🌈 Embracing Sensitivity as an Entrepreneurial Superpower – with Teresa Beehan

Giada Centofanti [00:00:04]:
Hey there. Welcome to Inner Impact, a podcast about taking aligned action. I’m your host, Giada Centofanti, coach and founder of Care to Impact. On this show, you will get tools, inspiration, and space to take online action and create a business that brings joy and positive change to your lives and the world. Hey there. Welcome to Inner Impact. In today’s episode, we are going to explore how we can embrace sensitivity as a strength to help us take aligned action and build joyful, impactful businesses. And we are going to do it together with a fantastic guest and a dear friend of mine, Teresa Beehan. Let me introduce her to you. Career coach, former corporate insider, and proud sensitive professional, Teresa spent twenty plus years navigating high pressure roles across engineering and finance, often as the only woman in the room. Along the way, she discovered that sensitivity wasn’t her obstacle. It was her superpower. Through her coaching practice, Practical Feeling, and has host of the Sensitive Professional podcast, Teresa helps ambitious, sensitive professionals turn struggles into strengths, lending empathy with strategy to build careers that feel as good as they look. Based in Edinburgh, The UK, with her two Poggles, Teresa is your guide to flip into script on sensitivity with humor, heart, and a sprinkle of magic. Welcome, Teresa. I am so, so grateful to have you here on the podcast.

Teresa Beehan [00:01:46]:
No. Thank you. I’m so honored to be here, and I’m just so excited to have this conversation with you today.

Giada Centofanti [00:01:52]:
Okay. I’m super eager to dive right into the topic. And, you know, I think we can start from understanding in a better way what sensitivity is and how we can tap into it. Of course, I have quite a few notes here, but I would start with my first questions and see where it gets us. Okay. So embracing sensitivity as an edge in business and life, of course, can sound counterintuitive if we subscribe to the mainstream narratives. But here, we don’t do that. And in fact, I wanted you on the podcast because I’m a firm believer that we need and to deserve to tap into our unique traits to live well. And as you say, your thing is turning one unique trait sensitivity into our edge. So can you tell us a bit more about your point of view and how it applies to small business owners too?

Teresa Beehan [00:02:55]:
Yeah. I’d be happy to. So it might be worth me just sharing a tiny bit of my story here. You obviously introduced me beautifully there. And so a part of that was letting people know that I used to work in corporate. I was there for just over twenty years in a variety of different types of organizations and roles. But throughout that time, I didn’t actually have the term sensitivity to explain how I was experiencing the world of work. I mean, the world in general, but if I just focus on the world of work and me as a sensitive person. And really for me, I, for most of my career, just felt different. That’s the only word I have right now to describe that. And I definitely felt like I didn’t fit the corporate mold. And so it always seemed to me like the people around me seem to thrive in these environments, and I found those environments often rewarded things like speed and boldness, whereas I prefer thoughtfulness and deep consideration. Mhmm. And that obviously now having the word sensitivity, I understand that better. But what was happening was I was trying to fit that mold. And so I spent years trying to adapt, toughen up, and and trying to fit in. And that was really ultimately to my own detriment. It was super exhausting and really over time left me feeling feeling so disconnected from myself. And it was only really about five years ago that I discovered the term sensitivity. And it was a complete light bulb moment for me. Like, I could just imagine if you saw me as a comic, this little ping above my head, like, oh. And so I discovered it through therapy, and my therapist at the time mentioned this as something that might be relevant and invited me to explore the term further. And I did and completely devoured the material available online to try and understand myself better. And I think for me, things really then started to make sense. I think things like my ability to read the room, to anticipate other people’s needs, to approach challenges in, like, a really creative way. And I started to understand that those things weren’t weaknesses anymore. They were actually strengths. And I think reframing sensitivity begins with understanding how it allows you to show up in ways that others possibly don’t. And so it it’s the way that makes you unique. And I think it’s about leveraging the traits like emotional intelligence, intuition, and empathy to create real connections with people and to make informed decisions that don’t just look at things in a two dimensional way. And from a business perspective now as a self employed business owner is to run a business that feels aligned with my values. And so my personal experience of sensitivity really means that those traits of deep empathy, that heightened intuition that I have, the ability to really see nuances that allows me to connect with my clients and with my peers in the business world on such a deep level, anticipate needs, and just make really thoughtful decisions as I move forward. Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:06:23]:
Yeah. While you were talking, I noticed how, once again, your new journey, if you want, started with you gaining awareness and a name to what that different was for you. And if you want a kind of framework and that awareness led you into a shift and taking action. And so get into a more aligned place in your life, work, career, and now business as self employed. And I was also wondering something because you mentioned I didn’t thrive in that kind of place with those kind of values and metrics. So I was wondering what happened when you became self employed. Were you already aware of your trade at that point, And how did it help you? Because what I’m thinking is that many of us, even when we become small business owners, so we are, you know, free to set our own rules, still tend to fit into that mold that you mentioned.

