Ep 156: High Sensitivity with Erika Belanger

Jan 25

Whether you’re a highly sensitive person or not, understanding how to best soothe and support your nervous system holds lifelong value. And being a highly sensitive person may play a role in your relationship with alcohol!

Today, Karolina sits down with Erika Belanger, a somatic coach from Costa Rica. Erika helps sensitive women learn to manage their thoughts, feel their feelings and heal their nervous system through mind, body, and spirit practices. Today you’ll learn what it means to be a highly sensitive person, what signs to look out for, and practices to self-soothe and care for your nervous system. Erika is living proof of the power of self-healing as a highly sensitive person, and her story is one to hear!

With her soothing voice, personal experience, and professional insight, take away a deeper understanding of self, along with beautiful transformational practices to support your own journey!

This episode is brought to you by Wild AF. If you’re looking for a deliciously authentic non-alcoholic wine that’s all natural, check out Wild AF Wine today, and give their Sparkling Rosé a try! Most companies add in a lot of sugar or juice which can make the final product taste like kid’s grape juice, but not Wild AF. They take a California Syrah and make a nonalcoholic sparkling rosé from it that is delicious. And because they don’t add in any sugar or juices, it’s actually zero calories and zero sugar, so no guilt included. Use code EuphoricAF30 to get 30% off. Try it today.

IN THIS EPISODE:

How Erika learned to numb as she struggled with feeling like “too much” and “not enough” (and what helped her lean into self reflection).
Are you a highly sensitive person or just picky? There are signs to look for if you are a highly sensitive person and supportive tools you can use to help soothe yourself. Hint: it starts with safety.
The impact of alcohol on a highly sensitive person, and how it may be different from the average person.
Our nervous system responds to stressors in a few different ways, often referred to as fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Erika offers powerful, supportive practices for soothing our nervous system when we find ourselves in one of these states.
The routines Erika uses to stay grounded, feel safe, and holistically nourish herself when overwhelm and overstimulation come into her life.
The beautiful traits and qualities that highly sensitive people tend to possess. Erika shares what those are along with the unique skills and roles in which they thrive.

REFLECTION QUESTION:

Whether you’re a highly sensitive person or not, understanding how to best soothe and support your nervous system holds lifelong value. When you get still with yourself and think about moments where you’ve felt safe, comforted, and nurtured, what was happening that allowed for this?

Using that information, how could you recreate some of that safety, comfort, and nurturing for yourself in your day to day life?

“Being highly sensitive means that your nervous system is more sensitive than average to input or to stimuli that is coming either from inside your body or from outside your body, so your environment. So anything that comes from the senses, you're going to be more sensitive than other people.” Erika Belanger

“You don't have to be highly sensitive to need to slow down, to need to be more mindful, to need to be more grounded… Being highly sensitive is one thing, but I think all humans can use a little support in our nervous system.” Erika Belanger

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED

Get FREE practices and tools from Erika on her website and follow her on Instagram for extra support and insights!

Join us on our next alcohol-free women’s retreat in Bali May 14-21, 2023! Sign-up is open and spaces are limited. Learn more and claim your spot today.

This episode is brought to you by Wild AF. If you’re looking for a deliciously authentic non-alcoholic wine that’s all natural, check out Wild AF Wine today, and give their Sparkling Rosé a try! Use code EuphoricAF30 to get 30% off. Try it today.

Karolina’s book is available in hardcover, Kindle, and as an audiobook. Be sure to get your copy of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You today and leave your review.

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