Five Powerful Strategies for Highly Sensitive Parents

Parenthood is an incredible journey, filled with joy, challenges, and endless learning opportunities. For highly sensitive parents (HSPs), this journey can feel even more intense due to our heightened sensitivity to our surroundings and emotions. Parenting is never easy, but when you add heightened sensitivity into the mix, the constant noise, meltdowns, and unrelenting calls for "mommy" can leave you feeling utterly exhausted, overwhelmed, and overstimulated.

Regulated nervous system? Not quite.

Increased cortisol levels? Absolutely.

Being a highly sensitive mom is like having a built-in sensory amplifier. As HSPs, we're already easily overwhelmed and overstimulated by external stimuli. Add a screaming child into the mix, and BOOM—sensory meltdown.

Before my little guy arrived, I assumed that screaming kids were just part of the parenting package and that I’d handle it fine with my own child. Well, I was wrong! It turns out that even my own child's decibel level could send me running out of the house to the nearest Target just to take a much-needed break. 

Here’s the thing: my little guy is amazing, and I love being a mom, but it does take some work on my part to keep my nervous system regulated. As HSPs, we experience the world with what I call the "moreness" factor—more feelings, more emotions, more everything. Parenthood amplifies these sensitivities and that "moreness." We feel emotions more deeply, pick up on subtler cues, and absorb stimulation like a sponge. The "normal" world can already be a sensory overload; add a tiny human to the mix, and BAM—everything in life suddenly feels that much harder.

Yes, it can be that much harder parenting as an HSP, but HSP parents have superpowers. Often, we forget that our sensitivities help us connect with our children in remarkable ways. We feel emotions deeply (just like our kids), pick up on subtle cues (that others might miss), and create a safe, nurturing space for our children to thrive because we intuitively understand their needs. So, if we have all these superpowers as HSP parents, why does it feel so damn hard?

The key is learning to manage the overwhelm, understanding how to regulate your nervous system when triggered, and turning your sensitivity into a parenting advantage. 

Here are 5 tips to help you save your sanity and embrace the amazingness of being a highly sensitive parent!

Tip One:  Take a Break

We often want to be the superhero, wearing our shield of "I can do it all and take it all on." But that doesn't work when your child is having a temper tantrum, arguing with you, or simply pushing your buttons. As an HSP parent, you get overstimulated more easily. If you keep engaging in the tantrum or fight, you’re likely to experience even more overwhelm and overstimulation. The best thing you can do is teach your child that sometimes you need a moment to walk away and find your center instead of reengaging.

Taking a break doesn't mean you're weak or a failure. It means you recognize that you've hit a breaking point and that a break is necessary to realign your mind and body.

A break can be as short as going to the bathroom, shutting the door, and sitting for 30 seconds, two minutes, or however long you need. This gives you a chance to calm down and provides some time away from the chaos.

I have an easy-to-implement heart-centered tapping technique that you can do in just a few minutes to lower your cortisol levels and regulate your nervous system (check out my YouTube video at the link below).

Tip Two: Prioritize Self-Care

As a highly sensitive parent, your ability to care for your children depends on how well you take care of yourself. Self-care is not a luxury; it's a necessity! You can't pour from an empty cup. It's crucial to schedule regular "quiet time" for yourself—take a calming bath, read a book, or spend time in nature.

Establish a routine by creating a daily schedule that includes time for rest, movement, and activities that bring you joy. Wake up before your children to center yourself through mindfulness practices or meditation. Starting your day regulated and with low cortisol levels allows you to show up in a healthier, more positive way.

Learn to establish healthy boundaries. Practice saying "NO" to activities or obligations that drain your energy. For HSPs, saying no can be challenging because they often fear letting others down or prefer avoiding conflict. However, it's crucial for maintaining your emotional regulation. Start small by declining something that won't significantly impact you or the relationship. You can also ease into it by saying, "I'll think about that and get back to you."

HSPs require downtime to recharge. Without this time, you'll feel exhausted and burnt out. Recharging allows you to fully engage with your child and family.

Here are some essential practices to incorporate into your daily self-care routine:

• Eat a balanced diet: Nourish your body with healthy foods that provide sustained energy. Begin to eliminate processed foods.  Eating clean, healthy foods will help you regulate your emotions.  Our gut is tied to more things than you realize!
• Move your body: Exercise is a powerful tool for managing stress and boosting mood. Find activities you enjoy, like yoga, walking in nature, or dancing in your living room!  
• Prioritize sleep:  A well-rested body and mind are better equipped to handle the emotional demands of parenthood.  If you have a little one, take naps!  Our bodies rejuvenate when we sleep. 
• Get outside: Nature has a calming effect on the nervous system. Spend time outdoors every day, even if it's just for a few minutes.  This is an HSP requirement! 

Tip Three: Create a Sensory Haven

Overstimulation is a real struggle for HSPs. Be mindful of loud toys and extra stimuli in your environment. Make it minimal, less toys, less chaos. 

Choose toys that are quieter and encourage imaginative play rather than those with flashing lights and loud sounds. Limit the number of toys available at any one time; consider spreading them across different areas like upstairs, downstairs, and outside, while keeping these spaces organized and tidy to prevent sensory clutter.

