What is sensitivity anyway?
It’s not what you might think. Or what you’ve been told all these years…that your “too sensitive”.
The misunderstood trait of being Highly Sensitive according to current research by Dr. Elaine Aron is identified by the following:
- Exceptionally Deep Mental and Emotional Processing of Information (extremely conscientious, thoughtful with answers, has creative ideas & solutions)
- Easily Overstimulated via the Sensory System (noise, smells, bright lights, scratchy fabric, etc.)
- Emotionally Reactive – Both Positively and Negatively (shows emotions more quickly, particularly empathic toward others, overly concerned about how others are reacting toward them )
- Sensitive to Subtle Stimuli (notices things in environment others don’t, sees the details in interior decorating and nature, takes care in creating a particular environment, acknowledges small changes in weather)
How do I define sensitivity?
My personal definition of sensitivity relates to two basic buckets of awareness…
- Awareness of the needs and emotions of others.
- Awareness and responsiveness to internal or external changes, challenges or demands.
The Good, the Bad and the Real Blessings of being Highly Sensitive
The wonderful, delightful and just plain Goodness.
- Strong self-awareness
- Increased empathy
- Tuned into need for self-care
- Appreciative of the small things
- Great at building close relationships
- Easily made happy
- Experience a richness of sensory detail in daily life
- Deeply and beautifully moved by music and art
- A rich and complex inner life
The not so good and maybe sometimes even Bad.
- Feeling pain, fatigue and stress more intensely
- Experiencing high levels of anxiety
- Being too open to incoming stimuli in the environment creating overload
- Reactive to the emotions and feelings of others
- Needing more alone time for recalibration
- Tendency to overthink or analyze too much
- Startles easily
- Highly critical of self
- Health issues particularly surrounding asthma, eczema and allergies
- Uncomfortably attuned to inner body sensations
But don’t forget the Blessings.
We all know that the world is in need of passionate, compassionate, committed humans more than ever. And HSPs are some of the best equipped for this mission. So happily and confidently spread these blessings and skills.
- Increased sense of empathy and concern for wellbeing of others
- Intuitive nurturing skills (healers of the world)
- Finding beauty in both joy and sadness
- Seeing beyond to make the subtle connects other miss
- Strong intuition skills driven by connection to the Soul
- Ability to create better outcomes through conscientious consideration and behaviors
- Love deep, deep, deeply and sincerely
- Appreciation and consideration for our relationship with nature
Health and Wellbeing of the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)
Highly sensitive people generally find that they need to place more care and attention on their health and wellbeing than others do. Seeking the tools, resources and like-minded community are key in their journey.
I’m honored to partner with you in the exploration of and journey of being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
You’ll find more about my personal journey as an HSP over the next several months with updated blogs, workshops and online programs.
I’m looking forward to staying in touch, so please sign up for my updates below to be sure we don’t miss one another.