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James Donaldson on Mental Health – 3 Proven Coping Strategies for Highly Sensitive People
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Life can make you second-guess yourself. You wonder if you have what it takes to cope with setbacks. Things are going along fine, and out of the blue … Wham! A huge barrier is thrown in your way. A path that was otherwise easy to navigate suddenly appears impossible to handle.
That can lead to a lot of negative emotions. Will you be able to get past this problem? If you had prepared yourself for potential issues like this, maybe it wouldn’t have been a problem. But you didn’t. So your self-image and self-belief falter, and you question your ability to create positive results.
That happens to all of us from time to time. For the highly sensitive person (HSP), it can be devastating.
Their sensory perception is supercharged. What might be seen as a minor setback to most people is sometimes viewed as a major problem to the HSP. This is why these people with highly tuned sensory networks need to have reliable coping strategies they can implement quickly.
Here are three proven methods for dealing with intense emotional responses to the inevitable problems life will hand you.
Identify Your Triggers
What is making you feel this way? Be honest with yourself. Is your response overblown or exaggerated? It’s important to be who you are. That means letting your emotions express themselves. Then, take a deep breath and calm down. Go to a quiet, calm place physically and in your mind.
Try to identify what made you respond in such an emotional way. If you are stressing out over an upcoming party you must host, set aside your fears of failure by preparing ahead of time. Don’t wait until the last minute to address the details leading to a successful party.
If there’s no action you can take to better address a situation, remind yourself that your anxiety has a lifespan. Eventually, it will be over. Distract yourself and remember that this is just a temporary experience.
Remember That Your Perception of Reality Might Be Wrong
Highly sensitive people sometimes overblow or exaggerate a situation. Their thoughts can become exceptionally positive when they are in a good mood. Unfortunately, when something upsets them, they can see the entire world and everyone in it is terrible, with no positive outcome in sight.
The coping strategy here is to write down your thoughts. If you think the world is always out to get you, write that down. Record the date and time you had that thought. Then, record what was going on in your life and what experiences or situations you were involved in.
Keeping an emotions journal like this can help you realize that sometimes your perception of reality is incorrect.
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
Remind Yourself That Your Thoughts May Be Lying to You
The highly sensitive person might start to believe the thoughts that appear when an intense emotional response occurs. This isn’t always good. Often, our thoughts are driven by our ego and survival instinct. They don’t necessarily put us in the best place.
Emotional reasoning should be abandoned sometimes. Your emotions dictate your thoughts. Your thoughts drive your actions, and if they are fueled by your emotions rather than logic and reason, you might end up with an unenviable result.
Being highly sensitive has its upside. Your senses are finely tuned to give you a deeper perception of your life experience. Sometimes, though, your highly evolved sensory network can work against you. When it does, use these coping skills to put yourself in a better place mentally and emotionally.
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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