What brightens your day?
I’m always noticing the little things. I love the way the sun glints off of different surfaces inside my home and the light comes through the leaves outside, a really calming lyrical piece of music, the wagging of a dog’s tail.
Because we HSPs notice the subtle things and are very aware of our surroundings, often the smallest of experiences can be the boost we need in our mood. And the meaning we give things can increase the benefits of paying attention.
We’re told in our current culture that we must maximize our time—aka, productivity, and not waste it or be lazy. We seem to have this expectation these days that from the moment we rise (and check for texts and emails) until the moment we lie down to sleep (still thinking about to-dos or what happened during the day), we’re supposed to be doing, doing, doing and be completely ‘on’ at all times. There’s no time for the little things.
That’s just exhausting even writing about it. It’s no wonder stress reactions are at an all time high and illness is practically expected. We’re wearing ourselves out and prescribing a much less enjoyable life experience. What’s the point in that?
For highly sensing people, this is likely to be even more the case…it’s hard to enjoy life and be healthy if we’re completely worn out from doing and fulfilling expectations.
Taking the Time
What if we just took a few moments several times throughout the day to not only just BE, but notice what we like that surrounds us?
When a favorite song comes on, can we just pause to listen and truly enjoy it? Will taking 3 minutes away from our project or chore really have a negative impact?
If we stop now and then to look at the trees or watch a funny video or read a few lines of poetry, to watch our pet lounging in a sun spot or a child giggling, will we be worse off for it and perform less well?
To the contrary…if we spend more time in the moment and experiencing joy we’ll have more to give to our chores and projects, to those around us. These moments boost our energy, raise our vibration, and actually make us healthier.
Smiling and laughing and experiencing joy actually boosts the immune system, and improves our mood…how can that not help others or help us succeed?
So, what moves you, makes you smile, brightens your day?
Some Little Things
~a moment in nature?
~a favorite piece of music?
~viewing a form of art?
~watching a selfless act of kindness?
~playing with your pet?
~watching a squirrel in the trees?
If you’re stuck in a place with few options for a nature experience or viewing others, you can close your eyes and visualize something that will make you smile. You can view a slideshow of nature scenes or listen to part of an uplifting podcast. You can turn on some music and listen to one favorite song. Or you can just scan your surroundings and find something that speaks to you, something that makes you smile.
Differential susceptibility, something Elaine Aaron talks about, suggests that highly sensing people are more affected by our environments, both ‘positive’ and ‘negative’. If we’re surrounded by support or love or beauty or kindness, we’ll likely be more moved by it and it will help us more.
If we practice tuning into these ‘positive’, happy moments they can go a long way toward boosting our mood and overall life experience, which helps us to be more productive and more of the people we want to be for others.
So can you give yourself permission to enjoy the little things, often, and make a point of seeking them out throughout the day, so they can buoy you? Can you see this as not selfish, but necessary? Let’s do it!
If you’d like a guide to help you honor yourself and embrace your specialness as a Highly Sensing Person, I’d love to talk with you!