Latest / Rise & Realign: Conversations for the Sensitive Soul / Ep 20 | Sensitive Nervous Systems & The Environments We Live In (Podcasthon x Green America)

Transcript

Ep 20 | Sensitive Nervous Systems & The Environments We Live In (Podcasthon x Green America) · Rise & Realign: Conversations for the Sensitive Soul

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  Welcome to Rise and Realign, conversations for
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  the sensitive soul. I'm Melissa, and this space
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  is for those of us who feel deeply, love fiercely,
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  and sense the world in ways that are hard to
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  explain, but impossible to ignore. Here, we honor
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  your sensitivity as a strength, not something.
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  to fix. So today, I want to talk about something
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  that affects all of us. But many sensitive people
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  notice especially quickly. And that is the health
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  of the environments we live in. Our nervous systems
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  are constantly interacting with the world around
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  us, right? The air, the water. the food we eat,
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  and the spaces that we move through throughout
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  each day. And when you have a more finely tuned
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  central nervous system, you may feel those influences
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  much more quickly and more intensely. So this
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  episode is part of Podcast Thon. It's a global
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  initiative where podcasters highlight nonprofits
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  that they feel are making a positive difference.
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  And this year, I have chosen to participate and
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  spotlight an organization called Green America.
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  So, Podcast Thon started in 2023 with about 300
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  French -speaking podcasters who came together
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  around a simple idea. Podcasting for good. In
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  2024, more than 400 podcasters participated.
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  And it's expanding, obviously, worldwide. And
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  the dream is to make podcast on a global tradition,
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  uniting thousands of podcasters in dozens of
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  language every year, not to just talk about podcasting
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  for good right but to turn it into a real movement
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  that uses stories technology and community to
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  inspire listeners to care to act and to make
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  a difference one episode at a time and believe
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  me the the sensitive women that i have the honor
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  of supporting you know i hear about the different
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  um places that they are giving from their very
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  kind and generous hearts right um because again
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  what happens in the world to others you know
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  sensitive individuals feel more deeply about
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  it again there's this depth of caring that comes
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  from having um you know well the many aspects
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  of having this trait, but obviously empathy is
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  a big part of it and that depth of processing,
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  right? So today, the podcast on looks like you
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  and me spending a few minutes together thinking
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  about our nervous systems. our environments,
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  and how organizations like Green America are
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  working behind the scenes to create healthier
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  conditions for us all. So as always, I always
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  start with the research around the high sensitivity
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  trait, right? We've known it originally was 15
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  to 20. Now it's more looking like 20 to 30 %
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  of the population has a more finely tuned nervous
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  system, right? And the scientific term is sensory
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  processing sensitivity. And so those of us who
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  have this trait might notice subtle things more
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  quickly, like a smell in a room, a change in
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  someone's tone of voice, the difference between
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  fluorescent lights and natural daylight. And
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  again, we are each so unique. So, you know, one
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  of us may have stronger activation in certain
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  areas and not others, right? And I certainly
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  have noticed that having been raised in a family
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  of highly sensitive individuals and then also
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  having three children with high sensitivity and
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  just how different, you know, each of these.
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  things can affect us. But sensitivity is absolutely
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  biological. It's normal and yet invisible. And
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  so it's definitely not about being too emotional
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  or too dramatic, which many people may view somebody
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  who is highly sensitive as having and even that
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  person who has this high sensitivity trait may
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  view themselves that way. But it's really about
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  having a nervous system. that takes in more information
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  from the environment and again that's all ways
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  okay and then that depth of processing is what
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  has us processing it so much more deeply so for
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  sensitive individuals environmental inputs like
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  noise light chemicals temperature and even the
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  emotional atmosphere of a space can register
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  in the body very fast. And I speak from experience,
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  it can absolutely be overwhelming at times. And
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  again, it really depends too, on what age and
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  stage of life we're in. And our level of awareness,
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  right? Because if we didn't even understand this
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  about ourselves, we might not be able to notice
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  where it is. But it's definitely something that
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  can be overwhelming at times, but it is also
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  a gift once we understand it, right? And I call
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  it, you know, unwrapping the gift. Because this
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  early warning system tells us when something
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  in our surroundings is off. Also on the internal
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  space as well. But let's, you know. talk about
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  how mental health is it's not just thoughts and
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  feelings right it's not just what's going on
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  in our head it's also our nervous systems you
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  know and how they're being shaped all the time
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  by the environments we're living in and you know
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  these are just a few examples I mean air quality
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  right like some people live in places where there's
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  air pollution right people live in environments
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  where there's mold in their home right chemicals
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  in the air that can affect breathing energy levels
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  brain fog right like and again knowing that highly
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  sensitive individuals are affected by these more
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  quickly is what's so important from my perspective
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  so chemicals and products right so our cleaning
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  products the pesticides that they are you know
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  that they or even ourselves may be using in our
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  own yards right and even the frequencies that
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  we use inside these can trigger headaches, irritability,
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  fatigue, right? And especially insensitive people.
