Free online events

Software Freedom Day is September 18th, 2021. See the Software Freedom Day web site ( https://www.softwarefreedomday.org/ ) for free online events you can participate in to celebrate

The Palm Beach County School District's annual Technology Conference will be online this year. Anyone can attend. See details here, if you're interested in finding out more or registering to join in: https://technologyconference.palmbeachschools.org/

if you'd like to put on your own events, check out free resources and tools such as:
https://gettogether.community/
https://meet.jit.si/
https://jamulus.io/

Thank you.

I'm a little late posting this but the program continues thru Friday with 48 hours to view individual presentations afterwards:

The Ultimate Toolkit to Embrace Your Sensitivity, Manage Your Energy, and Hone Your Empathic Superpowers
FREE ONLINE EVENT
November 15-19, 2021
https://evolvedempathsummit.com/

Grasshopper wrote:I'm a little late posting this but the program continues thru Friday with 48 hours to view individual presentations afterwards:

I actually caught some of it. Didn't know you could watch the presentations for 48 hours after. Was debating whether to get on Friday and try to catch up on the days I missed and decided it would be too much for me.

What did you think of it? I really didn't get much out of it. I kept getting the impression that people were there to make money and sell books. I'd heard one speaker talk previously. She came off better in the recording at the Summit, but she really seemed only interested in making money at her previous talk.

They did have some tips and I wrote them down. However, they were all things I already knew about or did. So no new helpful coping strategies. Just a lot of talking with small pieces of self-help advice thrown in.

There were tips like massaging your stomach (which they do anyway in Qigong), cupping your eyes, smelling lavendar and using a heating pad on the stomach.

Any talks worth catching or any useful insights or tips?

I watched a bunch of the presentations during the week as I had time. The 48-hour replays have now expired. This summit seemed to be more directed at people new to HSP who could certainly generally benefit from the information, advice, and tips. Many of the presenters do provide additional information and some free materials on their websites. If someone was more knowledgeable already about HSP there was not much new to learn, unless seeking more details on modalities to help deal with their related health and psychological issues.

It's interesting that a whole industry of therapists, coaches, body workers, etc., for HSPs has grown into existence the last couple of decades since Elaine Aron's ground breaking book. Many are professionals, doctors, therapists, researchers, who have chosen to make this a specialty. A lot of New Age baggage has also crept into the movement. I do hesitate to call them all quacks, hucksters, and exploiters, as many seem sincere and wanting to help, and also need to make a living while doing it. Reading one of their relevant books can be a good place to start, and working with a good therapist can potentially work wonders with HSPs who need help as Aron herself has said.

In the chat for the summit I suggested a book to check out especially for those who perhaps want to work on their own or can't afford expensive therapy: Elaine Aron's 'The Undervalued Self'. Lots of detailed guidance and tools to help deal with one's issues, but like so many approaches requires enough self-discipline to pursue--alas, something not every one has.

Jacquelyn Strickland was one of the presenters (I have attended three HSP Gathering retreats with her in past years) and she emphasizes especially that HSPs need to work out for themselves a viable detailed self-care plan to operate in life because we are otherwise much more vulnerable to getting into trouble. I like her framework about where an HSP may fall in their own orientation and development:
https://jacquelynstrickland.com/the-hsp-subcultures-diversity-in-our-tribe/

This Facebook group provides a lot of useful info and sharing from the International Consultants on High Sensitivity (ICHS), a professional group of HSPs from different countries who are well-versed in the scientific research pertaining to Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ElaineAronHighSensitivity

p.s.
Im8, I'm curious who is the woman you heard speak before? (to see if I may have any opinion about her).

I'd rather not say anything disparaging about someone in a public forum. She may be very good, but I just got a negative impression of her during one of her online talks. There was someone who couldn't afford the prices for help and felt like things were very commercial. She didn't seem to want to encourage sharing other resources with the person, just hers and they were for pay. She does have guides to HSP psychologists and other resources at her web site.

