sensitive – INFJ Ramblings

Lithium Orotate Anxiety Benefits: The Mineral For Mood Disorders

Sun, 21 Aug 2016 04:11:31 +0000

There are many ways to deal with anxiety and depression, one of which is as easy as taking the right supplement every day. Lithium Orotate anxiety supplement is a great addition for anyone struggling with these issues. Lithium Orotate benefits most types of mood disorders

Quiet, reserved, thoughtful and deep – these are just a few words that perfectly describe people with introverted personalities. These traits are wonderful in many ways, but people who fall under the INxx personality types have higher sensitivities, making them prone to unique health problems such as anxiety, depression or other mood
disorders.

Being introverted doesn’t mean that there is nothing you can do about being prone to these mood disorders.

(The following post is a guest post from our friends over at Anabolic Health)

Lithium Orotate Anxiety and Mood Disorders

One of the most common supplements for mood disorders is lithium orotate. And while it has always been associated with psychiatric medication, lithium is an alkali metal that comes from the same family as sodium and potassium. Originally discovered to treat manic depression (now known as bipolar disorder), it has been used for a long time to stabilize mood and treat a wide range of mood disorders.

The specific connection between lithium and how it works for mood disorders is inconclusive. Doctors believe, however, that lithium increases the synthesis and release of the happy hormone serotonin. It also does the opposite to the stress hormone norepinephrine.

But that’s not the only effect of lithium. Aside from improving emotional balance, lithium provides many excellent benefits including the following:

Brain protection – regular lithium treatment has shown to have neuro-protective effects. It increases Heat Shock Proteins which promotes the disposal of abnormal proteins and refolding of misfolded proteins in the brain. It also induces a certain molecule in the brain known as Bcl-2 that protects brain cells from dying.

Heart protection – it also increases the production of VEGF or vascular endothelial growth factor, a protein that promotes cell development and neurovascular remodeling. This has been found to help people recover faster from a stroke.

Improves brain function – Lithium increases N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) in the brain, which is correlated with IQ scores. It has also been found to create new neurons in the hippocampus, which is the brain’s memory center

Increases longevity – A 2011 study found a positive correlation between life-span and levels of lithium in drinking water, with the conclusion that long term low-dose exposure to lithium may exert anti-aging capabilities.

Lithium Orotate Benefits vs. Other Forms of Lithium

With these positive things about lithium, you may wonder why it still has a cloudy reputation until today. This is because in very high doses, the mineral can be toxic to the body. The body poorly absorbs pharmaceutical forms of lithium – lithium carbonate and lithium citrate – hence they’re always taken in huge doses to obtain a satisfactory effect. Individuals taking these versions have to be monitored and have their blood checked regularly to ensure that they do not reach toxic levels.

Lithium orotate anxiety treatment differs from prescription lithium. The orotate binder transports the lithium easily into the membranes of the cells, requiring a much lower dosage than prescription forms of lithium. For example, severe cases of depression may only require a dose of 150 mg of lithium orotate per day. This is far lower than 900 to 1800 mg of prescription lithium. Because intake is generally lower, there are no adverse side effects, making it safe for every day use.

We recommend this lithium orotate supplement for daily use to help balance moods.

Your Hormones and Your Mood

Of course, there are also other factors other than personality that increases your risk of having mood disorders. More than personality, your hormones play a very vital role in your overall physiological and psychological health. Hormonal imbalances, such as having low testosterone and high estrogen have been seen to cause depression and anxiety in men, quite similar to effects of estrogen imbalance in women – which is often evident during menses and menopause.

With this, it’s important to keep your hormones in check and maintain a state of balance in your body. Anabolic Health specializes in men’s hormonal health, while Women in Balance specializes in women’s hormonal health. You can visit these websites to find out more about hormones and the things you can do to maintain or restore hormonal balance to keep your body at optimum health.

The following posts are some of the most popular trending posts over at Anabolic Health:

8 Best Estrogen Blockers to Regain Lean Muscle Mass and Lose Fat

6 Best CLA Supplements: Reduce Body Fat and Prevent IT From Coming Back!

12 Best Hair Thickening Shampoos for Men: Thicken and Hide Your Thinning Hair

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INFJ HSP – Emotional Intelligence and Openness of the Mind

Sun, 13 Apr 2014 16:29:09 +0000

In this post I want to shed some food for thought on HSPs (Highly sensitive persons) and their traits. It is widely known that there is simply not just one type of intelligence, we all excel in different areas of life. A type of intelligence that is almost always attributed to HSPs in some regard is emotional intelligence. Being emotionally intelligent enables you a deeper understanding about human functioning and connectivity in the world. You have a greater understanding of how people around you function and why they do the things they do.

It can also give you a deeper understanding about the things you do yourself. HSPs are often feeler type personalities which is why EI (emotional intelligence) tends to be highly developed among us. As a feeler you are more sensitive emotionally then others and even thought you have a heightened EI understanding, you can easily have bouts where you might experience an difficulty controlling your feelings and maybe even act highly irrational at times. Extroverted feeling personalities in MBTI (INFJ/ENFJ primarily) often run into problems here since they are highly emotional but also extrovert their feelings and judgments. This combination can result in heated situations where you act according to feelings and when the situation has passed you might feel you overreacted or acted unreasonable. Fortunately these type of personalities are also concerned about the well-being of others and often seek out to correct any wrongdoings they might have done others. This is important since they value their morals and doing others wrong will in turn cause themselves great emotional pain.

