Do you often have comments from those around you that 'you are too sensitive', or that you should 'stop taking things to heart'? Do you feel like you are much more sensitive than other people seem to be? If so, you might be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
One in five people - or 1.4 billion globally - are born with the innate temperament or trait of high sensitivity. Yet there is a general lack of awareness about it. This leaves too many HSPs struggling physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually with being highly sensitive in this non-sensitive world.
How do I know if I'm an HSP?
There are five main indictors of the high sensitivity trait:
- Depth of emotional processing: HSPs experience their emotions more deeply than non-HSPs and they process them for longer.
- Emotional Intensity: HSPs are more reactive on an emotional level to events in their life or to the positive and negative emotions of others.
- Environmental and Sensory Stimuli: HSPs get affected by stimuli that others don't notice or are simply not bothered by. Too much noise, alarms sounding, strong smells, being around negativity or crowds of people for example, can affect them greatly and, as a result, their sensory nervous system can become overstimulated.
- Overarousal: And if there is too much overstimulation, over-arousal can occur and HSPs can end up feeling frazzled and overwhelmed. They will often withdraw from others, or spend time in nature until they have recovered.
- Feeling isolated: HSPs struggle on all levels with being highly sensitive in a non-sensitive world. They can often feel isolated by society's general lack of awareness and appreciation of the sensitivity trait.
Learn skills to navigate being an HSP in this workshop:
Are you a Highly Sensitive Person?
In addition to the main indicators above, the list below highlights eight aspects of the trait. The more of these questions that you respond 'yes' to, the more likely it is that you are a Highly Sensitive Person.
- Do your feelings get hurt easily?
- Are you highly empathic?
- Do you feel different to other people?
- Do you have a feeling of not belonging in your biological family?
- Are you highly intuitive?
- Can you pick up on subtleties that others are not aware of?
- Are you deeply compassionate and a good listener?
- Do you have natural healing or psychic abilities?
Sound like you?
Highly Sensitive People are in good company at The College of Psyshic Studies! Join our online psychic training courses to support and nurture your sensitive nature and empathic gifts.
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