Teresa Beehan [00:07:38]:
Yeah. So I I was already aware of how I felt being aligned to sensitivity. So for me, that word really resonates. So I’ve definitely owned that word, and that feels part of my identity. And it’s for me, it’s a great way to explain my experience of the world and also connect with people. But as so I I guess there’s the kind of me before I had the word of sensitivity in corporate, then the bit of corporate where I had the word sensitivity

Giada Centofanti [00:08:15]:
Mhmm.

Teresa Beehan [00:08:15]:
And then me as a business owner. So there’s a a couple of shifts. Understanding the word sensitivity and what that meant to me and figuring out how I could actually lean into that as our strength definitely took time. So it was understanding how that made me unique. And it’s like it’s like painting a picture of this is actually what makes me unique. This is the environment that I work in. Where does that actually how does that fit together? And so it became much clearer to me where trying to fit into a mold, why that was so hard when certain you know, when there were certain expectations maybe to be loud or to be forceful. And not always. I do think things are shifting, and I think we’re definitely I’ve noticed a shift in in the way we talk about who we uniquely are in in life and in work. But, ultimately, a lot of these corporates are just they’re they’re big conglomerates. You know? They’re they’re trying to they have completely different values sometimes to to us sensitive people, and I think that can be that can be tricky. Now for me, I actually I’ve definitely had ups and downs in my corporate career in terms of the kind of places I’ve worked, the people I’ve worked with, and the teams. Mostly, I would say ups, and certainly the last that last stretch, I worked with wonderful people, and I had really interesting work. And so whilst I absolutely adore my coaching practice and working with people, and that’s something I’ve always been drawn to, There’s a side of me that loves systems and loves processes. And, I mean, this is where practical feeling comes in. It merges that empathic, that feeling, emotions based me, but also that give me a process, and I will map it and figure out how we streamline it. And my brain just loves that kind of stuff. But what I noticed was that whilst I enjoy that and I’m good at it, it isn’t where my passion lies. And that started to become tricky for me as I really embrace my sensitivity more and figured out how I wanted to work. I realized I needed something that actually drove me, almost like that that little fire that’s just burning and keeping you going. It wasn’t there until I discovered coaching and really started to dive into that. That is what ultimately led me then to transitioning into into business. And everything that I learned along the way around how to really support myself as a sensitive person, that still holds true today running a business. And some of the benefits of being self employed is that I can set my own schedule, for example, so I can really lean into what my unique needs are as a sensitive person and the rhythms that I need. So that from that perspective, it really suits me. But there are other challenges, you know, like sometimes feeling feeling isolated. And even though I’m an introverted sensitive and I love my own space, I absolutely crave connection and and depth of relationships with people, and I no longer have colleagues. So that’s something, you know, that that’s important to me. And being a business owner, I think part of it’s also really putting yourself out there, and that can feel really exposing and uncomfortable sometimes. And, again, yeah, it’s almost like the spotlight on you, and that can feel uncomfortable. And, yes, that holds true for corporate sometimes, but I think you can almost work there’s there’s a mass, you know, so you can kind of hide a little bit or or know how to just peek your head above to get noticed in certain ways, and you can do it, I guess, more subtly. And I just don’t think that holds true in business. I think you you you do need to put yourself out there, And I’m still figuring out how that feels good for you. There’s different ways, of course, of doing that. But, yeah, I don’t know if that’s answered your question, but that was just coming to mind when when you Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:12:35]:
Absolutely. And, so first, I want to share an observation, which is about how, actually, being guided by our strengths and our unique traits, it it it is what help us go, long term. I mean, it it drives us. It tend not to deplete us. Of course, if we know how to manage, for example, our sensitivity or sensitive traits, but it tends, you know, you know, you mentioned I I like this kind of stuff, and I’m good at this kind of stuff, but they don’t drive me. They don’t, you know, they don’t motivate me enough. And that’s what maybe, called, like, a difference between what you you crave, you desire, maybe your gifts versus what you are very skilled, good, and competent at. And you may have been validate validated throughout your life because you were good at those things. But you it doesn’t mean that you like doing them. But before, we dive too deep into this rabbit hole. I want to look at the shadow side of our I mean, our strands have a shadow side, I think. And you mentioned isolation, and you mentioned, how hard it is to be visible. I want to explore isolation a bit more in-depth. But first, let’s look at the other potential challenges we could have as sensitive small business owners and persons.

