Have you been mocked for being an emotional person or feeling things too intensely? Do people and events move you deeply? Here’s something that might make you feel better if you are a highly sensitive person. According to The Telegraph, 20 percent of us are born as a highly-sensitive-person, also known as HSP.
A highly sensitive person has a hypersensitive nervous system; this can also be a genetic trait.
You need to understand that there is nothing wrong or abnormal in being a highly sensitive person. The ability to feel things strongly is something you are born with; a quality that you shouldn't be embarrassed about.
To understand yourself, you need to be aware of the signs, feelings, and emotions that affect you. Understanding specific things that trigger strong reactions can help you take care of yourself.
1. Tears are your best friend
If you are a highly sensitive person, then you are more likely to cry often. This is not a bad thing and, in fact, can be healthy for HSP.
2. You react instantly
There might be some situations where you can’t help but overreact because you don’t know how NOT to react. It doesn't mean you are drama-prone or faking it as others might assume.
3. You either feel very cold or very hot
If you are an HSP, you might feel your temperature rise or cold based on how you feel emotionally. You might feel very cold when you are crying, even though the weather might not be chilly, or you might feel hot when frustrated.
4. Your heart and mind takes time to settle
Settling in a new place takes time as this also means unsettling from the former space. You get attacked to spaces and things, and have a connection with inanimate objects, too. This makes shifting to a new place more emotional than it is for others.
5. Criticism pierces your heart
Criticism is hard to take even for regular folks. Only the emotionally super mature ones can take criticism positively without letting it affect their self-esteem. However, for HSP, criticism, even the constructive kind, makes them feel hurt.
6. You're highly empathatic
You tend to feel and comprehend what other people go through with much intensity. You can sense others' feelings and thoughts deeply, sometimes without them having said a word. It's easy for you to tune into others' stories and know what they say and what they mean but don't say out loud.
7. Your negative emotions overpower you
Being a highly sensitive person, you tend to get overwhelmed, at times, by your emotions. Because the world is too harsh and insensitive for you, your negative emotions override your sense of wellbeing. It takes time for you process strong emotions and release them. You can't snap out of a bad mood just like that.
8. You fear distance or rejection
No one likes to feel rejected, especially by those who are close to us. However, for an HSP, rejection is nearly heartbreaking. This doesn't mean HSPs are weak. It means they value connections and bonds much more deeply than others.
9. You worry about how others perceive you
Almost everyone is concerned about how others see them. It is natural to seek validation from others. Yet, for an HSP, it is unbearable to think others see them in a different light than what they are. They often take the effort to explain to friends or family if there is a misunderstanding.
Interestingly, not all HSP are introverts. According to The Telegraph, 30% of HSPs are extroverts.
10. You startle easily
HSPs startle easily to sudden noises or stimuli. