Dec 8

Dec 8 How to Navigate the Winter Worries of the Sensitive Therapist

Thoughts of the winter season are expected to bring excitement of the holidays and enjoying time off with family, but Highly Sensitive Therapists (HST) may have a completely different experience this time of year. On top of the stress of buying gifts, connecting with loved ones, and managing dreary weather, you may feel overwhelmed by the busyness of the season and financial anxiety over client cancellations. It can be challenging to enjoy this time of year the way you’re expected to so you may end up feeling guilty or ashamed of not measuring up.

If we could wave our magic wands, most of us would choose to spend these darker days in hibernation, like our bear friends, where we can focus on refueling and catching up on downtime or having small, but meaningful gatherings with loved ones. Instead of going with your natural rhythms, you’re often pushing yourself to get everything done, doing your best to survive holiday events (virtual or in-person), support your clients, and run your practice all at the same time. It’s an exhausting experience for sure!

Winter Worries

The winter months can be worrisome for Sensitive Therapists in different ways than your non-HST colleagues, who may not be as perceptive of subtleties or as easily overwhelmed by a busy schedule. If you’re struggling with any of the following this time of year, know that you’re not alone.

Changes in Routine: Whether you’re taking time off for the holidays, inclement weather or sudden illness, there are many schedule changes this time of year which can be unsettling for the HST who thrives on routine and predictability. Since your brain is wired to process deeply before acting or making decisions, you probably don’t enjoy surprises or sudden changes.

Financial Anxiety: Many Sensitive Therapists are already managing lighter caseloads in an attempt to prevent overwhelm and emotional burnout. Losing additional income due to client vacations and cancellations over the winter can be a financial burden and understandably create a lot of anxiety.

Seasonal Mood Shifts: Being keenly aware of subtleties in your environment such as light or temperature changes and having the ability to pick up on the lower affects of others around you, getting through the darker days of winter can be difficult. We often feel irritable, overwhelmed and scattered which leaves us unmotivated to get notes, admin and marketing tasks done.

Navigate the Challenges

As much as you want to hibernate during this time of year, that’s not always possible. Instead, see if you can honor your needs and circumstances.

Let Go of Comparison: It’s tempting to compare yourself to what others are doing, but remember that Sensitive Therapists have different capacities therefore you need to hold yourself to a different standard. If you see your colleague bustling with clients or scheduling 10 clients the day before vacation starts, resist the urge to criticize yourself and turn inward instead. Ask yourself, “what do I need in this moment?” Remember that it’s okay to have a different experience.
Set Quotas/Boundaries: In an attempt to show up as the perfect therapist, family member, or friend, you often end up exhausted this time of year. As always, think about approaching this season with a “quality over quantity” mindset. Decide how many additional activities you can commit to each week and then be intentional about what you say “yes” to. Once you’ve hit that quota, you know it’s okay to say “no” and set boundaries around your time.
Take Advantage of Extra Free Time: Try to embrace any availability you have in your schedule and use it to your advantage. Perhaps you have admin tasks to catch up on, a book you’ve been wanting to read or a marketing project you’ve been putting off. You can use this time to set yourself up for success in the new year. Visualize what the next year of your practice will look like and identify the action steps needed to get there.
Do a Financial Audit: This may be a great time to look at what expenses are no longer serving you. Perhaps you want to cancel a directory listing that hasn’t produced any referrals this year or cancel membership to a professional association that you’re no longer interested in.

Start a Savings Fund: If you’re feeling financially stressed, work toward creating a savings fund for next year’s holiday season. One approach is to calculate how much money you will need to cover your expenses for the month of December and then divide that number by 11. For instance, if your monthly expenses are $1500, you’ll set aside $136 per month from January to November to cover the December lull without financial anxiety.
REST: If you find yourself with free time in your schedule, resist the urge to fill it in an attempt to stay busy, especially if you’re on the verge of overwhelm or burnout. Instead, catch up on your downtime. You can try taking naps in between sessions, shorten your work day or consolidate your appointments into fewer days per week.

Although we are expected to be cheerful, the holidays and winter months are more likely to leave Sensitive Therapists feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Instead of feeling guilty, you can recognize the fact that you have a different capacity than your non-HST colleagues and embrace your needs for slowing down. Turning inward is perfectly aligned with the natural rhythm of the winter season.