How to Deal with Prolonged Stress as a Highly Sensitive Person

Feeling overwhelmed lately? In this comforting blog, discover how to deal with prolonged stress as a highly sensitive person. Learn practical vagus nerve techniques, gentle rituals, and simple daily joys to calm your nervous system, without tuning out the world.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

If you’re a highly sensitive person (HSP), you probably know how deeply the world can affect you. Not just emotionally, but physically and energetically too. Lately, I found myself hitting a wall: a quiet, invisible wall of stress that had been building up over time. And maybe you’re feeling it too.

It wasn’t one major life event. It was the daily tension, the constant stimulation, and the overwhelm from everything going on, both globally and personally. So this past weekend, I gave myself permission to do something I don’t often do…

Escaping Reality (and Stress) as a Highly Sensitive Person

I spent the whole weekend playing The Sims. Yes, The Sims! No work, no chores, no expectations. I allowed myself to escape into a world where I could build little homes, design cozy rooms, and watch tiny virtual people go about their lives. It was bliss. And you know what? It helped. I came out of that weekend feeling calmer, more centered, and surprisingly more me. The constant buzz in my brain had softened. I felt clearer, less negative, and far more grounded. And it made me realize how vital it is to find your own ways to deal with prolonged stress.

This is something many HSPs struggle with, and I was reminded of that when I opened one of the online HSP communities I’m in. Someone had posted, “What do you do when everything just feels like too much?” The answers poured in. So many of us are feeling this way. If this sounds familiar, please know: you’re not alone. And more importantly, there are gentle, effective ways to support yourself through this season of stress.

Why Prolonged Stress Hits HSPs So Hard

For highly sensitive people, stress doesn’t just affect the mind, it affects the entire nervous system. We absorb more. Feel more. Notice more. And because we process so deeply, our system often holds onto things longer than others might. While a non-HSP might bounce back quickly from a stressful event, an HSP may need more time, more space, and more rest to fully return to baseline.

And when stress becomes prolonged, whether due to work, world events, relationship tension, or emotional burnout, it can feel like we’re stuck in survival mode.

Start With Your Nervous System: Vagus Nerve Support

When stress lingers, your vagus nerve, a key player in your parasympathetic nervous system, can get stuck in a state of tension. Here are gentle ways to support it:

• Deep, slow belly breathing: Try 4-4-8 breathing. Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, and exhale for 8.
• Soft humming or singing: This creates soothing vibrations that stimulate the vagus nerve.
• Cold water splash: Rinse your face with cool water or press a cold washcloth to your chest or neck.
• Gentle touch: Place your hand over your heart and breathe slowly.
• Feet-up pose: Lie down and elevate your legs. A simple way to rest and reset.
• Somatic movement or stretching: Slow, mindful movements help you reconnect with your body.

Doing one or two of these each day can bring calm to your body, even when your mind is spinning.

Fill Your Day with Beauty, Even in a Chaotic World

I know… it feels strange to focus on beauty when the world feels so heavy. And if you’re highly sensitive, you might even feel guilty for having the privilege to enjoy cozy rituals, warm meals, or quiet moments of peace while so many are suffering. That guilt is human. It comes from your deep empathy. But here’s something to reflect on: beauty and pain can coexist.

Taking care of your mental and emotional well-being doesn’t mean you’re ignoring the hardships in the world. In fact, nourishing your nervous system may help you stay present, compassionate, and resourced enough to show up when it matters. You don’t need to carry the weight of the world alone to prove that you care.

Think of it this way: when you intentionally seek out beauty, you’re not turning a blind eye, you’re reminding yourself that goodness still exists. You become aware of what we all are fighting for. And your nervous system, which absorbs so much, gets a moment to exhale.

You don’t need a grand plan. Just little, lovely moments. Like:

25 Beautifully Mundane Things You Can Do Today

1. Sip your favorite tea from a cozy mug: I love this cat mug with infuser and lid!
2. Watch birds in the morning while wrapped in a blanket
3. Listen to an instrumental playlist and light a candle
4. Walk your dog or just stroll alone in a quiet area
5. Take photos of flowers, leaves, or shadows
6. Bake something warm and nourishing
7. Journal your thoughts, no filter needed
8. Watch the sky change colors at sunset
9. Try a new seasonal recipe
10. Re-watch your comfort show (hello, Gilmore Girls)
11. Knit or crochet something imperfect but beautiful
12. Organize your space while playing soft music
13. Draw or paint with no pressure
14. Take yourself out for a solo coffee date
15. Do a 10-minute guided meditation
16. Sit by a window and daydream
17. Make a gratitude list (even if it’s just 3 things)
18. Put your phone on airplane mode for one hour
19. Re-read a favorite book passage
20. Tend to your plants
21. Diffuse calming essential oils like lavender or orange
22. Watch a nature documentary
23. Do some gentle stretches before bed
24. Take a slow, mindful shower with warm water
25. Write a letter to your future self

These little things are not “wasting time.” They’re nourishing your nervous system. They’re how you survive prolonged stress without burning out.

Let Go of the Guilt and Choose Rest

This is the hardest part for many of us, slowing down without feeling guilty. But when you’re dealing with prolonged stress, you need more than just a nap. You need real rest. Deep rest. The kind that doesn’t come with shame or the feeling that you’re falling behind.

Try this:

• Block time off in your calendar, even if it’s just one hour of “white space” a day.
• Say no more often than you say yes during this season.
• Take a social media detox for 24 hours (or more).
• Ask for help, even when it feels hard.
• Tell someone you’re struggling, a friend, therapist, or coach.

You deserve to rest without explanation. You’re not lazy. In fact, you’re healing.

You’re Allowed to Be Soft

When stress lingers, the world may tell you to “toughen up.” But if you’re highly sensitive, that advice only takes you further away from who you really are. Your softness is not the problem. In fact, it’s your superpower. You just need to protect it with boundaries, nourish it with beauty, and soothe it with rest.

So if you’ve been feeling the weight of the world lately, please take this as your permission slip to slow down. To escape for a while if needed. To play Sims, to drink tea, to lie down and do nothing at all. You don’t have to “fix” yourself. You just have to take care of yourself.

And if you’re ready to explore more ways to regulate your nervous system, set boundaries, and return to your own inner peace, the HiSensitives Membership offers a safe space just for you, packed with weekly meditations, personal growth tools, and a community of people who get it. You’re not alone in this. You never were.

In this article, we collaborated with AI, meaning that the input and stories are original human ideas, but the text itself has been created with support from AI. All AI content is being edited and factchecked by our editor.