of the biggest take-aways from her book and how these ideas might inform the way we live if we want to thrive.

Highly sensitive people are capable of being extremely productive. The downside? They are also more prone to both anxiety and depression. The good news is that there are tools available to help reduce the frequency (and intensity) of these experiences and live a more fulfilled life.

After publishing a recent survey for highly sensitive people, I tried to sift out what health concerns they seem to be most interested in geting information about. Weight loss consistently came up at the top of the list. So today's episode is about how highly sensitive people can capitalize on some of their greatest strengths and lose weight...without feeling deprived. 

Oddly enough, there isn't a great deal of research that specifically speaks to physical health challenges that highly sensitive people are proned to. As a health coach who works primarily with this group, that is something I'm working to correct. In the meantime, this episode covers the top ten health concerns that I have seen in my private practice working with highly sensitive people. 

Moslow designed a framework to explore what a pathway to self-actualization might look like (for anyone interested in cultivating that in themselves). Great! But what does self actualization look like? In this episode, we explore the common characteristics of a person who has reached this stage of development. 

In today's podcast, we'll talk about how beauty contributes to self actualiation. In particular, we'll be talking about the power of creativity and beauty that we can create for ourselves and the impact that observing other people's designs and forms of art can have on us. We'll talk a bit about the health benefits of art and beauty as well. 

In today's episode, we will talk about Moslow's fifth level of needs one must meet in order to reach one's full potential. 

 

We start by doing a review of the four levels we talked about leading up to this point. 

Next, we talk a bit about what has been happening in my life (and why there has been a long pause between my last episode and today's episode AND how it's relevant to this whole topic overall). 

Finally, we talk about today's topic...the fifth level of Moslow's hierarchy of needs...Cognitive Needs.