I never knew I was an HSP – which stands for Highly sensitive person and is a term coined by psychologist Elaine Aron in the 1990s. HSPs are individuals with a heightened sensitivity to stimuli, both external (like sounds, lights, and social environments) and internal (emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations). 

This trait, known as sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), is not a disorder but a natural personality trait that occurs in about 15-20% of the population.

Being an introverted, shy, and an HSP person, my initial years as an emerging woman leader were not easy; there were times when I could successfully find a feasible solution to the most complex of project issues; however, due to lack of tact to manage the power dynamics and office politics, I would often eventually land in challenging situations and context.

When you do not know a way out of the maze, the brain signals that you are in danger or that there is a threat; this then makes you react in ways that may not hold good for us both personally and professionally.

​I was no exception.

My emotional distress and the gap in emotional resilience made me get into a rage, and anger hijacked my inner self; I would not lash out but kept boiling like a deceptive volcano that was tumultuous within but silent outside.

Many years into this, it paved the way for extreme bouts of vertigo and anxiety. Sometimes, I would cry all by myself and ask myself, “Where do I belong?

My healing and recovery came many years later when I learned this technique, and today, I have created a simple version of it for you.

The Practice.

Click here to practice it with me.

I firmly believe that what we do not have, we cannot offer any other. Similarly, when my inner self was starved for kindness and compassion due to the dominant inner critic that ruled my heart and head, I used to struggle to mask my anger and rage from everyone. What I did not realise was that I was in need of it the most! 

When I did this for the first time, I imagined myself in the front yard of my Tarapoorwala Montessori school, the same place where I hold my best-cherished childhood memories; I imagined my adult self being offered support and comforted by the mature me.

Initially, this “by me to me” support was awkward and surreal, but it also healed me at the deepest level.

Present day today, while I’ve moved past my traumas and challenging times, sometimes, when I feel like slipping into my void, I go back to this practice for support and my overall mental health and well-being.

To your success, health and well-being. 

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© Mehnaz Amjad 2017-2024

Mehnaz Amjad | Coach
Hyderabad, India