Teresa Beehan [00:14:29]:
Yeah. Of course. So I something I’m careful about when I talk about sensitivity and having conversations with other people who identify as sensitive is that I will share my experience of it. So I I don’t think there’s a universal experience. I think we definitely will find a lot of resonance in the things that we share. For me, some of the examples are because I’m intro so I mentioned it there, so I just wanna touch on it again. Because I am an introverted sensitive, and not all sensitive people are introverts, but because I am also I love my own company. I when people say to me, oh, I get so bored on my own, it just blows my mind. I’m like, how can you be bored on your I can definitely fill my time and just have yeah. I just love having my own space. The well, you talked about the shadow side of that. I can go so far into that that it becomes possible that I like, I’ve I’ve written about this before. It’s sort of I go into hermit energy way too far. And so I yeah. I can and then sometimes it can feel harder to come out of that and to even though I love connecting with people. Now a big part of that for me is maybe, like, being in groups doesn’t feel as fun for me. I do it sometimes because of networking and things like that. But ideally, my way of actually socializing and getting out of that energy is meeting with people one on one. And so I’m aware that that also gives me energy. I think the other things to be aware of, and that certainly impact me, I I talk about sensitivity as a way of being plugged into the world at this mega level. So I feel like there isn’t much of a layer between me and what’s going on outside of me. And so for my experience of that is that I can be like the super sponge. So I can walk into spaces and immediately sense what’s going on. And that definitely leans into the strength because I can very quickly then pick up, okay. Where are we at? What what’s the vibe? How do I go into that? And and or use that in some way. But it can also be really overstimulating and really overwhelming. And so, like, I talked before about being in groups. That’s where I find sometimes being in groups can be full on because I have this like, I step into the space. This is what it feels like to unite. Automatically have these energetic links with every single person in that space. Even if I’m not talking to them, I’m so aware of their presence. And that is it that’s a two way two way bond. So it doesn’t just mean that I’m absorbing stuff. I’m also leaking stuff at the same time. And if I just do that continuously, like, that that’s a lot. So I have to be aware that that happens, and then understand how I support myself afterwards to make sure that I’m not walking away with other people’s stuff, but I also have time to almost energetically cleanse myself, if that makes sense, and just feel like I’m in my own space again. Like, I’m here. I’m grounded. I feel good. I you know? Yeah. I’ve let that bit go. Yeah. Yeah. It resonates a lot, everything

Giada Centofanti [00:18:19]:
you said with me. And I was also thinking that for me, one big thing that can be both a strength and, you know, has its shadow side is the curiosity and, the need to to learn about new stuff and not to get bored ever, which, of course, brings you to overstimulation and overwhelm. So it’s very