By consciously managing stimuli in your home, you can cultivate a more peaceful and supportive environment for you and your family.

Create a home environment to accommodate your HSP traits. Designate a calming space that serves as your sanctuary. Reduce unnecessary items, get rid of toys that your child is no longer playing with.  Adopt a three-month rule for items not in regular use.  If you haven't used it in three months get rid of it! Maintaining a clutter-free environment minimizes sensory overload and promotes tranquility. 

Also, opt for soft, soothing lighting over bright fluorescent lights in your home, and consider playing calming music or nature sounds to enhance the peaceful ambiance. Integrating plants indoors can also contribute to a serene atmosphere.

Tip Four: Recognize When You are Taking On Your Child's Emotions

Your sensitivity is a gift that enables you to deeply connect with your children and intuitively understand their needs. As an HSP, you might find yourself experiencing your child's emotions as intensely as they do, sometimes absorbing their energy without realizing it. This aspect of being attuned to and absorbing others' energy is a lesser-known trait of HSPs. If you can pick up on energies just by entering a store, imagine the energy you absorb from those who live in your home!

It's important to distinguish between empathy and absorption. Empathy allows you to understand and share your child's feelings without becoming overwhelmed by them. You can validate their emotions while remaining calm and collected.  Emotional absorption happens when you take on your child's feelings as your own. This can leave you feeling drained and unable to effectively support them because you feel like their feelings are actually yours.  

Here are some signs you might be taking on your child's emotions:

• You feel your mood shift along with your child's
• You struggle to regulate your own emotions after your child has a meltdown
• You find yourself taking responsibility for calming your child down, even when they haven't learned coping mechanisms

Tips to Avoid Emotional Absorption:

• Practice mindfulness: Pay attention to your own thoughts and feelings when your child is upset
• Label your emotions: Acknowledge that you're feeling a certain way because of your child's emotions, but it doesn't mean they're your emotions to own
• Take a deep breath: A physical break can help you separate your own emotional state from your child's
• Focus on solutions: Help your child learn healthy coping mechanisms for their emotions

By recognizing emotional absorption and taking steps to manage it, you'll be better equipped to support your child through their emotional journey without getting overwhelmed yourself.

Tip 5:  Embrace Being a Highly Sensitive Parent

In the whirlwind of parenthood, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by your sensitivity. But what if you reframed it? Imagine your sensitivity as a superpower, not a burden. As a Highly Sensitive parent, you possess unique strengths that make you an incredible nurturer. 

By possessing deep empathy as an HSP, you have an amazing ability to pick up on subtle cues – sadness in your child's eyes, a slight change in their mood, or even the tiniest change in their voice. You recognize these cues while others may completely miss it.  This allows you to truly understand their emotional state and respond with compassion.

Possessing emotional intelligence enables you to validate your child's feelings, establishing a secure environment where they can freely express themselves. This may be an experience you didn't receive as a child yourself. By validating your child's feelings and nurturing a safe space for their authentic expression, you help break the cycle of generational parenting trauma.

HSPs have a strong intuition.  You probably know when your child is sick before they even know they are sick.  Your gut instincts are often spot-on. Learn to trust your intuition when it comes to your child's needs. It can guide you in making decisions that promote their well-being and emotional development.

Being a highly sensitive parent comes with its own set of challenges, but it also brings incredible strengths to your relationship with your child.  Remember, your sensitivity is a gift that enables you to be a compassionate and understanding parent. Celebrate your unique qualities and use them to create a loving, nurturing environment for your family.

Remember, the world needs more empathetic, intuitive parents, like YOU!

If you enjoyed this blog, be sure to subscribe to my weekly Monday Mindset Newsletter. It's packed with powerful content delivered straight to your inbox every week! Click the link below to receive all the goodness!

If a weekly newsletter is not your jam, I get it!  Then make sure to check out my YouTube channel, the Thriving Sensitive. I post a weekly video every Thursday.  We dive into all the mindset stuff, holistic healing, nervous system regulation, energy healing, intuition, spirit guides and all things woo! Learn to embrace your sensitivity as your greatest strength, not a burden. We'll explore mindfulness, learn how to cultivate spirituality, and holistic practices to help you master your energy and emotions for a calmer inner world.

Hello and welcome to the Soulful Sensitivity Blog!

A blog for highly sensitive women, where you'll find connection, support, and strategies to not only navigate but thrive in a world that often can feel overwhelming for HSPs. 

My name is Ginger Ready and I am the founder and CEO of Mind-Body-Soul Coaching. I help highly sensitive women embrace their true self and empower them to thrive so that they can live authentically, finding balance, purpose, and inner peace.

As someone who's an HSP and Empath, I've been through the struggle of feeling out of place in this chaotic world, but I've come to see that our differences are what make us extraordinary. My sensitivities aren't a weakness; they're my superpower. I'm on a mission to support highly sensitive women like us in embracing who we are fully!

I am grateful you are here!

Disclaimer:  I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist, I am a core energy coach, Reiki practitioner, and nutrition consultant.