Hyper vigilance

[Boatsetsailrose]

Hi
I've long known I suffer with 'hyper vigilance' on alert in my environment, highly sensitive to noise and energies.
Today I read something that said 'we can live without a sense of urgency and strain', I then realised I've been living this way for sometime now .. my mind thinking ahead most of the time.. I know that is part of being human and modern society can be stressful but I really want to be able to practice mindfulness and being in the now more.. today I keep bringing my mind into the present this is helping ..
I meditate every morning and I've got an app called headspace - would be good for me to use this a bit more through the day ..
Anyone have their own experiences of hyper vigilance .. what helps you ? Any insights thoughts appreciated

[Rainagain]

I think my hyper vigilance is simple threat assessment, part of my mind classifies everything as threat or non threat.

It then feeds into my body so I am ready to react without realising it when there is a perceived threat. I am not even aware there is a threat sometimes, but my body knows.

Or thinks it does.

What tires me is trying to keep on top of these instincts, what helps is isolation, routine and avoiding the unexpected and stressful.

Alcohol loosens my grip on things, not good for me.

[Kat]

Hello!  You may want to look into somatic experiencing therapy.  It's used to regulate the nervous system since we are on such high alert all of the time.  I'm finding it useful.  The person I see does hands-on therapy while others do not.  I'm finding the hands-on technique she's using to be helpful.  I have a psychotherapist, so I save most of the talking for her.

As for day-to-day, being mindful like you've been doing is helpful.  Also, and this might sound strange, emphatically stating that you are safe and have nothing to worry about can be helpful.  I've been told to say it aloud, but I've only ever been able to do it in my head.  Even so, it seems to help a bit.

BTW, I love Andy from headspace.   

[artemis23]

Yes, it's exhausting, to say the least. Yoga Nidra and guided meditations helped me when silent meditation was too much. Sometimes it helps me to realize it's kind of a super power. It makes me highly in tune with my surroundings and really great at doing all sorts of things. It's like heightened intuition. But when it's too intense, like it is for me now, I struggle to figure out how to come back down or even use my coping mechanisms. Self care rituals can help me, def being alone, or finding things and going places that make me feel 'safer.' But it also makes me an amazing artist, empath, intuitive, and general observer of life, too. I think we had to activate this state to survive and it made us see between the lines. Also, some medications help me, mainly benzodiazpenes. I'm not sure I've ever really come down fully from it though. 

[Gromit]

I find yoga helps me to be more aware of what I feel in my body, the way the body tenses without you normally realising. Yoga helps me to notice that and try to release it. Or yoga poses reveal where there is tension or niggles. But, I do teach yoga and I try to pass that on, asking people to be aware of the subtle changes in their body as they move. It's Hatha yoga, not fast like Ashtanga.

If yoga doesn't suit you other things like Tai Chi may help. I am sure your meditation will help you too.

Hyper vigilance can have its uses at times. But not when you spend so much time looking for threats you don't enjoy the present moment.