Teresa Beehan [00:18:50]:
So much. Yes. It’s so hard to, you know, harmonize and balance. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. Absolutely. As you’re talking, we we have a saying here called magpie syndrome or it’s like shiny object syndrome. Mhmm. So and I don’t mean that just as a tangible shiny object. I can walk past shiny objects easy, but for me, shiny objects are these interesting topics or, you know, I just yeah. I crave learning and just I could deep dive into anything, and that’s I think you used rabbit hole earlier. There’s so much out there that is a potential rabbit hole for me. And if I let myself, like, I’d I find it very hard to just skim. And so I actually just have to go. Do you know what? If I touch that, I’m gone. Like Yeah. A day a day is lost on that. So I don’t even want to open it until I have time to go to go deep.

Giada Centofanti [00:19:47]:
Yeah. Yeah. I hear you, and I feel you completely. Okay. Let’s get back, to the the the isolation topic. I mean, we met in the community. We decided to become a peace bodies. Thanks to Amelia’s Ruby’s, interweb. We met there, and we met also in Jessica Lachie’s deeper business membership. And then we went on one on one

Teresa Beehan [00:20:16]:
because Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:20:17]:
Yes. For me to the group setting, unless it is, smallish group, so up to ten, fifteen people, it can be energy draining and, it’s hard also to create deeper relationships in a group setting. Anyways, I will stop with my rambling rambling about our preferences. I will go into the topic. So, we both experienced communities online, but have you experienced any kind of community which is or maybe some of them each of them have some traits, that could honor a sensitive professional, small business owner.

Teresa Beehan [00:21:09]:
Mhmm. Yeah. I actually just I I will come back to those two communities that you mentioned there, and possibly also because I’m sure many of your listeners will know those communities. What was interesting for me was that so we realized we were in those same spaces. So that was one thing. But I also came to those spaces. So they those spaces are sort of connected, and I’ve noticed there’s there’s an overlap. But I came to both of those spaces completely independently. I didn’t realize initially there was an overlap until I joined one and then joined the other. And I was like, oh, there’s already a connection here. And stepping back, what I think was interesting there is that I think that comes back to resonating with shared values.

Giada Centofanti [00:21:58]:
Mhmm.

Teresa Beehan [00:22:00]:
And so for those particular communities, for me, I believe that’s around, obviously, the shared value of how to show up in business, how you know, looking at different ways. Again, thinking about breaking the mold of what you know, you go online, you Google how to set up your own business. It’s like, there’s tons of advice out there, but a lot of it’s about follow follow this step. You know? And what I love about those communities is that it’s it challenges that status quo. It’s like, actually, you don’t have to do it this way. There is another way. So it it I believe it attracts people who who are curious and questioning about that. So there’s that value of not just going with the flow and to finding your own way. And then I think it also attracts people who are keen on that connection. So, yes, I want to be in a space, but I want to take that further and more more deeply connect with people. And so I think that’s something when I think about communities is what comes up is that typically, I find that’s about the values. Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:23:17]:
Yeah. Yeah. I totally agree. I mean, I knew that those two communities were connected, but I I mean, just because Amelia mentioned Jessica, And so I felt aligned in terms of values and worldview with Amelia, and I knew that if she, endorsed Jessica’s work, it would have been the same. Right? So values aligned. Okay. So and, also, you mentioned, another interesting thing, which is about values. But I’m wondering if it also about our sensitivity trade, so not doing business as usual, doing things differently, or at least challenging how we do things, quote, unquote.

Teresa Beehan [00:24:13]:
Yeah. I think so. Yeah. So it’s values and experiences. And, so for so for me, as a sensitive person, I don’t love being online too much. Mhmm. Which is interesting given that we’re in a world that seems to just be online completely.

Giada Centofanti [00:24:34]:
Mhmm.

