Breaking Down What It Means To Be a Highly Sensitive Person
WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING A HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON?
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Being a Highly Sensitive Person can feel challenging. So many things that an “average” person wouldn’t even blink twice at, can be incredibly overstimulating for someone who is an HSP. It’s not unheard of for family and friends of HSPs to criticize them and tell them to “toughen up”.
According to psychologist Elaine Aron’s theory, HSPs are a subset of the population who are high in a personality trait known as sensory-processing sensitivity, or SPS. That means that Highly Sensitive People process cues, emotions, and experiences more deeply than your “average” person. They tend to pick up on things that others might not notice. Common things such as crowds, drastic temperature change, emotionally charged situations, and loud noises can be incredibly overstimulating and cause distress.
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Some of the more discernible symptoms that HSPs experience are:
Avoiding violent movies or TV shows
Being deeply moved by beauty
Being overwhelmed by sensory stimuli
Feeling a need for down time
Having a rich and complex inner life
With having a higher level of sensitivity comes the stronger likelihood of experiencing more issues on a day-to-day basis. Some of the more common concerns are:
A hectic schedule – even if they technically have enough time to complete their tasks, they still feel incredibly rushed.
Being prone to rumination and self-doubt makes it easy for HSPs to obsess about their personal failures.
Struggling with other people’s expectations of them – Highly Sensitive People are big people pleasers. They will almost always say yes, even if they want to say no.
By absorbing the emotions of those around them, HSPs feel overwhelmed in general; but, especially during moments of conflict. It’s hard for them to process negative emotions.
Sometimes these traits can feel overpowering - not being able to stomach watching the news, crying when you see an abused animal get adopted into a loving home, or having to take a nap after going grocery shopping.
However, you don't have to be "fixed". You simply have a personality trait that, just like any other, can be worked on so you can live a happier life.
HOW TO MAKE IT EASIER BEING A HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON
The main goals for Highly Sensitive People are adding positivity into your life, avoiding stressors, learning to say no, and setting up a safe space. Reaching out for professional help and going to therapy can be very beneficial to achieve these goals.
A therapist can help you understand who you are and give you more knowledge on the symptoms you are experiencing. Learning how to have self-compassion is another huge benefit you can receive from therapy. Highly Sensitive People tend to have a lot of anxiety that inhibits them from living a happy life. Through therapy they can learn to enjoy life and feel more relaxed. Without guidance, it can be hard to focus on the important things in life, and not every minuscule detail that isn’t relevant in the big picture.
The main thing is to feel comfortable in your own skin. Being a Highly Sensitive Person doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with you. You can experience a fulfilling life where you aren’t anxious and overwhelmed at every turn. You can be happy.