Statistics tell us that most highly intelligent individuals are also HSPs. We are talking about the population here which is considered the top 2%. It seems to be a common tread that an increased sensitivity to stimuli equals greater understanding of concepts, theories and the outside world. It is said that around 15% of the population is highly sensitive to some degree. About 35-50% of the population is introverts. Introverts belongs to the majority among the gifted population, and the top 2% contains almost exclusive introverted, intuitive HSPs.

What people outside these minorities fail to grasp is that being an HSP and especially an gifted HSP also comes with a hefty price. Belonging to a minority often isolates you from the rest. Most humans find security in what is familiar and reject what is not, same functioning as many other animals on this planet. In other words being different can push you away from the norm and make relationships that much harder.

Heightened sensitivity to stimuli is a neurological trait which you are born with and not something that can be changed. Unfortunately for HSPs even thought our brains work differently the world around us still works as suitable for non HSPs. We are expected to think, act, feel and produce results just like other people even though we are not. A heightened sensitivity is not because our sensing organs like eyes, ears or nose are more developed then other people. The sensitivity comes from a lower threshold for stimuli. In other words we need less of everything when other people need more to reach the same level of excitement, feelings or understanding. HSPs don’t need many cups of coffee to get them focused. Watching TV doesn’t make us tired. High pressure and pace doesn’t make us more motivated to work etc. Just a few examples but generally you could say that in a way it is the complete opposite of ADHD.

The downside of being an HSP is being unable to shut it off. There is no off switch and this is where the problem comes in. With a lower tolerance for stimuli we overload quicker because our capacity is still the same as other people. HSPs are not superhuman even thought we might have exceptional talents because of our sensitivity. We are simply born with a openness to new experiences that others don’t have, a lack of filtering. It is this openness that is a common trait among gifted people. As an HSP and intuitive you can perceive the world in a clearer way then non HSPs who’s world view is primarily based on their previous judgements and experiences. People tend to form who they are and their image of the world through the judgements of their ego. You like this but are afraid of that etc. They react to new experiences based on previous ones and therefor never consider things for what they really are, only for what their ego tells them they think of it. That is an lack of intuition and perceptiveness.

As we all know there are many problems in the world and the majority humans cause themselves. We have a tendency to destroy the environment we live in, scavage our planet until there is nothing left, we are reckless against ourselves and others, wage war against each other over pieces of land, the list is long. What is certain is that the human condition is something entirely different from the rest of the creatures on our planet. An organism that is at war with itself is doomed from the start, and this is what most people fail to realize. There is a widespread close-mindedness in today’s societies and most can’t really perceive what is really happening in the world aside from what their ego tells them. As HSPs and intuitive’s it is important to not judge ourselves like others might do. To not see our unique traits as something to try to change or get rid of because there is nothing wrong with them. Thinking that being like everyone else would make you happier is simply grasping, and grasping won’t give anyone happiness because the grasping never stops.

I think most people would agree that having a higher perceptiveness and caring for the people, animals and environment around you would be a good thing. The planet could sure benefit from having more people with these unique traits and who’s to say that this is not the next step in human evolution? We started as primitive ape like creatures and our minds have evolved considerably since that. The next logical step would indeed be to expand our mind to comprehend the world around us more, now when we have developed the ability to perceive ourselves. That is for sure some great food for thought.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Alex

PS: Here is some recommended reading on Emotional Intelligence and how it can matter more then IQ:

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INFJ Mental Disorders, Health & Emotional Sensitivity

Tue, 11 Feb 2014 04:27:34 +0000

As some of you might have noticed there has yet again been radio silence on this blog for the last months. I’ve been busy on an exciting project overseas so have not been able to do any posts here like I would have liked to. I will probably be busy another month or two but I have still been collecting material for you guys so as soon as I’m done I will be back flooding this blog with new posts. Meanwhile I thought I’ll do a short one adding on some observations and thoughts that’s been lingering in the back of my head during these months.

I want to talk a bit about INFJs and mental health, something that seem to be a quite popular and reacquiring subject out there. Unfortunately mental health is somewhat a struggle for many INFJs and there are many misconceptions concerning it. Misconceptions in the regard that INFJs would in some way be weaker on a mentally and emotionally level and that would be why many struggle with anxiety and depression. It is true that we are more sensitive then other personalities but that doesn’t necessary equal anything along the lines of weakness. It has been shown that INxx types in general are the ones that often struggle with emotional sensitivity. I would say that a heightened emotional sensitivity is as much a strength as it can make life harder at times. You are merely playing on a completely different playing field then less emotionally evolved people. Being more sensitive to emotions equals a greater understanding and perception of them. It is easy for other people to call you unstable or emotional when they themselves cannot perceive the situation at hand. We all view life through different lenses, but INFJs can often view life throughout multiple lenses, free from conditioning or influence. Being this type of empathic people with often divided personalities is what makes it hard in comparison with others. Yet there is nothing wrong with us or our mental health, simply the fault lies in the rest of the worlds comparison of us with themselves.

