Hello! I’m so glad you’re here. If you’ve found this post, then it’s likely you’ve resonated with the term: The Highly Sensitive Person and you’d like to know a bit more about it and whether or not you or someone you love might be highly sensitive.
Someone who is highly sensitive has a more sensitive nervous system and processes all the stimuli in their environment very deeply; this trait is also called Sensory Processing Sensitivity – and yes, I said it’s a trait! It’s completely normal in both humans and animals. In fact, approximately 15-20% of the population is highly sensitive.
The very first thing I want to say about being highly sensitive is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. I created this blog because I’ve found that many highly sensitive people feel doomed to a life less than stellar and they feel alone – that’s just unacceptable! I’ve found the beauty in it and you can, too.
So how do you know if you’re highly sensitive? Here is a list of traits of HSP’s adapted from Elaine Aron’s book, The Highly Sensitive Person.
- You are greatly moved by the arts and music.
- You are easily irritated or frazzled when startled.
- You are overwhelmed when there are too many things to do at once.
- You are very aware of and affected by people’s moods.
- You are very attuned to the subtleties in your environment.
- You are keenly aware of high-pitched electronic sounds in your environment that others may not seem to notice.
- As a child, you were often labeled as sensitive or shy
- You are highly aware of sensations in your body.
- You are very conscientious..
- You often seek time alone.
- You are easily distracted by things around you.
- You are easily overwhelmed by stimuli, like bright lights, loud noises, rough textures on your skin.
- You love having deep conversations with a few, close friends.
- When you’re in nature or by the water, you feel deep calm.
- You have a rich spiritual life or consider yourself a lightworker.
- You get frazzled if people try to get you to do too many things at once.
- You get deeply upset by the news and the suffering of others, even if it is fictional tv or in a movie.
- You are very sensitive to physical pain.
- You don’t respond well to change.
- You are very in tune with the beauty around me.
- You tend to arrange your life to avoid overstimulating situations, like crowds, bars, concerts or parties.
- You deeply enjoy sensory experiences, like music, fine scents, tastes or sounds.
You may have all of them, or just a few. If you have more than 12 of these traits, then it is likely that you are highly sensitive. To read more about the variety of highly sensitive people, please read my post: 50 Shades of Sensitive (coming soon!)
I would love to hear your comments below, so please say hello! Did you find this helpful? Please consider sharing with a friend.
Love,
Cortney
P.S. If you’re a Highly Sensitive Person and would like some tips on empowering your own Inner Badass, I’ve written a special FREE eBook just for you.
Free eBook: From Highly Sensitive Hot Mess to Highly Sensitive Badass: 8 Steps to Empowerment for Highly-Sensitive People, Empaths and Intuitives.
Simply sign up below and it will be delivered right to your inbox! You’ll also get my blog posts delivered via email.
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