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  And I remember, you know, on my own journey of
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  awakening through all of this being like, okay,
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  air purifiers, okay, no more of those wool, you
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  know, fragrances that are just producing chemicals,
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  right? Like, it really, for me, became about
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  cleaning up. you know, what I did expose myself
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  to, which again, I'm just highlighting how important
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  it is for us as sensitive individuals to understand
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  these things. So then there's noise, constant
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  background noise, where sudden loud sounds activate
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  that stress response. Silence or gentle soundscapes
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  help the system settle. And I definitely have
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  found many different ways to get more into the,
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  the, the calming of the nervous system. Cause
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  believe me, even though my environment is very
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  much supportive of who I am, like if I'm driving
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  and I hear a Harley Davidson motorcycle that
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  is super loud, but I didn't see it coming, right?
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  Like that startles me. And it's just like, Oh,
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  okay. You know? And I can appreciate that. you
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  know, that's helpful so that they can be seen
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  and safe while we're all traveling, you know,
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  on the freeway together. But it still startles
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  me, you know. Okay, so other places like nature.
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  right? So being around trees, plants, natural
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  light, and water tends to lower stress hormones
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  and support nervous system regulation. And again,
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  this is not new information, but I think that
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  we've come through this period of time, right,
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  where we just became so conditioned to do everything
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  inside. And again, I know this is not all people
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  everywhere. So I'm just talking about what I've
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  witnessed and am aware of, you know, here in
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  America. But if you have a sensitive nervous
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  system, then you most likely feel these differences
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  immediately, right? And you may not even realize
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  it if, again, you're in that chronic stress overload
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  already. But definitely it can contribute to,
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  you know, you feeling dysregulated, tired, on
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  edge, right? Lighting, it's the flickering, you
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  know, the lux. There's so many things for us.
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  to be aware of that we don't necessarily always
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  know but when we are talking about environmental
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  health right we're not only talking about polar
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  bears and ice caps or you know abstract climate
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  graphs we're also talking about what your nervous
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  system has to process every single day and this
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  is you know one of the reasons why I really felt
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  called to speak about Green America. So this
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  is where they come in, right? Green America harnesses
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  economic power, meaning the power of consumers,
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  investors, businesses, and the marketplace to
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  create a more socially just and environmentally
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  sustainable society. I mean, that's pretty powerful
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  just to even acknowledge, right? Like that's
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  a big undertaking. And their vision is a world
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  where all people have enough, where communities
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  are healthy and safe, and where the abundance
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  of the earth is preserved for future generations.
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  I mean, for me, just reading their vision, I
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  mean, I just feel like... There's got to be highly
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  sensitive individuals behind this, you know,
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  because, again, to have that depth of caring,
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  right, to care about all people having enough,
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  right, where communities are healthy and safe.
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  I mean, it's just, to me, beautiful. I've been
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  on their subscriber list. I don't really know
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  how long, but I've definitely been made aware
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  of the things that maybe large corporations are
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  doing that don't support our environment, right?
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  And the longevity of it. And of course, the health
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  of each of us. And I mean, they raise awareness
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  around. you know, which banks, right, like are
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  supporting fossil fuels and, you know, just they're
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  giving the information and the options and they're
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  really building a resource for more people to
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  understand that there are options, right? Your
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  voice matters, your contribution matters, right?
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  So um green america focuses on shifting business
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  practices toward healthier operations for people
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  and the planet and so they do a lot of education
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  helping you know everyday people all of us understand
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  where their money goes and how their choices
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  can support or challenge corporate practices
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  that affect environmental health and and again
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  you know, some of the different things that I
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  recall reading, you know, I was just like, wow,
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  I didn't know that. And I'm so grateful that
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  they're doing this work because it's changing,
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  right? Like some of these big corporations and
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  organizations that they are, again, bringing
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  this information to are shifting and starting
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  to say, okay, you know, we need to get on this,
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  right? Or we want to, right? they're really holding
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  the bar to seeing the changes happening. And
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  I'm really grateful for that. Actually, I just
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  received an email a couple days ago. from Green
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  America that inspired me to make a $20 donation.
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  And that, they were talking about something called
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  Climate Victory Gardens. And it's a really simple
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  idea. When people grow food using regenerative
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  practices like organic gardening and healthy
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  soil care, that soil can actually help capture
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  carbon from the atmosphere. Like, super cool,
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  right? Green America has already helped register
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  more than 41 ,000 of these gardens. I mean, that's
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  huge, right? This is from tens of thousands of
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  small garden plots from backyards to community
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  gardens. quietly helping the planet breathe a
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  little easier it's a reminder that even small
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  actions like growing herbs in a window box or
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  vegetables in a backyard garden can contribute
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  to healthier environmental systems i mean i just
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  i love this and i think it's so important um
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  You know, we all deserve to breathe a little
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  easier, to breathe in more fresh, clean air,
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  right? Like we deserve to have our vitality supported,
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  right? And sensitive people, you know, are the
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  ones that often are the early indicators when
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  something in our environment is out of balance,
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  right? So again, Green America and what they're
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  doing is helping all of us, but it's absolutely
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  helping and supporting those of us who have high
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  sensitivity because we feel the effects. We're
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  affected by these different, you know, business
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  practices and toxins, you know, in many different
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  ways. We feel these negative effects, right?
