Steps to Better Emotional Control
You may not be able to eradicate your hypersensitivity, but you can learn to counter and control your emotional reactions with some healthy approaches:
Plan for tough times. Have a plan to deal with hormonal phases, stressful triggers, and moments when you’re hyper-focused and can’t handle being interrupted. Give yourself extra breathing room by taking on fewer responsibilities, and let people know if you don’t want to be disturbed. Being proactive now can save you from blowing up later, and that will save your social graces.
Set boundaries. You need some boundaries to protect against overwhelming situations. Don’t expose yourself to negativity for too long, whether that’s in the form of the evening news or antagonizing people. Walk away from situations at the first sign of emotional flare-up, and have a comfortable place to go for some peace of mind.
Honor your feelings. While it’s important to learn to restrict your outbursts, try not to deny yourself your genuine feelings. Whether you’re feeling angry, sad, or anxious, don’t push it down and ignore it – that will almost certainly make it worse. Instead, think about what made you feel this way, and how you can consciously help yourself out of the rut.
Improve your self-care. Helping yourself means being aware of what your body and mind really needs. One way to stay on an even keel is to exercise regularly, and balance that with some quiet meditation. Burning off energy is a quick way to regulate mood, while your meditative practice is a long-term solution for a happy, confident outlook and fewer ADHD symptoms.
Positive thinking and relaxation exercises are always useful, but sometimes you have to physically block out the extra stimuli. Try to carry a music device with headphones, or a simple set of earplugs to avoid sensory overload. Whatever helps you cope best belongs in your daily routine.
Using your Sensitivity in Positive Ways
Although hypersensitivity can frustrate your life, it can also help you to realize your full potential. First, you have to find a way to live in harmony with your hypersensitivity: choose situations and approaches that suit your personality and temperament, and avoid uncomfortable spots. Don’t make life more difficult for yourself – learn to say “no”.
Creativity, deep perception, and empathy come naturally to hypersensitive people, and those can be extremely helpful for socializing and building meaningful relationships. However, in order for these traits to shine through, you have to give your ADHD mind the time and space in needs. That may mean doing less in the evenings, taking a solo lunch, and working in regular naps to prepare for stimulating situations. Pause for reflection regularly, and give yourself extra time to process the events of the day.