Teresa Beehan [00:24:35]:
And I I find this again way before having that word sensitivity. Of course, I’ve dabbled in things like social media over over time, but I realized that it just didn’t really yeah. It it just it wasn’t feeding me. It felt it just felt like, oh, let me have this little have this little snack or this little fast food here, and it just like, it it it gives you a little bit in that moment in time, but then it doesn’t just it doesn’t quite hit the depth that I I need. And so I was already very low level on kinda social media. I think it was, like, LinkedIn was the only space that I, you know, when people go, oh, should we connect online? I was like, if you have a LinkedIn, then yes. Sure. I mean, now as a business owner, I’m definitely more active on there. I was I was definitely your corporate lurker who just kinda went on to see what was there or or, you know, accept connection requests or send them or whatever. Now I’m definitely more active, and I’m trying to, yeah, I’m trying to build a different type of relationship with that space for me. So that’s like, okay. How how do I want to show up here? How does it serve me? How does it align Mhmm. With my needs? And when I do that, I find that I have a healthy and helpful relationship with it as a tool. So I know that there’s just one avenue of it, but I think that’s that is important. So for me, for example, it’s a great talking about meeting people in community, LinkedIn has been a great way to take that relationship from the group to the individual to connect with people and offer the opportunity to go deeper in, like, a virtual catch up or virtual tea or something. And that’s led to some really beautiful conversations. I mean, that’s how we, you know, how we started and then, you know, it’s it’s likewise on my podcast. I mean, that’s how I filled the first season of my podcast with guests was through meeting people in shared community and building on the relationships one on one.

Giada Centofanti [00:26:54]:
Mhmm. Yeah. That makes sense. And, also, I was noticing again that you, mentioned that you asked yourself some questions. What do I need? What do I want from this thing that I’m doing? Which is, of course, about self reflection. And I believe that’s, a potential shared trait among sensitive people. So and it is, of course, a huge impactful element, in my opinion to create an aligned business. So I want to circle back to the edge because I feel we’ve, we talked about the shadow side a lot, but maybe not enough about the edge. So what are other you know, self reflection is a thing. What are other things that you experience as edges in your business being sensitive, coming from your sensitivity?

Teresa Beehan [00:27:55]:
Yeah. So a couple things. I think one is that ability to deeply understand and connect with people. And so, that is helpful. I I predominantly work one on one. And for me, that model works so well. I I just love working in that way. And the other thing I think so one, having having the ability to deeply connect with people is obviously then helpful in that one to one setting. But also, I think when I’m then thinking about the kind of services that I am creating, because I can I can connect so deeply, it helps me to really inform what that will look like in a way that resonates on a meaningful level? And so that could be services, but any type of content that I put on you know, put out there and how I talk about my experiences and really, really I I probably do more stuff that hits at an emotional level. I mean, and that that’s that’s where I operate a lot of the time. So for me, it feels really comfortable articulating

Giada Centofanti [00:29:09]:
things.

Teresa Beehan [00:29:09]:
So I often have people feedback to me like, gosh. You you put into words how I feel. Mhmm. Because sometimes we struggle with those words. So I think that that’s part of that edge. And it and I think that also sort of gives people almost like a permission slip to also start talking about those things openly and almost hold it and go like, okay. Well, how do I feel about that? What words do I have for that? And then I think the other thing is that for me, sensitivity really fuels my creativity. And so I there is there is a shadow side, so we talked about shiny object syndrome. But the so, yes, ideas in abundance obviously can’t pursue every single idea. But I think the creativity isn’t just around the ideas. It’s also if I think back to corporate, it was being faced with a a problem and not letting that phase me. Like, I’ve always found that I people would go like, I had this idea of running around with, like, headless chickens. I don’t know if that’s a saying that other people will resonate with. That might just be a very British thing. But it’s that kind of just running around in any direction. And it’s like, you know, chill. Like, let’s calm down. And that was always like, oh, you’re so steady. You’re so calm. And I often felt that way. And I think the the thing that worked for me was the that creative element was being able to step back and go, okay. So what are the options here? Like, what’s really going on? Because because I’m not afraid to peel back the layers. So one, I’m not afraid to actually get down to the bottom and really say, okay. Well, that is the actual problem and articulate it. I also think I bring to the table all like, a lot of ideas around how that can be how that can be tackled almost. So those, I think, are the, yeah, the things that come to mind. Mhmm. Edges.

