Signs You‘re A Highly Sensitive Person

„Some say i‘m too sensitive but truth is i just feel too much, every word, every action and every energy goes straight to my heart.“

Highly sensitive people (HSPs) are individuals who are genetically predisposed to higer levels of mental, emotional and physical sensitivity. It is speculated that around 15-20% of our population (including me) is wired differently and therefore experiences life in a much more intense way than the average person. HSPs differ from neurotypical individuals in that they are more deeply impacted by sights, sounds, smells, tastes and emotions.

Signs You‘re A Highly Sensitive Person

• You are aware of subtleties and nuances in different environments, e.g., a tap dripping too loudly, a light bulb burning to brightly etc.
• You are easily overwhelmed by the senses. Loud noises, strong smells, tastes and light effect you negatively
• You need to withdraw from busy days and take a break, or a nap, by yourself.
• You are overly sensitive to pain.
• You become spooked and startled easily.
• You like to take your time, and not overload yourself with too many activities as it drains and overwhelm you.
• You find it hard to adapt to changes in your life.
• You tend to ruminate and procss information deeply.
• You‘re empathic. You‘re aware of the way people feel around you, and when any slight change occurs in them.
• Emotional environments tend to affect you deeply.
• You‘re often perceived as being introverted or shy.
• You‘re profoundly moved by nature, the arts, or music.
• You tend to be more philosophically and spiritually orientated.
• You feel unusually strong emotions.
• You avoid and deeply dislike confrontation of any kind.
• You prefer to not be observed when fulfilling tasks: it unsettles you.
• You tend to avoid situations that are too intense or chaotic.
• You seem to process the world at a very deep level.

The Shadow Side Of Being A Highly Sensitive Person

• You have good instincts, but often don‘t let yourself trust them.
• You overly blame yourself for things that aren‘t your fault.
• You bottle up anger and then end up lashing out unintentionally.
• You don‘t take as good care of yourself as you deserve.
• You do things you‘re not comfortable with to avoid upsetting anyone.
• You try to make other people happy, often to your own detriment.
• You have a hard time not taking things personally.
• You frequently second guess your choices.
• You read into things too much and get stuck in overthinking.
• You can easily fall into putting other people‘s needs way above your own.

Perhaps one of the defining qualities of being an HSP is how emotionally intense we are.

We feel everything in an intense, passionate, and sometimes devastating way. This intensity often leads us to become artists, visionary leaders, innovators, mentors, healers and therapists.

But this is a bittersweet trait we share because while it helps us to live with passion and intensity, it can also isolate us. We may be misunderstood, criticized, underpaid, undervalued, taken for granted, alienated, and generally perceived as being „too much.“ We may be classified as neurotic, melodramatic, thin-skinned, or generally finicky – and mistreated because of it.

Yet, despite the many challenges we face, our intensity and giftedness as highly sensitive people also open the doorway to potentially transcendent and cosmic adventures.

In fact, many highly sensitive people are also naturally gifted empaths and old souls who gravitate toward various spiritual pursuits that explore the meaning of life and how to experience spiritual oneness.

Regardless of whether you‘re spiritually inclined or not, you will have the insatiable need to live authentically and find your true purpose.

„Continually swimming in an endless sea of sensation can at times be exhausting, regardless if it‘s beautifully terrible or terribly beautiful, and this is why your deep-rooted need for peace and self-care is essential to support your superb sensitivity.“

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