If you’re a highly sensitive person (HSP), your nervous system literally picks up more information than the average person about what’s going on around you. For this reason, you may be deeply intuitive, empathetic, or even have a ‘knowing’ about people you meet, situations unfolding around you, or even whether something is right or wrong for you instantaneously. Why? Because highly sensitive persons (HSPs) have heightened sensitivity to their environments and the people within them. That means that right now, you’re likely absorbing often negative, tense, anxious and stressed energy from others around you and wondering why you feel this way. So here’s some good news – not all of this emotion belongs to you, and I promise you’re not the only one to pick up on this extra sense. In fact, HSPs make up about 15-20% of the population (men and women), according to Dr. Elaine Aron, though they are also known as ‘empaths’ or ‘sensitives’ in some media.
Before you make your decision, here are some defining questions that might uncover if you or someone close to you is an HSP:
Do these questions resonate with you?
- Are you easily overwhelmed by such things as bright lights, strong smells and tastes, coarse fabrics, or sirens nearby?
- Do you get frazzled when you have a lot to do in a short amount of time?
- Do you make a point of avoiding violent movies, news and TV shows?
- Do you need to withdraw during busy days, into bed, or a darkened room or some other place where you can have privacy and relief from the situation?
- Do you make it a high priority to arrange your life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations or people?
- Do you try and avoid situations like concerts, shopping centres, parades or anything with many people or find yourself feeling tired and drained afterwards?
- Do you notice delicate scents, tastes, sounds, music or powerful art and even find them enjoyable?
- Are you sensitive to environmental pollution? toxins? alcohol? caffeine? spices? sugar?
- Do you have a rich and complex ‘inner’ life (e.g. highly imaginative/deep thinker)?
- Are you deeply moved by music? soppy movies? releasing energy work like reiki or yoga?
- Do you have low self-esteem and are unsure of where it comes from?
- Are you able to feel other people’s emotions or pain like it was your own?
- Are you always putting other people’s needs in front of your own?
- Do you know someone around you is feeling down before they have a chance to express it?
- When you were a child, did your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy? Or did you perhaps even see spirits?
While not all of these will necessarily resonate with you as an HSP, you’ll find that this checklist will have you reading further to learn more, if at least half of them do. As HSPs receive heightened sensory input, you can easily get overloaded by too much stimulation, so take your time with it, and let it sink in.
Being an HSP isn’t a negative
While some people hate being labelled, others may find that it gives them the answers and clarity they need to move forward. Kind of like discovering a hidden ‘superpower’ and then learning how to use it. While being ‘sensitive’ might be looked down upon in some cultures, perceiving it as a weakness, it can actually make you a GREAT communicator, healer, coach, creative, boss, or spiritual/wellness/health entrepreneur as it helps you understand what people around you truly want, and how to give it to them.
What to know some great aspects of being an HSP?
When the setting is right, HSPs can concentrate deeply and with great focus. We notice things about people or situations that others might miss. We are better at noticing mistakes and avoiding errors, and we can use our speed, accuracy, and detection of minor differences (e.g., colour shades, subtleties in weather, taste, etc.) to get a job well done.
Not all HSPs are introverts; 30% are actually extroverts. We can process material/experiences/emotions at a deeper level.
“We relate and compare what we notice to our past experience with other similar things. We process information in what psychologists call “semantic memory,” which is a type of long-term memory that deals with meanings, understandings, and other concept-based knowledge.” – Jenn Granneman
We are highly conscientious.
We love a positive outcome, and strive to make it happen.
We can learn languages better, especially when we are using them face to face because we learn how to read other people well and absorb information that isn’t just outwardly shared.
We consider the past and future more when making decisions.
We have strong self-awareness.
We can find joy in experiencing a range of emotions, because it helps us release, restore, learn and truly feel grateful for being alive.
Are you easily overwhelmed by such things as bright lights, strong smells and tastes, coarse fabrics, or sirens nearby?
Do you get frazzled when you have a lot to do in a short amount of time?
Do you make a point of avoiding violent movies, news and TV shows?
Do you need to withdraw during busy days, into bed, or a darkened room or some other place where you can have privacy and relief from the situation?
Do you make it a high priority to arrange your life to avoid up setting or overwhelming situations or people?
Do you try and avoid situations like concerts, shopping centres, parades or anything with a lot of people or find yourself feeling tired and drained afterwards?
Do you notice delicate scents, tastes, sounds, music or powerful art and even find them enjoyable?
Are you sensitive to environmental pollution? toxins? alcohol? caffeine? spices? sugar?
Do you have a rich and complex ‘inner’ life (e.g. highly imaginative/deep thinker)?
Are you deeply moved by music? soppy movies? releasing energy work like reiki or yoga?
Do you have low self-esteem and are unsure of where it comes from?
Are you able to feel other people’s emotions or pain like it wa s your own?
Are you always putting other people’s needs in front of your own?
Do you know someone around you is feeling down before they have a chance to express it?
When you were a child, did your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy? Or did you perhaps even see spirits?
As an HSP, it is important to become aware of your situation so you can learn not just how to survive but how to thrive. In this fast-paced world of over-stimulation and ‘busy-ness’, you need to learn to make choices that are healthy for you, even if others might not understand or relate.
Monique Elouise
Monique found her calling in the healing arts. She has completed yoga training in India, is a Reiki Master Teacher, and has learned various holistic healing techniques. She is currently studying yin yoga to aid in her sessions and offers in-person/distance reiki with Oracle card readings.
- Monique Elouise