Giada Centofanti [00:31:14]:
And speaking about creativity, we once, well, a couple of times, we talked about how to, I mean, to nurture it, we need to take actual breaks from our work.

Teresa Beehan [00:31:31]:
Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:31:32]:
And so we talk about rest and, in its importance. And I was wondering if your in your experience, you you notice that sensitive people struggle more with allowing themselves to rest. So what’s your experience with that?

Teresa Beehan [00:31:53]:
Yeah. So I I mean, obviously, rest is important for everyone. Right? And I think this is this is it. And and especially for sensitive people and especially for sensitive business owners, entrepreneurs when there’s so much on our our shoulders. It’s absolutely essential. I think a couple of things here. So one, I think rest is often still seen as a luxury or an afterthought, and we don’t recognize it for its foundational aspect. And so I think that’s one thing. And then the other thing with I think for a sense so if I reflect back on me as a I was thinking about I don’t know what word to use. I like to think of when I’m sensitive in a healthy zone, I’m careful of the words I’m using. I I use fortified a lot of the time. That feels like coming from a strong position. So if I’m a fortified sensitive person versus and I haven’t found the word yet. So if anyone has an idea because I don’t like the word dysfunctional

Giada Centofanti [00:32:57]:
Mhmm.

Teresa Beehan [00:32:58]:
Or unhealthy, it just feels doesn’t feel right. But it’s if I’m not fortified. So let’s just use fortified or not fortified. So there’s leaks there’s leaks in the in the in the fort. Then I think that often has an impact on rest because it feels like the thing that we might forego the quickest. So if we’re if we are finding that we are people pleasing or trying to act tough all the time or take on more than we actually can can manage because we want to demonstrate something or something to someone, then the thing that I think is certainly that held true for me, the thing that went first was like, okay. Well, I’ll just sleep a couple of hours less, or I won’t take that break. I will literally just come to my desk and sit, and I’ll, like, I’ll go I’ll go pee when I really, really need to come pee, but otherwise, you know, and I might, you know, I might just have a quick lunch, but it’ll be at my desk. And I’m, like, wolfing it down, not even thinking about it. I’m having so much coffee that I’m, like, buzzing and not in a not in a good way. And that actually is true that I lived for a long time like that. And but rest was the thing that I would deprioritize. And I so I think that’s that’s what can happen when we’re trying to be something that we’re not because we’re trying to tap into resources that we don’t have. And so what can happen, I’m not saying this is always true for everyone, is that we forego on things that are actually so foundational. And if we start to forego that, we will start running on empty. And I think in the short term, that impacts our ability to make decisions well, and just generally function and focus because that’s it. So, you know, you’re constantly consuming more energy for the things that actually and then and you so you get into a really bad cycle of, like, this should be easy. Well, it’s not because you’re completely drained. You have nothing left. And over time, I think that leads to real damage, like, physically. Like, that’s where we start, you know burnout is something that I think gets bandied about quite easily, like but burnout if you’re burnt out, that’s a bad place to be. Yeah. And that is hard. And it’s just long term, it’s not sustainable. And and that’s yeah. So for me, rest is an absolute cornerstone. I so so it’s what I call a rock in my routine and rhythm, and I make space for it in small moments. So I appreciate that sometimes that can feel hard. And if you’re going from, like, twelve hour long working days and then maybe more, maybe like but if you’re doing something like that, all of a sudden dropping down to I’m just gonna do my seven hours or eight hours or whatever it is, that might seem really unrealistic, and that can feel like a big jump. So, you know, starting with small moments of rest throughout the day, stepping away from that desk, going for a little walk, having a little stretch, things like that. For me, I prioritize proper rest on the weekends, ensuring, like, I I switch off completely. At least one day where everything is off, I’m like, I don’t make plans. It’s just a complete and utter me day. And then nighttime rest, I think, is nonnegotiable. So having, for me, quality sleep, making sure I have it’s like treating myself like a child. It’s like, this is my bedtime. This is when I get up. But, honestly, if I start to feel unfortified, it’s because I’ve let that cornerstone slip.