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  of the toxins the noise the chaotic spaces all
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  way faster than others that's where this over
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  stimulation comes in for highly sensitive individuals
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  because we're taking in like five times more
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  input than people who don't have this trait and
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  the beautiful part is that you know there's also
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  research that shows that we take in the positive
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  effects you know more quickly as well. So again,
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  changing, you know, our air, so it's cleaner,
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  moving into quieter spaces, right, being in contact
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  with nature, right, and then being around individuals,
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  whether it's, you know, colleagues, whether it's
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  family, friends, you know, whoever it is, you
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  know, being around others who are also, you know,
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  thinking in more holistic ways, right? Like how
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  we can support each other, how we can connect
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  and support with our environment, right? Like
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  how we can, again, work together. We're all on
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  this planet together. So, you know, coming to
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  a common place, right? Of unity, of care, of,
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  you know, support for the highest and greatest
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  good for us all right so what i just i always
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  come back to is you know having this high sensitivity
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  trait for me is not you know pointing to it in
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  a pathologizing way right but often i will you
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  know first meet sensitive women because they've
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  had a history of anxiety they've had a history
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  of depression they've had a history right of
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  traumatic experiences that haven't yet been processed
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  because again deeply processing our experiences
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  our environment right so but in the sense of
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  our bodies being able to alert us when the environment
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  is not aligned with human health, right? Like
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  this is where organizations like Green America
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  work. They are cleaning up supply chains. They're
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  supporting regenerative agriculture, right? They're...
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  advocating and pushing for less toxic products.
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  And they're not only helping the planet in a
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  broad sense, right? They're also helping real
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  human nervous systems, especially the most highly
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  sensitive ones, so that we can live in conditions
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  that feel safer, calmer, and more coherent. So
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  environmental care is not separate from mental
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  health. It's one of the foundations of nervous
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  system care. Because again, the women that I
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  see who, again, anxiety may be that presenting
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  issue, right? Or experiencing... depressive episodes
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  right like we can't just look at this as mental
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  health we have to include the wholeness of who
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  individuals are right and how the environment
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  is influencing each of us right i mean there's
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  so many factors that go into this but really
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  i'm i'm so grateful for organizations like green
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  america And you can access them at greenamerica
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  .org. And I'll also put it in the show notes
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  because, again, any contribution, you know, is
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  helping in enormous ways. And they do have lovely,
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  it's a garden plaque. You know, that's what I
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  donated and gifted to a very dear friend who
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  is so, you know, caring with his plants and,
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  you know, how he treats Mother Earth. And it's
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  just, it's, it touched my heart. So well, I'm
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  curious if over the next few days, if you would
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  feel You know, the invitation to pay attention
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  to how your body responds in different environments.
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  You know, maybe let's pause together now to take
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  a break and breathe love. And maybe you can do
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  more of these moments just in the different environments
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  that you're in throughout the day. Okay, so.
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  let's take a break and breathe into the nose
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  one or second inhale two helps and then exhaling
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  out your mouth and again deep inhale through
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  your nose and do a second inhale and then nice
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  long exhale out your mouth And at least one more.
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  And then exhaling out your mouth. Remember, this
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  is connecting to you, your breath, your body,
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  this moment. And it invites the opportunity for
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  you to notice what happens in your nervous system.
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  If you're in a busy, noisy... artificial setting
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  like a store or a hectic street or a space with
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  harsh lighting and chemicals. And then notice
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  what happens when you're in a space with more
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  natural elements, right? Like sunlight, daylight,
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  softer light, right? Plants, trees, fresh air,
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  water, or simply even just more quiet. And you
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  don't need to analyze it, right? Just being curious.
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  Just noticing. And if you're curious about Green
• 23:29
  America, their programs, or the Climate Victory
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  Gardens I mentioned, I invite you to go learn
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  more about them at greenamerica .org. And if
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  you feel called to support their work in whatever
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  way feels right for you, whether that's a donation,
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  changing a buying habit, or planting something
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  in your own bit of soil, right? Like... That
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  is beautiful. But again, there's no expectations.
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  This is raising awareness so that, you know,
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  you can keep coming back to you and being aware
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  of what's influencing you, you know, what is
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  impacting your nervous system, your vitality.
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  So thank you for being. part of podcast on and
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  for caring about both the inner and outer environments
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  that shape our lives. And as a reminder, we are
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  here together to rise, reclaim, remember. Where
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  the heart leads, the body remembers, and the
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  soul awakens. And so before we close, I invite
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  you to again return to your breath, to your body,
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  to what feels true for you right now. There's
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  nothing you need to do. Just notice what's here.
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  And as always, you are invited to join the Rise
• 25:15
  and Realign Lunar Letter that you can access
• 25:19
  on my website, realignwithmelissa .com. Or inquire
• 25:26
  there as well about some of my other offerings.
• 25:29
  But take good care of you. Much love and light.