The nature of intuition is in not trusting how things appear even thought answers may be laid out in front of you. Always searching for alternative possibilities, clues or hints of the true nature of things. It is no wonder why INFJs can easily feel that they are losing their grip when as an introverted intuitive dominant, your are always changing and endlessly searching for meaning within yourself and the rest of the world. This is what intuition is meant to do, and in there lies much of the problem when it comes to mental health issues. You can ask yourself the question that if you no longer trust what you can see and feel with your own senses, does that mean you are mentally ill? An unhealthy version of this would be somebody who is schizophrenic. Yet there are similarities here like being able to view the world unattached from presumptions of how things are and should be. In other words, viewing it free from previous experiences, like you would view it for the very first time. In order for INFJs to draw those incredible conclusions about the nature of things this is what is needed on a mental level. So it is not hard to understand that always operating in this type of functionality comes with certain drawbacks. Like when we get stressed or pressured we can even stop trusting ourselves and our own existence.

How do you handle your thoughts and emotions when they seem even more real then the things happening in the world around you? Here is where our inferior function comes in, and the reason we have this fetish for extroverted sensing is because without it we would lose ourselves completely. It is the counter weight to our intuition which keeps it from tipping off the scale, which is what can happen when we get stressed. The scale can also be tipped in favor of the inferior function under stress, and we start to judge ourselves and who we are from our results in the outside world. This is very much the complete opposite of who we really are as INFJs. Negative life experiences often reinforces negative self value, and this is what happens with INFJs that operate to much in their inferior function. You start to forget who you are and your own value. You forget one of the most special things that you have as an INFJ which is emotional health, morals and values which are pure and unaffected by the external world. Because we all know that you cannot change the opinion of an INFJ, and you cannot force us to believe in anything we don’t.

To wrap this all up I want to share some tips concerning emotional health. If you often struggle with anxiety, negative self thoughts and fears, it is important to remember one thing. You are not your thoughts. The brain is an organ like any other in the body. The heart pumps blood, the stomach digest food and the brain creates thoughts. It is it’s sole function and you cannot stop it from happening. What you can do on the other hand is understand this process and that just because the thoughts are there and pass by in your mind, doesn’t mean they are true.

To master your emotions you need to master your mind. The key to this is mindfulness practise. Here is a book I highly recommend to get started with mindfulness:

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INFJ Books: Recommended Reading List #2

Fri, 13 Dec 2013 09:23:00 +0000

I’ve have recently started some major rework on this blog to turn it into something better than it currently is. I started this website mainly as an outlet for my own thoughts but in the future I want this to eventually become a more serious blog with lots of INFJ, MBTI and HSP research. I just registered the domain www.infjramblings.com so feel free to update your bookmarks. The old address will still work as well. The blog will be getting a new layout and logos in the next few weeks so stay tuned for that.

Here is a long due update for the reading list to keep you occupied while I rework this blog. I’ve included some mixed books this time and I have read all of them and they are all highly recommended.

The ESP Enigma: The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena

This is one of my favorite subjects and every INFJ will love this book. The research presented in it is a testament for the true nature of the world and that there is a lot more going on behind the scenery of life then one might thing. Cannot recommend this enough!

A revolutionary scientific explanation of psychic phenomena and the nature of human consciousness.

Although much is now known about the brain, relatively little has been determined about where consciousness comes from: What is the source of the “I” in our internal monologue? How does something as nonmaterial as consciousness arise from something material like the brain? Dr. Diane Powell, a Johns Hopkins–trained neuroscientist, has brilliantly reassessed the meaning and nature of consciousness by exploring research on the workings of psychic phenomena.

Over the past few decades several well-designed and rigorously supervised experiments have documented the existence of telepathic interconnection, clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis, and out-of-body experiences. Mainstream science has largely ignored these data because they all defy the traditional model of consciousness as being solely the product of brain chemistry.

Building from these experiments, Powell constructs a new theory of consciousness. I ntegrating concepts from physics, neuroscience, and other disciplines, she offers an insightful and intriguing explanation of ESP, provocatively claiming that the existence of psychic abilities expands our understanding and appreciation of consciousness. Psychic abilities are also consistent with findings in modern physics: For example, psychokinesis implies that consciousness is a type of force field, while precognition suggests that the past, present, and future exist concurrently.

Eye-opening in its conclusions and exciting in its implications, The ESP Enigma will challenge your preconceived notions and expand your mind.

Get it here:

The ESP Enigma: The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena

The Highly Sensitive Person

If you have read some of my previous blog posts you might have noticed that I occasionally write about HSPs (Highly Sensitive Persons). Statistically it appears that a lot of INFJs are also HSPs. This book is the number one resource on HSPs and includes lots of research and great tips on how to make life easier as an HSP. Elaine N. Aron Ph.D. (Author) is a pioneer in this field of research and is an HSP herself, great read!

Are you a highly sensitive person?

Do you have a keen imagination and vivid dreams? Is time alone each day as essential to you as food and water? Are you “too shy” or “too sensitive” according to others? Do noise and confusion quickly overwhelm you? If your answers are yes, you may be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).

Most of us feel overstimulated every once in a while, but for the Highly Sensitive Person, it’s a way of life. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Elaine Aron, a psychotherapist, workshop leader and highly sensitive person herself, shows you how to identify this trait in yourself and make the most of it in everyday situations. Drawing on her many years of research and hundreds of interviews, she shows how you can better understand yourself and your trait to create a fuller, richer life.

