Seven Hints you might be a Highly Sensitive Person

Some may even be called Superpowers!

Photo by Drew Dizzy Graham on Unsplash

*Highly Sensitive Person* is a term added to the lexicon by Elaine Aron in the 1990’s. In a nutshell, they are those with a more nuanced view of the world, absorbing subtleties that most others miss.

As a note, this piece uses the terms HSP’s and sensitives interchangeably in short for Highly Sensitive Person(s).

Some HSPs may wonder if they have something wrong with them; they may never feel like they fit in with the crowd very well. Or even enjoy being in a crowd in the first place! Let’s dive in.

Honey, Have you Seen my Keys?!

HSPs notice more in their environments than others. It’s more likely that when an HSP scans a room full of stuff they will spot the missing item.

The characters in scary movies that can sense someone has been inside their home or notice when one small object is out of place are using an HSP trait.

Or they will remember where they saw the item previously, because their highly attuned nervous systems are taking note on much more than the average folk. It can make you a hero when something goes missing. However, there is a downside to this superpower…

Taking a Trip to Elsewhere

Because an HSP’s nervous system is working on overdrive, taking in rich clues from their environments, HSPs can tire out faster compared to their non-HSP counterparts.

Some HSPs may also disassociate or “leave” their bodies, especially when something overwhelming or unpleasant is happening.

To keep themselves present in their bodies, sensitives can do extra grounding practices and practice embodiment techniques.

Get Ready to Feel Good! (…and bad, sorry)

HSPs experience their world and emotions more richly than others. The highs can feel fabulously high and there is much pleasure to be had in sensations. Food, intimacy, being in nature, the feeling of being inside a beautiful piece of music, or catching a luxurious scent (even from very far away) are just some of the ways HSPs can experience their world deeply.

I read recently about a woman who, in the midst of a large audience, had a full-body orgasm while listening to a symphony. I do not doubt that this woman was an HSP. Her ability to experience the music on a level that is atypical, allowed her to have a unique and intense pleasure experience.

Unfortunately, there’s a flip side to this superpower and we also experience unpleasant sensations more intensely. Nasty odors assault, load noises can render an HSP incapable of thought or conversation, heartbreaks are… well, immeasurable really. But we can also feel pain for the heartbreaks of others, adding to the often already immense load most sensitives carry.

A great way to ease the burden is to get into nature…

Communion with Nature

HSPs tend to have a profound connection to the natural world.

“For example, while a non-HSP might hike and simply zone out, or listen to music on their headphones, an HSP is more likely to savor the colors of the landscape, the scents of nearby plants, and the invigorating physical sensations produced by the hike.”

Says Amy Lajiness, LCSW, HSP and psychotherapist who works with highly sensitive clients. Sensitives can experience true joy simply feeling the wind on their face or communing with the sunset. We can glean an immense amount of pleasure from simple things, like watching the water of a river flowing around a rock, or a honeybee visiting flower after flower.

Non-HSPs may feel bored in a scenario such as this, because in a sense they require much more sensory input to feel satisfied. (For example they may have their TVs on louder or on in the background while doing other things. While many sensitives don’t desire a TV at all.)

Sensitives oftentimes can also seem to “communicate” with animals. Because of their heightened perception, they pick up on cues, including cues from animals, and can seem to interact more subtly and skillfully than non-HSP’s. This trait makes HSPs great candidates for the helping professions and professions that involve interaction with animals.

The Princess and the Pea

The princess couldn’t sleep as she could feel a pea under a towering stack of mattresses. Goldilocks had to have her temperatures and the softness of her bed just right. I can feel a loose hair in between my shirt and my skin, or a piece of lint in my shoe. These small things bother me.

I take care of them right away rather than spending my precious awareness on bothersome things.

It’s okay to adjust things around you to make yourself more comfortable. The more discomfort we eliminate in the spaces we frequent-home, work, vehicle, etc.-the more energy can be put toward enjoyable things.

The Sponge

If you’ve ever been in a good or pleasant mood and suddenly, after interacting with someone negative, you find yourself in a bad mood; it’s possible to have taken on someone else’s feelings and have begun feeling them as if they were your own.

“While the emotional depth and empathy of HSPs can be a boon to those around them, HSPs often struggle with setting healthy emotional boundaries. Unfortunately, they can inadvertently “sponge up” the emotions of those around them, which can lead to feeling overwhelmed and anxious.” -Lajiness

That’s why regular energy hygiene practices are crucial for HSPs; energy hygiene is a daily practice to “wring out the sponge,” rejuvenate, and help a sensitive feel like themself again.

Love the Ones You’re With

Since HSP’s have the natural gifts of empathy and understanding others, as long as they have healthy boundaries, they make excellent friends. Many sensitives have been described by their friends as expansive, supportive, great listeners, and the trusted confidant.

But it’s important to remember to give from a place of overflow.

Loving others ALWAYS begins with loving ourselves. Caring for others will only be successful if we first care for ourselves.

If you feel you may be a Highly Sensitive Person, (about 1 in 5 are!) check out the other resources listed below. And please feel free to reach out with any questions, or to share your experience, either privately or in the comments.

[embed]Learning to Love My(sensitive)self A glimpse into the struggles and rewards of being highly sensitive.malig.medium.com

[embed]Energetic Hygiene: Ground, Clear, Protect Complete with a Guided Meditation Practice!malig.medium.com

[embed]Energetic Hygiene: Cutting Cords Replenish your Energy and Feel Good Again!malig.medium.com

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