I think it's great if someone is already in a field and is able to specialize in helping HSPs specifically if they can. I actually used to like a lot of the New Age stuff. However, that's become very commercial as well. I'm sure there are people who exploit any field. Just my impression, but with Shift Network, I can never tell if the speakers are talking about something that's scientifically legitimate or whether they're showing you pseudo science. There were a previous group of talks on another help topic. One of the speakers was talking about how healthy celery juice was. I'm sure it has its health benefits, but the health claims were probably more than what's backed by research.

I share your concerns about commercialization, and pseudo-science. Buyer beware. There is snake oil, and suckers (meaning both sellers and customers), everywhere. Best to evaluate anyone on their merits, reputation, your experience or trusted recommendations. The whole health foods and supplements industry is another fraught with false/misleading/unsubtantiated claims.

Interesting how Aron's HSP research was initially dismissed by colleagues as pseudo-science (HSP was just another name for neurotics!). I'm sure some people still regard it that way.

Grasshopper wrote:The whole health foods and supplements industry is another fraught with false/misleading/unsubtantiated claims.

Interesting how Aron's HSP research was initially dismissed by colleagues as pseudo-science (HSP was just another name for neurotics!). I'm sure some people still regard it that way.

That's funny because it seems most HSPs score high on openness and conscientious on the Big Five traits and low on neuroticism.

It's shame about the problems with the health food industry and the lack of regulation with supplements and health foods. It's hard to find which foods really are helpful. The recommended foods seem to change every decade. Even the USDA recommendations such as the food pyramid and my plate keep changing.

lm8 wrote:

Grasshopper wrote:The whole health foods and supplements industry is another fraught with false/misleading/unsubtantiated claims.

Interesting how Aron's HSP research was initially dismissed by colleagues as pseudo-science (HSP was just another name for neurotics!). I'm sure some people still regard it that way.

That's funny because it seems most HSPs score high on openness and conscientious on the Big Five traits and low on neuroticism.

It's shame about the problems with the health food industry and the lack of regulation with supplements and health foods.  It's hard to find which foods really are helpful.  The recommended foods seem to change every decade.  Even the USDA recommendations such as the food pyramid and my plate keep changing.

I agree fully with you both. I find when it comes to health it pays to listen to my body and what it needs; something that is easier for HSP to do than those who are not. I try to get my nutrition via diet and so I eat a wide variety of food--organic, locally produced as much as possible. A few general guidelines seems to have firmed up; mainly eat whole unprocessed foods as much as possible. I tend to ignore new hot food trends in the health food market. In truth, there is no one super food. Eat widely and eat foods you enjoy that are healthy and it should be enough.

The free event here is ending 2021 and planning 2022 with this free booklet to help you along the way:

https://yearcompass.com/

Saw a couple of online HSP events. One is Sunday 2/13: https://www.meetup.com/Seattle-Puget-Sound-Highly-Sensitive-Person-HSP-Group/events/282598678/
The other is Valentines' Day:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/valentines-day-community-conversation-hsps-and-love-tickets-253444167327

Free online documentary film series premieres Feb 22:
Changing of the Gods
A synthesis of breakthuough upheaval historical and modern events from a cosmological and astrological perspective.
Inspired by Rick Tarnas' book Cosmos and Psyche  

https://changingofthegodsseries.com/trailer

In case it's of interest, this was mentioned in one of the online groups I go to: pathwaystowellnessconf.com

lm8 wrote:In case it's of interest, this was mentioned in one of the online groups I go to:  
https://pathwaystowellnessconf.com

Thanks!
I signed up for this free conference May 13 2022

More free online events:

Global Resilience Summit 2022 March 20-April 3, 40 speakers, flexible viewing
https://www.globalresiliencesummit.org/

Sanctuary and Spirituality for HSPs Live Workshop Friday April 1 1030am-130pm PDT
https://www.facebook.com/events/932865370735462/

Self Care Summit

Check out these free online presentations (flexible viewing) today thru May 15

https://www.selfcaresummit.life/watch

They're on the last day of the summit, but if anyone's interested, there's a Shift Network Empaths, Sensitives and Intuitives Summit:
https://evolvedempathsummit.com/program

This talk is especially good and clarifying (available thru Sat 12 midnight)
https://evolvedempathsummit.com/program/50864
by
https://signemyershovem.onlinepresskit247.com/

Other talks are available thru Sunday 12 midnight
https://evolvedempathsummit.com/program