In The Highly Sensitive Person , you will discover:
* Self-assessment tests to help you identify your particular sensitivities
* Ways to reframe your past experiences in a positive light and gain greater self-esteem in the process
* Insight into how high sensitivity affects both work and personal relationships
* Tips on how to deal with overarousal
* Informations on medications and when to seek help
* Techniques to enrich the soul and spirit

Get it here:
The Highly Sensitive Person

The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide: Essential Skills for Living Well in an Overstimulating World (Step-By-Step Guides)

Another great book for HSPs. This one is a smaller format and more condensed with information that might be useful on daily basis. I like to bring this on trips and vacations sometimes where I know I will be having a stressful time. It keeps me based in reality and reminds me why I feel the way I feel sometimes. Highly recommended if you need some tips on coping!

If you’re a highly sensitive person (HSP), you’re in good company. HSP’s make up some 20 percent of the population, individuals like you who both enjoy and wrestle with a finely tuned nervous system. You often sense things that others ignore such as strong smells, bright lights, and the crush of crowds. Even the presence of strangers in your immediate vicinity can cause you considerable distraction. You already know that this condition can be a gift, but, until you learn to master your sensitive nervous system, you might be operating in a constant state of overstimulation.
As an HSP, the most important thing you can learn is how to manage your increased sensitivity to both physical and emotional stimulation. This accessible, practical guide contains strategies to help you master this critical skill. Build your coping skills by exploring the books engaging exercises. Then, keep the book by your side, a constant companion as you make your way through your vibrant and highly stimulating world.

Find out what it means to be a highly sensitive person
Take the self-examination quiz and find out whether you are highly sensitive
Learn coping techniques indispensable to IHP’s
Discover how to manage distractions like noise and time pressure at home and at work
Reduce sensory-provoked tension with meditation and deep relaxation techniques
Navigate the challenges of interacting with others in social and intimate relationship

Get it here:

The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide: Essential Skills for Living Well in an Overstimulating World (Step-By-Step Guides)

The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World

The best book I’ve read on the subject of introversion. There is a great chapter in this book about the different neurochemistry of introverts and extroverts and how science have showed that we are actually born with this trait. This is a good book to read if you are having troubles accepting yourself as an introvert.

At least one out of four people prefers to avoid the limelight, tends to listen more than they speak, feels alone in large groups, and requires lots of private time to restore their energy. They’re introverts, and here is the book to help them boost their confidence while learning strategies for successfully living in an extrovert world.

After dispelling common myths about introverts-they’re not necessarily shy, aloof, or antisocial–The Introvert Advantage explains the real issues. Introverts are hardwired from birth to focus inward, so outside stimulation-chitchat, phone calls, parties, office meetings-can easily become “too much.”The Introvert Advantage dispels introverts’ belief that something is wrong with them and instead helps them recognize their inner strengths-their analytical skills, ability to think outside the box, and strong powers of concentration. It helps readers understand introversion and shows them how to determine where they fall on the introvert/extrovert continuum. It provides tools to improve relationships with partners, kids, colleagues, and friends, offering dozens of tips, including 10 ways to talk less and communicate more, 8 ways to showcase your abilities at work, how to take a child’s temperament temperature, and strategies for socializing. Finally, it shows how to not just survive, but thrive-how to take advantage of the introvert’s special qualities to create a life that’s just right for the introvert temperament, to discover new ways to expand their energy reserves, and even how, when necessary, to confidently become a temporary extrovert.

Get it here:
The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World

The Juice Master Keeping it Simple: Over 100 Delicious Juices and Smoothies

I recently switched my daily multivitamin for a delicious juice or smoothie each day, and one of the best decisions I ever made. This helps in keeping my health and wellbeing in shape which is very important for emotional health as an INFJ and HSP. Not only do I get all the vitamins I need but also all the healthy phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables which you can’t get in any pill. It’s a great way to start the day and I bought this book to get some recipe inspiration for different juices and smoothies. I’ve done quite a few and they are all taste great and the book include details on nutrients and health effects of different fruits and vegetables. My favorite is the New Zealand Special, orange, kiwi, banana and Manuka honey, try it!

The No.1 bestselling juicing author Jason Vale is back with his ultimate book of juices and smoothies. His complete recipe book contains recipes for over 100 easy and delicious juices and smoothies to help you lose weight, get healthy and feel fantastic. Jason Vale, the inspirational king of juice detoxing and the man who helped Jordan lose 2 stone in 3 months, has compiled his definitive selection of over 100 simple but delicious, low-fat juice and smoothie recipes. Keeping it Simple has the perfect juice or smoothie, whether you want to slim down, get healthy or just need a little juice-boost pick-me-up on a rainy day. With Jason’s motivational tips and unique ‘3-Day Super Juice Detox’ programme you will not only clean your system, rid yourself of physical addictions and get extra energy, but you will also learn the fundamental Juicy Rules for a permanently slim, trim and healthy body. With a complete list of ailments that can be cured by each juice, and a full breakdown of all the minerals and nutrients contained in each recipe, this is the ultimate collection of juicing recipes for full health, extra energy and permanent weight loss. Includes: * Over 100 delicious recipes for juices and smoothies * Jason’s slimming 3-Day Super Juice Detox * The Juice Master’s Natural Pharmacy – juices for common ailments * Complete A-Z of fruit and veg – how specific vitamins and minerals help health and vitality * Kids Stuff – how to get your kids to drink fruit and vegetables and love them!

