Highly Sensitive Person; Am I One?
Highly Sensitive People – Am I One?
Statistics show that around 1 in 5 are “Highly Sensitive People” (HSP for short), and so it’s possible that you are… this blog looks at how you can find out.
What Does HSP Actually Mean?
Sensitivity gets a bad press. It’s usually seen as a female trait, and has labels unhelpfully attached like, “Snowflake” and “Weak,” but it’s really important to note that Elaine Aron, (Author of “The Highly Sensitive Person”), sees high sensitivity as a personality trait rather than an illness or personality disorder.
Some definitions of “Sensitive” can be found here, and one of the examples really struck me…
“Spiders are sensitive to the vibrations on their web”
For a spider, the heightened sensitivity means that it will be able to sense and catch its prey, and will survive through doing so.
Even though HSPs are not likely to be catching prey in a web, they are highly attuned to what’s going on around them, noticing the moods and emotions of others, feeling changes in the environment and processing all of this deeply.
What Does Being HSP Mean for Everyday Life?
Humans (and most animals), work best when their nervous system is running smoothly; not too stressed, but also not understimulated and bored.
The difference with HSP is that our nervous systems are wired to produce a higher reaction than those who aren’t HSP… most people will react to a car backfiring with a hardly a glance, but an HSP might jump out of their skin. And the reactions are usually greater for all the senses; loud noises, bright lights, a big crowd, strong smells, all of these might induce a stronger reaction from an HSP, than they would from someone who isn’t.
It doesn’t just stop there. HSPs process information more deeply too, which means they reflect on everything that’s said in a discussion, analyse motives and reactions, and have brains that are active at a high level for much of the time (even in the middle of the night!); so if you want a late night philosophy discussion about the meaning of life, find yourself an HSP!
Being HSP Sounds Hard, Are There Any Good Bits?!
Yes! This in depth processing means that HSPs can have a more complex understanding of what’s happening in situations, through picking up the subtle clues and nuances that others might miss.
Seeing the world in so much detail can also increase levels of creativity and innovation; it’s no surprise that many artists, actors and creatives are HSP.
And actually, seeing the world in technicolour and surround sound can be amazing!
What About Being Overwhelmed?
This is one of the more difficult things that HSPs have to deal with; all this nervous system activity can be exhausting, and what might seem like a walk in the park for a non-HSP can feel like wading through treacle if you are.
Take a night out at a concert as an example; crowds of people, high levels of noise, lots of social activity, possibly unusual or strong smells (could be BO or perfume depending on the concert!), travelling to the venue, differing levels of temperature, along with the excitement of seeing the concert itself. Whilst enjoyable, this also could overload an HSP’s system to the point that they can’t cope.
In one of my future posts, I’ll be looking at ways that HSPs can manage their nervous systems, so that they don’t end up overwhelmed and burnt out.
A Different Way of Looking at HSP
Rather than seeing HSP as a curse, it can help to reframe this. Elena Herdieckerhoff talks about this in her Paris TED Talk, which you can see here.
If you’re interested in reading more about Elaine Aron’s work, click here.
There is an ever-growing body of research around sensitivity. This site is a useful resource!
If this resonates with you, please WhatsApp message Helen on 0034 654065721 or email Helen@lazuli.es to book your first session.