HSP’s: Would you like a 5-minute soothing exercise?

If you are an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person*) you probably find you can get overwhelmed and stressed quite easily.

Here’s a quick, simple, but profound 5-minute soothing exercise for HSP that you can add in to your day, to help you manage your feelings.

Many HSP’s find that one of the advantages of their high sensitivity is an ability to visualise, and creatively tune into the ‘felt sense’. This exercise uses those strengths.

(And if you’re wondering what an HSP is, and whether you might be one, read my HSP page)

Summary

The exercise can be summed up in this way:

• Breathe, slightly smile
• Scan body
• Surround body with colour
• Sense of wider context
• ‘I am already whole and complete just as I am’
• Visualise words for parts of you, held in heart shapes.

Want to learn more? Read on, and I’ll break it down for you.

5-Minute Soothing Exercise for HSP

1. If possible, find a quiet place to sit.**
2. Close your eyes.
3. Allow a faint smile to be present across your face. Picture it gently spreading around your eyes, cheeks and mouth – even inside your mouth!
4. Breathe slowly and deeply, allowing your abdomen to gently expand with each in-breath.
5. Get a sense of your body. Briefly scan through your body, noting any areas of tension, pain, discomfort, numbness or ease.
6. Visualise your body as a whole. Try not to judge; just accept that ‘this is me, now’.
7. Picture your body surrounded by a benevolent, soothing, protective aura. You might imagine this as a colour, or a texture, or some other quality.
8. See if you can get a sense of an infinitely wider space all around you. Something spiritual, timeless, and benevolent. You don’t have to name this (although if it feels right, you might want to think of it as God, Spirit, Higher Power, the Universe, or something else).  Note: If this step doesn’t resonate for you, it’s fine to follow the rest of the process without doing this bit.
9. In your mind, say something like ‘I am here, already whole and complete just as I am, held in Love’. (Adapt the wording if you like.) Get a sense of yourself being acceptable, just as you are right now – not having to be any other way, in this moment. Know that you are imperfect, and that is fine.
10. Allow descriptive words for aspects of you to arise, and visualise each one held lovingly in a heart (or star) inside you. The words can include a wide range of qualities, both negative, positive, and neutral. For example, Loving, Warm, Creative, Thoughtful, Fun; along with more difficult qualities such as Envious, Bitter, Sad, Angry, Mean, etc. Know that each quality is a real aspect of you, even if you normally project it onto other people or try to hide it. Imagine you’re sending love and compassion to each quality (if you can’t, then simply sense how much you’d like to be able to send yourself love and compassion).
11. Really try and allow the idea that, just like everyone else, you can (and do) have all these mixed qualities – and that that is truly okay.

I hope you find this soothing exercise for HSP calming, and good for helping you re-centre yourself.

Maybe you’ll adapt it to best fit your particular needs. Do let me know in the comments below, how you got on.

*Not sure if you are an HSP? Take Elaine Aron’s test to find out.

**If it isn’t possible to find a quiet place, you may find that you’re able to do much of this exercise whilst walking outdoors, or even in a crowded waiting room. Obviously you would need to adapt the exercise to suit any safety requirements of the situation you’re in.