Get it here:
The Juice Master Keeping it Simple: Over 100 Delicious Juices and Smoothies

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INFJ HSP: The Highly Sensitive Body

Sat, 26 Oct 2013 18:40:00 +0000

It is believed that many INFJs are also HSPs, Highly Sensitive People. I’ve done posts about HSPs before but if you are not familiar with the term, I suggest you check out this website: http://www.hsperson.com

I’ve recently suffered a bad cold which after it finally started resolving, ended up with me also developing viral bronchitis. As I write to you right now I’m in bed doped up on meds to deal with the pain in my lungs and all the coughing. Having to deal with all of this for the last two weeks I’ve come to realize that I always get hit by the worst colds or flu viruses every year. Worse then everybody else around me. My roommate infected me and she was only ill for a couple of days and then it all cleared up for her. For me I’m now closing in on three weeks.

When I think back about it, it has always been like this for most of my life. I often get multiple virus infections each year, always hitting my respiratory systems the most. As a kid I suffered from asthma which made me unable to do sports sometimes and deemed me unfit for military service as a teenager. I also had a lot of food allergies when I was younger and I have a chronic skin inflammatory disease called rosacea. What I’ve started to conclude drawing from all my previous experience is that not only am I an highly sensitive person emotionally, but my body is also highly sensitive. I started to do some research online about it and turns out that it is very common for HSPs to suffer from chronic illnesses and catch diseases easier then non HSPs.

It all makes a lot of sense because I have always been a firm believer that the mind and body is deeply connected to each other. This is a viewpoint that western medicine doesn’t share but you can find it in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda which are based on it. HSPs have a highly sensitive nervous system and this also affects the rest of our body. When one system is not in balance the others become more susceptible to stress and damage. Since many INFJs are also HSPs, I think it’s vital that we remember to take care of ourselves and our bodies in order to be happy both emotionally and physically. As we all know we INFJs need this in order to cope and function properly in today’s society with our unusual gifts.

Here are some great links I dug up for you to indulge in further:

Healing Highly Sensitive Body:

http://www.highlysensitivebody.com/highlysensbody.html

Sensitive and Stressed:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sense-and-sensitivity/201203/sensitive-and-stressed

The Highly Sensitive Person And Chronic Illness Connection:

http://fibrotv.com/2011/08/the-highly-sensitive-person-and-chronic-illness-connection/

HSPs and Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Other Illnesses Perhaps Related to “Central Sensitization”:

http://www.hsperson.com/pages/2May12.htm

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INFJ Introvert: On Introverted Problems and Insomnia

Fri, 09 Aug 2013 16:49:00 +0000

For some time now I’ve been thinking about my sleeping patterns and ways that I would like to improve them. From what I heard from other introverts it seems like introverted people are more night owl kind of types then extroverts. We tend to want to stay awake later and wake up later in the morning. As an introvert I feel it’s pretty understandable since night is the time of the day with the least noise and distractions since most other people are sleeping. It is a time of the day where you can relax and wind down without other people disturbing you. Since we get our energy from alone time, it’s perfect for introverts.

Extroverts tend to rise up earlier in the morning which also makes a lot of sense since they get their energy from interacting and being around other people. Daytime is of course the best time for this and rising up early gives you a head start. There are some articles online saying that early risers are the most productive. I think there is some truth to this but I would also say that it mostly has to do with how productive you are in general and how you manage your time. The nice thing about rising up early is that your energy deposits are at their peak level. But as an introvert and from other introverts I know, we tend to be people that are slow started in the morning. It takes some time until we really ‘awake’ and are in our most functioning state. Hence maybe nighttime is a more suitable time of the day for some of us to do our best work.

Being slow started in the morning is one of the things I always wanted to change. Usually on normal working days it takes me until after lunch before I feel ‘fresh’ and at my peak energy level. The hours following waking up in the morning, I feel slow and tired and in the past I turned to coffee as my savior. I don’t think it’s connected to my sleeping patterns since they are consistent of 7-8 hours sleep each day, maybe this is just part of the introverted nature. As a side note to being slow in the morning the last couple of months I found this amazing medicinal herb called Ashwagandha which has helped me with this tremendously. I now take a teaspoon of the herb before going to bed every night and wake up full of energy, it also makes me fall asleep quicker in the evening. You can read more about it on these links:

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/health-benefits-ashwagandha/

http://mr-ginseng.com/en/ashwagandha/

I buy this brand of Ashwagandha:

Gaia Herbs Ashwagandha Root, 60 Liquid Phyto-Capsules

Introverts do seem to need more sleep then most extroverts to function. If I sleep less then 6 hours, I can’t function like normally and it affects my mood a lot. Most of my extroverted friends doesn’t seem to be affected by lack of sleep to the same degree, and same with hangovers. My theory is that since we introverts collect our energy from inside, and sleep deprivation affects our body and mind, lack of sleep will have a biggest effect on us. Extroverts collect their energy from the external world so it’s much easier for them to keep up a good mood and motivation even though they feel bad.

