Does This Sound Like You? If So, You May Be Highly Sensitive

– You feel everything deeply and have strong emotions.
– You tend to get overwhelmed easily by daily stress at work, home or in relationships.
– You withdraw or isolate when feeling overwhelmed and need time alone.
– You are a perfectionist or people-pleaser, who has critical self-talk.
– You struggle with making quick decisions and need to examine all options.
– Busy places, large crowds, loud noises, strong smells can impact your wellbeing.
– You often feel anxious or emotionally exhausted.
– You have trouble falling asleep because you can’t stop your brain from thinking.

What Makes a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

20% or 1 in 5 individuals (male, female, omnigender) throughout the world are born highly sensitive. So, what is a High Sensitivity? One thing it is NOT: An illness or a disorder.

High Sensitivity is a personality trait that comes with its own challenges and great strengths. A highly sensitive person (HSP) is a neurodivergent individual who is thought to have an increased or deeper central nervous system sensitivity to physical, emotional or social stimuli. While every highly sensitive person is unique, research does indicate there are four shared characteristics common to all HSPs. Represented by the acronym D.O.E.S., these characteristics are intrinsic to our makeup. Yes, I too am an HSP!

D – Depth of Processing

HSPs process everything at a deeper level than most people, and this Depth of Processing is the foundation for the trait. Deep processing involves manipulating information by connecting new data to what you already know; organizing patterns and themes; exploring implications from all angles. Studies supporting the depth of processing aspect of the trait have compared the brain activation of sensitive and non-sensitive people doing various perceptual tasks. Researcher Jadzia Jagiellowicz found that highly sensitive individuals use more parts of the brain associated with “deeper” processing of information, especially when noticing external and internal subtleties. HSPs simply don’t make quick decisions. It’s a process that non-HSPs don’t understand and it can get in the way of deadlines, but researchers think it may be part of human adaptation and survival.

O – Overstimulation

You’re at your best friend’s birthday party. 30 people are crowded into her small house. The music is playing loud, people are talking and laughing, and there’s a line to the bathroom. All you want to do is go home, but you don’t want to let your friend down. So you end up in the corner of the kitchen, feeling exhausted and irritated with yourself for not handling things better! You were overstimulated. You pick up so much stimuli from any situation or environment. The sounds, smells, emotions and clutter are all things you take in and process deeply. This ability can be a superpower, but it can lead to higher levels of stress. Our finely-tuned nervous system can become overwhelmed from a level of overstimulation others don’t experience.

E – Emotionally Responsive/Empathetic

HSPs, or Sensitive Strivers as some call us, respond more strongly to emotional experiences — both positive and negative ones. Because we take everything in around us, our environment impacts us more than non-HSPs. Brain scans have shown higher levels of activity in HSPs. The Anterior Insular Cortex is considered the center of human empathy and compassion in our brains. These scans indicate HSPs show greater activity in those areas of emotional response and compassion. So, if you catch yourself tearing up or crying at good news or difficult news, give yourself a break from self-criticism and take the self-test!

S – Sensing Subtleties

HSPs pick up on subtle details that others miss. Little changes in our surroundings or non-verbal cues from others register with our nervous system. Sensory input, such as strong smells, bright lights, loud noises and itchy fabrics are all things that affect our sense of the world. Given how much we pick up on every day, and the tendency to process things deeply, HSPs can easily become overwhelmed and overstimulated. Here’s an example: VIsiting with a friend after several weeks, you notice something is different about them. Quickly, you realize they have something in their mouth. It’s a tongue piercing! Your friend can’t believe you noticed it so quickly. How did you see it? Tiny changes in how they spoke, moved their mouth differently, smiled and more subtle nuances you picked up on indicated that to you! 70-80% of people would not see that change as quickly and that is another reason why HS can be a superpower.