What I’m hearing from patients and clients is extremely common. “I’m distracted and unfocussed!”
So much uncertainty, change, and overwhelm, which we experience daily in the world, can evoke fear, stress, anxiety, and unease even in those of us who are usually pretty calm and functional.
You might be feeling this way, too, while also trying to “hold it together” and stay afloat, especially if you’re a highly sensitive person.
What you could be experiencing is a series of trauma responses, many of which are triggered by the stress of the past. The way you react to stress in today’s continuing assault by conflicting data and emotions stirs up discomfort from past hurt, fear, overwhelm, and sadness—all experiences still present in your body.
When the issue comes to managing stress or anxiety, these unprocessed emotions and beliefs from the past, most often from as long ago as childhood, can be at the root of your feeling distracted; And if you’re like 20% of the population who are Highly Sensitive People (HSPs), you might be experiencing life more intensely than others with added anxiety and worry in the mix.
Contrary to what many of us think, trauma doesn’t have to be catastrophic to make an impact on our psyches. Present events can trigger both big and little distresses and provoke anxiety that’s hidden in us from our past, like a hurt, humiliation, or lost friendship, and can be impactful enough to stir up unpleasant feelings that lead to responses like those below:
Flight: You panic and avoid others.
Fight: You feel anger and express it in outbursts.
Freezing: You feel anxious, stuck, indecisive, or exhausted.
Fawning: You over people-please and lack personal boundaries..
Which of these trauma responses most closely fits you? If you’re considered a highly sensitive person, whatever you choose, please don’t let your harsh inner critic blame you for it. Your reaction isn’t your fault…and it’s most likely a survival skill you used when faced with anxiety during your childhood. Your body used such reactions to keep you safe—and even might be doing so now.
You’re probably wondering how you can Rescript your stress response to begin the transformation from distracted and upset to proud and present.
Below are some suggestions to help you on your journey to calm your emotions:
Name it. When a stressful, distressing thought comes up, “name it to tame it.” Labeling the emotion you’re feeling, like fear, resentment, or grief, and just saying the name of your felt emotion can take away some of its power over you in the moment. You feel heard, even if it’s only by you, yourself. Personally, I like to add “Thank you for sharing,” to my inner chatter, and then I switch to what’s going right in the present situation. That kind of positive self-talk brings in gratitude, a real fear-slayer.
- Draw a circle. Should you feel a painful emotion coming, imagine a circular fence or boundary around you that protects you, keeps you safe, and has your back. You’ve got this.
- Who will you become? Imagine handling this situation as a wise, mature adult effectively and peacefully, showing up with calm and purpose. Practice stepping into that vision daily. Over time, that part of you will become a reality.
- Honor your sensitivity. Feel emotions more deeply as a highly sensitive person who is intuitive, you can see beauty everywhere. It can be your honored new self.
- Talk it over with a trusted guide. Join hundreds of others who have worked with me and learned that addressing how you feel overwhelmed and stressed from today’s uncertainty and distraction can help you gain clarity and personal power and feel heard and seen. An empowering step—without long years of talk therapy.
If you’re feeling forgetful and distracted these days, it’s more common than you may think. Anxiety is a clue that your trauma response and blind spots may be ready to be Rescripted for your personal growth with a quick, safe, proprietary technique that works virtually.
It’s all just a call away (click here for a Rescripting Discovery call) or an email away (respond to this email). I’m so ready to help you!
Take good care,
Roberta
P.S. Here’s to your stepping into your highest, happiest, and most-purposeful self in 2023. The Rescripting Technique is a great method to help make that happen!