Giada Centofanti [00:37:05]:
Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, lack of sleep is one of the worst thing a human can experience, I guess, a privileged human at least. And, so, yes, you mentioned now you mentioned unfortified. And, before you mentioned that you hadn’t yet a word to it. And when you said that one of the culprits to not embracing rest is trying to be what we are not, it came to mind that, when you were talking about what’s the opposite of fortified, the first word that came to my mind was misaligned. Mhmm. Because, of course, this is my vocabulary and my language. But it it I mean, it ties well with trying to be someone we are not. We’re trying to fit into that mold instead of breaking out of it. Right?

Teresa Beehan [00:38:04]:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. I completely that completely fits fits for me. Yeah.

Giada Centofanti [00:38:13]:
Okay. So in terms of alignment, misalignment, you mentioned a few things that you do for yourself when you need to rest and prioritize rest. But is there any kind of practice that helps you realign, recenter where when you feel that you, you know, you lost your center and your place of alignment.

Teresa Beehan [00:38:38]:
Mhmm. Yeah. So for me, that centers around how I start and end my day. So it’s like I I sort of how I bookend the day. So I I kinda let the days be what they are. And, obviously, if I hit a spot that feels particularly difficult or, like, I can feel that it’s having an impact in a different way, I I will deal with that. But if I for me, it’s about starting the day right and ending the day right, and that, I think, will look different for everyone. And so for me, that means I I like getting up early, but, actually, I don’t get up to get going straight away. I I take time to, so I literally will have a cup of tea and go back to bed and read. But it’s like quiet. It’s just a really like, for me, coming into the day, it just needs to be a slow intentional thing. And I think, again, reflecting back, that’s what I found hard about corporate because you kinda have this really, reflecting back, that’s what I found hard about corporate because you kinda have this really strict start time, and often you start before the actual start time, and you almost race into the day. And, yes, I now have the the privilege. I think that’s a good word of being able to start my day in an easeful way, in a way that suits me. Now that works for me. I know people who sensitive people who need to get going and get the blood rushing straight away. So I think this will and and part of this, I think, is trial and error and just playing around with what feels good and going, okay. This sounds like it could be good for me. I’m gonna try that. And then so if I get up and and do, like, intense exercise, which I have done in the past, and that is just does does not work for me. Like, I just need to come into the day slowly. And then even exercise, like, for me, I’d that word exercise, I prefer movement. Like, I I think our bodies want to move. And for me, that’s a very natural thing. You mentioned in the intro, I have two dogs, and they also like to move. So we move together in the morning. So after I’ve had that my tea and a little bit of a read, I will get up, and we go for a big walk together. And then after that, if I feel like it, I might do some stretching. Like, I’d so I gravitate to to yoga. I’ve trained in yoga. So even just getting on the mat for ten, fifteen minutes is nothing like, for me, it it doesn’t have to be massive things, but it just sort of sets me up. And then that for the end of the day, again, it’s being really intentional about about when the day ends. And how so then there’s specific things I want to get done before I actually go to bed. But, again, creating space, you’ll notice a theme. I love reading. So, again, I I prioritize that. But what I notice is that when for whatever reason, like, those things slip. So, of course, not every day is gonna be the same, and sometimes that happens. And a day here or there doesn’t have a huge impact on me. But if it has slipped over time, like, after a week, like, I really start to notice that. And I I you know, to your words, I I do start to feel misaligned. I feel disconnected. Yeah. If I I know something’s not right, I need to get those cornerstones back and get my rhythm. Like, that’s my rhythm. So I figure out what’s my rhythm and what if I’m within the boundaries of my rhythm, I’m good.

Giada Centofanti [00:42:23]:
Yeah. I resonate with that. It happens to me too. I have, like, I imagine, like, there are bricks that Mhmm. I can combine when I wake up. And so there are a few things that I wanna do before getting to work. And if they all fall for a whole week, I start to notice because also my mind and body start to tell me you’re not feeling well.