The last year I’ve been changing my pre sleep rituals to more suit my personality and it has greatly improved my life. I no longer use the computer or watch tv before going to bed. No electronic devices 2 hours before bed has worked to get me relaxed in the evening. Not only does the decrease in stimulation work, but also because most modern led screens imitate a light similar to that of the sun, which prevents Melantonin to be released in the body. Melantonin is the body’s natural sleep hormone and it is released when it starts to get dark. I now read books instead the last few hours a day and these two things has literally cured most of the insomnia I suffered from.

Insomnia seems like a common things for introverts and especially INFx types and HSPs (Highly Sensitive People). We are easy stimulated and even the smallest things can keep us awake at night. Like sounds, watching to much tv before bed, having a lot to do the next day or other things that are bothering us which we can’t stop thinking about. Overtime at work has been my biggest contributor to my insomnia because when I work late my mind is racing from overwork, and then it usually takes a couple of hours for it to cool down. The problem arises when you don’t get home until late and have to get up early the next day.

I plan on trying to become an early riser to see if it might help with my insomnia issues, making me more tired in the evening. I’ll update with a post at a later time concerning the results from my experiments. I think waking up early can be a good thing for some people but for introverts I’m not yet convinced. I’ll leave you guys for now with this great article:

Early Riser or Night Owl: Why It Doesn’t Really Matter

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/early-riser-or-night-owl-why-it-doesnt-really-matter.html

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INFJ anxiety and stress

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 22:10:00 +0000

Sadly enough, it turns out the most popular posts on this blog is the ones that are about anxiety and INFJs. I know this is a big part of being this personality type so I thought I’ll do another post about it and try to summarize my experiences further.

(At the bottom of the post I have also put together an INFJ survival kit of the best products to improve your life)

I’m a INFJ and a HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), if you are not familiar with HSPs you should Google it. Basically it’s a well researched classification for people with unusually sensitive nervous systems, and because of this they struggle with feelings or sensory stimuli. We feel things on a higher scale then others. Looking at statistics HSPs are common among INFJs and INFPs, but they do occur among most personality types to certain degrees. I experience this heightened sensitivity in both my feelings and senses. It is pretty understandable since as an INFJ I am both a feeler and also have dominant and inferior perceiving functions. Se (extroverted sensing), is our inferior function and this is a highly unconscious function together with our dominant Ni (introverted intuition). They operate mostly together in our subconscious and Se fuels our primary Ni with external information.

Our Se basically acts as a balance to our highly intuitive state of functioning which makes us very perceptive of our external environments and other people. This can be both a gift and a curse for INFJs since we take in so much information it can be hard to filter it at times and we can get overloaded. Since our dominant perceiving function is introverted it also gets even more focused and turned inward compared to people with an extroverted equivalent. The problem with introverted intuition as dominant is that since it is introverted we might tend to internalize feelings even without being aware of it.

I’ve been battling anxiety and stress on a daily basis for most of my life and a lot of it tend to come from being highly sensitive and intuitive. I even had full blown panic attacks or mania in the past when it is at it’s worst. Usually my state of being in general influence the magnitude of negative feelings, my anxiety grows worse if there is something bothering me in my life. What helps is dealing with things as soon as you can, because if you let them sit there and bother you in the back of your mind they will make everything worse.

To much sensory stimuli can also lead to anxiety for me. High uncontrollable sounds, flashing and intense lights and imagery, busy environments, big groups of people and having expectations put on you tend to trigger these feelings the most. Basically things that connects to our senses and feelings which are not possible to control. I get agitated and nervous, can’t concentrate my thoughts on what is going on and can even feel physically ill. It becomes a downward spiral which side tracks my mood and can bring on other feelings of anxiety completely unrelated to the first cause. For example, an noisy environment can trigger stress which sets off bodily sensations making me feel like something is wrong or I’m sick. Usually when I calm down or the trigger stops I can realize that it’s false feelings, but during it feels like being caught in a grip. You can’t tell if it’s real or not because your usual state of functioning is suppressed. Many describe it as INFJs living in a constant state of disembodiment, we are more connected to our mind then the physical.

Being very perceptive to things makes you want to be able to control these external perceptions. The problem is most other people do not operate in a Ni state of being which makes it all much more difficult for others to relate to. People disturb you with noise or insist on talking to you when you are busy which makes you unable to focus on anything. To many people talking at the same time makes it hard to separate the words. Hard to sleep with background noise or insomnia from to much stimulation. Being among a noisy crowd of commuters in a train without AC can be a real nightmare, draining your energy quickly when your Ni and Se is trying to make sense of all the sensory stimulation. Since we are introverted by nature we tend to consciously focus in on one thing at a time, multitasking and following what’s going on everywhere around you can be exhausting. When you can’t keep up with everything it easily creates stress and anxiety.

Another source of anxiety for me is feelings of perfectionism and high expectations in the self and the external world. It can be that the creative vision you imagined in your mind for your painting, does not appear in the one you created in real life. That you try to express your feelings or self to a person but words don’t suffice in real life, making it reflect what you meant poorly. Or when you have to impress someone, present yourself or your work and you idealize the perfect outcome for it but in real life you can’t seem to pull it off like you imagined. It all has a lot to do with self esteem and expectations our Ni put on our self which we in turn fail to accomplish. Then by being introverted feelers we intensify these feelings inward making us unable to escape and cope with them easily. We can always imagine the true ideal and who we want to be, but we can never achieve it because when we do there will always be something else we want, the next step. We are future oriented and this is what drives our ideals also. Needless to say life as an INFJ is not easy and it’s understandable why others might consider us moody, melancholic and intense at times.

