Yesterday, I asked my 10-year-old daughter to cut my hair. Yes, you read that right, my 10-year-old whose only experience with scissors thus far was making crafts. In a moment that can only be described as folly, I gave her a pair of professional grade scissors and asked her to cut a wee bit off the bottom of my hair. Then I sat down and relaxed. First thing I knew there were long seven-inch strands of hair on the floor. She understood the directions as cut mama’s hair even so she chopped off my locks to match the shortest layer. How does it look? Well, like a 10-year-old cut it with one eye shut while she’s eating a cookie, but to tell the truth, it’s not the worse look I’ve ever had, it was convenient, and the price was right. :) It was a lockdown low point, and you may wonder how I got there.
The reason I asked my budding little stylist to give me a cut was that I am doing all that I can to keep my energy and vibration high. As part of that I’ve been very aware of who I spend my time with, and where I go. As a highly sensitive person (HSP) I take on other people’s feelings and energy like a sponge mopping a spill off the counter. We are collectively experiencing loads of fear, anxiety, and anger. That’s a huge spill for HSPs to sponge up.
I’ve been staying away from grocery stores during peak hours, hair salons, zoom calls with certain groups. This includes some relatives when they are in a particularly bad mood and are looking to have a good dump. You know what I mean by taking a good dump don’t you. It’s when a person decides to dump it all on you. They purge their feelings, stress, and anger in a barrage of incessant talking. They walk away feeling lighter, and you slink away carrying their burden. Psychologists call this kind of person an energy vampire as they suck the life force and energy right out of you. HSPs are particularly yummy to these people. Our empathy makes us targets as we listen deeply and care.
It’s crucial that we all take care of ourselves right now. I’m spending as much time as I can in nature, or with other kindred souls. (mostly on zoom) I know my highly sensitive friends right now are doing what they can to keep their energy high. They are taking long walks, meditating, listening to uplifting music and lectures. They are taking good care of themselves and their loved ones. They keep refueling themselves. They are doing lots of work feeling their feelings and releasing them as needed. They are also speaking to themselves with as much compassion, patience, and love as they can. They are being HSP-smart.
My intense intention right now is to be as healthy as I can be, as loving as I can be, as truthful as I can be. It is also to take care of myself, my family, my community, and my world in ways that honor who I am as a highly sensitive person. I’m not the best candidate for a large noisy rally as an HSP, but there are loads of other ways I can contribute and be of service. I can be a warrior for love in a way that’s HSP-smart.
I think there’s no getting around the fact that I’m really going to have to visit the hair salon, but I’m going to do it HSP-smart. I’ll make sure it’s a small place with few stylists and customers. I’ll go first thing in the morning when the energy is high. And I’ll refuse to engage in gossip with the stylist or negative talk because that brings my energy down. When I start talking negative on the outside, it quickly turns on me and I start talking negative on the inside.
My self-talk:
I honor myself as an HSP.
I bring great gifts to this world as an HSP.
I choose the people I spend time with and where I go. There are ways I can be HSP-smart.
I am an HSP love warrior.
With love,
Maryse