Teresa Beehan [00:42:58]:
Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:42:59]:
So, again, noticing and listening to ourselves is key. And I’m you know, I always struggle with, closing day or evening routine. Is something that I always try to do, but it just doesn’t stick. So I don’t know. I will probably try new things going on. The only thing that I that happens almost every night is that when I’m in bed, the last thing I do before closing my eyes is reading. Mhmm. I usually fall asleep. I I have an ebook reader, a Kobo, so I put it on my nightstand. So, you know, I don’t even need to use my hands.

Teresa Beehan [00:43:46]:
Yeah. And it doesn’t smack you in the face

Giada Centofanti [00:43:48]:
because that’s after you Yes. Yeah.

Teresa Beehan [00:43:51]:
You drop it and then you’re like, oh. Yes. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. But I think that what you said there is true though. Right? So I I mean, I just explained what that looks like for me, and, yes, it slips. I’m human. Like, that slips. Sometimes other things take priority. Sometimes I don’t have, like, other things need to get done. Mhmm. And that’s just that’s just the reality of it. But also, I give myself permission to for that stuff to change. And so sometimes that can be seasonal for me because, like, what I need in winter, for example, will be different to what I need in summer. And and, you know, that I think it’s just giving yourself some slack there Yeah. As well. Absolutely. Permission to explore and to experiment.

Giada Centofanti [00:44:41]:
Yes. And you mentioned seasons, and we also have, if you want, internal seasons.

Teresa Beehan [00:44:49]:
Mhmm.

Giada Centofanti [00:44:49]:
And live seasons. So we need to acknowledge them and try to honor them as we can with what we have, considering the context and the situation we are in at a specific moment in time. So everything can change, and there’s no guilt in stop doing something. We can start again or not. It’s okay

Teresa Beehan [00:45:16]:
too. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely.

Giada Centofanti [00:45:20]:
Okay. So we’re coming to a close, but, I want to ask you a couple of questions first. So first, so, what’s the next aligned action you are planning to take?

Teresa Beehan [00:45:32]:
The next aligned action I’m planning to take. So I think one of the joys of working for myself is having the freedom to set my own pace and focus, and I think that’s probably come through in everything we’ve talked about. But I have realized that I miss the energy and connection of working alongside colleagues and having people, like, work buddies almost. And I’m not in a position where I’m looking to hire people and have a team, and that’s definitely not on the radar. But what I am doing is actively looking for opportunities to collaborate with people. So almost like partnerships. So that I’ve sort of already started that. So hosting guests on my podcast has been a really wonderful way for me to connect, and that has then sparked plans for collaborative workshops and other projects. And I think so for me, that is continuing to look at these partnerships because they bring for me, they bring fresh perspectives, and they deepen my sense of community, which is what I really value in my work.

Giada Centofanti [00:46:39]:
I love that. And I’m curious to know how they will develop. And, also, if people wants to know how your collaboration are going to develop, where can they find you?

Teresa Beehan [00:46:53]:
Yeah. Absolutely. And if they’re interested in a collaboration or just getting let definitely get in touch. So I think a great starting place is my website, which is practicalfeeling,all1word,.com. So you can explore my work there and the sensitive professionals podcast as well. I, you know, I do a lot of talking with other sensitive professionals about the experience, and you can find me on LinkedIn. So I love connecting with like minded professionals. You don’t have to be sensitive. You can be sensitive, curious, or just generally want to expand your network, get in touch, and, yeah, sharing insights about sensitivity and work in general.

Giada Centofanti [00:47:34]:
Okay. Wonderful. Thank you so much for being here, Teresa. Okay. Before we part ways, I want to invite you, listeners, to reflect on two questions. What are your main takeaways and insights from this conversation, And how can you apply them to take aligned action this week? Okay. That’s it for today. You can find the show notes, Teresa’s links, and the transcript at caretoimpact.com/podcast. And while you are there, don’t forget to sign up for the next free inner impact session. So thank you for listening, bye for now, and keep sparking your inner impact.