It is important to understand as an INFJ that your feelings sometimes tend to go over the top and to realize when this happens. That it is something temporary and it happens for a reason, it’s your fight or flight response. Your body and mind is telling you that you need to slow down a bit in order to enjoy yourself. Don’t let it consume you because nothing bad will happen feeling anxiety, it is just a feeling and will pass eventually. You will never defeat it since it is in part who you are but you can learn to live with it.

As INFJs living in a western and modern society I think we are unlucky, today’s society is not very adapted for us. It favors everything that we are not and will try to mold us into just that. It is important to remember that we should not try to change our own behaviors because of this. I spent a decade of my life trying to change myself into someone I’m not, to be more extroverted, sensing and thinking as a male since this is how society tells us to be to fit it. Those years of trying didn’t bring me any closer to happiness. I just felt depressed and even more alienated from the world. I the end I came to the conclusion that you have to be yourself and find ways to cope in life instead, treating yourself and your body better. This in turn will improve your life greatly as an INFJ. Since we have no Si (introverted sensing) function in our stack I think we are one of the personalities to benefit the most from a healthy lifestyle. It grounds us and connects us to our bodies better. Feeling detached from my body and the world have been very common for me and also made me question my sanity at points in my life. Exercise have greatly improved these feelings and the overall anxiety I experience.

If you still have not come to terms with the aspect of being an INFJ, I suggest you take a step back and see what you can do to improve your everyday life to better suit you. Even if it means changing your job, relationships or where you live I promise you it’s worth it. Being an INFJ is not easy but there is no point in making it any harder then it already is.

To give you a head start on ways to improve your life as an INFJ, I’ve put together the INFJ survival kit. The following are products that I use almost daily and that helped change my life:

Rhodiola Rosea, supplement. This is an adaptogenic herb that helps manage healthy mood and stress response. The most natural and safe anti depressant that can be used daily, long term. Even people who are not depressed can use this to boost their mood levels.

L-Theanine, supplement. Theanine is the amino acid in tea that is responsible for the relaxing effect that tea has on the mind and body. In isolated form Theanine is one of the safest and natural anti anxiety treatments there is. It is so safe that no toxic dosage has been able to be established, meaning you can probably take as much as you can fit in your stomach and it still would not hurt you. Yet, at only 100mg dosage it relaxes you without making you tired and improves cognition and mood. This is my favourite supplement and I highly recommend it to everyone no matter how healthy you are. Modern life is full of stress and this is the best antidote I have found.

Pelter Optime Noise Reduction Earmuff. If you have issues with high noise levels at work or home these are ideal to wear while also look like normal music headphones. Great for relaxing in noisy environments and also great for meditation wherever you might be.

Zafu Yoga Meditation Cushion. Meditation can be a difficult habit to build but is one of the greatest things there is to build mental power and emotional stability. I found that investing in a proper cushion and making it a ritual using it greatly improvement my motivation to stick with meditation as a daily habit. Meditation is free but humans don’t tend to value things that are free as highly. Spending some money on this cushion might just be the push you need to stick to a daily meditation habit.

Calm – Meditate, Sleep, Relax. This is a great and FREE app to use when starting out in meditation. Meditation can be a confusing thing for people who never tried it and never experienced relaxing in that way before. This app helps!

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. This is THE book on the subject of introverts. Filled with useful information, research and tips to help introverts and non introverts understand what this trait is all about. If you are an INFJ this is key for you to reach new heights in your life.

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. This book is one of my all time favourite books about life style design. When it comes to INFJs and many INxx types we are often not happy and fulfilled in traditional office or alike job positions. We strive for something more. This book will empower you to find your own path in life and create the life you want to life. Can’t recommend this one enough!

The post INFJ anxiety and stress appeared first on INFJ Ramblings.

INFJ Anxiety Under Stress and Depression

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 22:10:00 +0000

Sadly enough, it turns out the most popular posts on this blog is the ones that are about INFJ anxiety under stress and depression. INFJ under stress often leads to regular anxiety and if prolonged, also depression. INFJ depression can be more intense and this is the case for all feeler type personalities. I know anxiety is common and can be a big part of being this personality type so I thought I’ll do another post about it and try to summarize my experiences further.

At the bottom of this post I have also put together an INFJ survival kit of some of the best products to overcome anxiety, stress and depression for good.

Looking at statistics HSPs are common among INFJs and INFPs, but they do occur among most personality types to certain degrees. I experience this heightened sensitivity in both my feelings and senses. It is pretty understandable since as an INFJ I am both a feeler and also have dominant and inferior perceiving functions.

Se (extroverted sensing), is our inferior function and this is a highly unconscious function together with our dominant Ni (introverted intuition). They operate mostly together in our subconscious and Se fuels our primary Ni with external information.

INFJ Under Stress

Since our dominant perceiving function is introverted it also gets even more focused and turned inward compared to people with an extroverted equivalent. The problem with introverted intuition as dominant is that since it is introverted we might tend to internalize feelings even without being aware of it.

Usually my state of being in general influence the magnitude of negative feelings, my INFJ anxiety grows worse if there is something bothering me in my life. What helps is dealing with things as soon as you can, because if you let them sit there and bother you in the back of your mind they will make everything worse.

INFJ Anxiety

I get agitated and nervous, can’t concentrate my thoughts on what is going on and can even feel physically ill. It becomes a downward spiral which side tracks my mood and can bring on other feelings of anxiety completely unrelated to the first cause.

For example, an noisy environment can trigger stress which sets off bodily sensations making me feel like something is wrong or I’m sick. Usually when I calm down or the trigger stops I can realize that it’s false feelings, but during it feels like being caught in a grip.

You can’t tell if it’s real or not because your usual state of functioning is suppressed. Many describe it as INFJs living in a constant state of disembodiment, we are more connected to our mind then the physical.

Perception Under Stress

People disturb you with noise or insist on talking to you when you are busy which makes you unable to focus on anything. To many people talking at the same time makes it hard to separate the words. Hard to sleep with background noise or insomnia from to much stimulation.

Being among a noisy crowd of commuters in a train without AC can be a real nightmare, draining your energy quickly when your Ni and Se is trying to make sense of all the sensory stimulation.

Since we are introverted by nature we tend to consciously focus in on one thing at a time, multitasking and following what’s going on everywhere around you can be exhausting. When you can’t keep up with everything it easily creates stress and anxiety.

Expectations Can Trigger Depression

That you try to express your feelings or self to a person but words don’t suffice in real life, making it reflect what you meant poorly. Or when you have to impress someone, present yourself or your work and you idealize the perfect outcome for it but in real life you can’t seem to pull it off like you imagined.

It all has a lot to do with self esteem and expectations our Ni put on our self which we in turn fail to accomplish. Then by being introverted feelers we intensify these feelings inward making us unable to escape and cope with them easily.

We can always imagine the true ideal and who we want to be, but we can never achieve it because when we do there will always be something else we want, the next step. We are future oriented and this is what drives our ideals also.

Needless to say life as an INFJ is not easy and it’s understandable why others might consider us moody, melancholic and intense at times.

Your body and mind is telling you that you need to slow down a bit in order to enjoy yourself. Don’t let it consume you because nothing bad will happen feeling anxiety, it is just a feeling and will pass eventually. You will never defeat it since it is in part who you are but you can learn to live with it.

INFJ Depression

I spent a decade of my life trying to change myself into someone I’m not, to be more extroverted, sensing and thinking as a male since this is how society tells us to be to fit it. Those years of trying didn’t bring me any closer to happiness. I just felt depressed and even more alienated from the world.

I came to the conclusion in the end that you have to be yourself and find ways to cope in life instead, treating yourself and your body better. This in turn will improve your life greatly as an INFJ.

Since we have no Si (introverted sensing) function in our stack I think we are one of the personalities to benefit the most from a healthy lifestyle. It grounds us and connects us to our bodies better. Feeling detached from my body and the world have been very common for me and also made me question my sanity at points in my life. Exercise have greatly improved these feelings and the overall anxiety I experience.

Conclusion

Being an INFJ is not easy but there is no point in making it any harder then it already is.

Read more about how to beat depression easy in our other article.

To give you a head start on ways to improve your INFJ depression, anxiety and when under stress, I’ve put together the following INFJ survival kit.

These are products that I use almost daily and that helped change and shape my life as an INFJ for the better:

Rhodiola Rosea, supplement – This is an adaptogenic herb that helps manage healthy mood and stress response. The most natural and safe anti depressant that can be used daily, long term. Even people who are not depressed can use this to boost their mood levels.

L-Theanine, supplement – Theanine is the amino acid in tea that is responsible for the relaxing effect that tea has on the mind and body. In isolated form Theanine is one of the safest and natural anti anxiety treatments there is.

It is so safe that no toxic dosage has been able to be established, meaning you can probably take as much as you can fit in your stomach and it still would not hurt you. Yet, at only 100mg dosage it relaxes you without making you tired and improves cognition and mood.

This is my favourite supplement and I highly recommend it to everyone no matter how healthy you are. Modern life is full of stress and this is the best antidote I have found.

Pelter Optime Noise Reduction Earmuff – If you have issues with high noise levels at work or home these are ideal to wear while also look like normal music headphones. Great for relaxing in noisy environments and also great for meditation wherever you might be.

Zafu Yoga Meditation Cushion – Meditation can be a difficult habit to build but is one of the greatest things there is to build mental power and emotional stability. I found that investing in a proper cushion and making it a ritual using it greatly improvement my motivation to stick with meditation as a daily habit. Meditation is free but humans don’t tend to value things that are free as highly. Spending some money on this cushion might just be the push you need to stick to a daily meditation habit.

Calm – Meditate, Sleep, Relax – This is a great and FREE app to use when starting out in meditation. Meditation can be a confusing thing for people who never tried it and never experienced relaxing in that way before. This app helps!

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking – This is THE book on the subject of introverts. Filled with useful information, research and tips to help introverts and non introverts understand what this trait is all about. If you are an INFJ this is key for you to reach new heights in your life.

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich – This book is one of my all time favourite books about life style design. When it comes to INFJs and many INxx types we are often not happy and fulfilled in traditional office or alike job positions. We strive for something more. This book will empower you to find your own path in life and create the life you want to life. Can’t recommend this one enough!

The post INFJ Anxiety Under Stress and Depression appeared first on INFJ Ramblings.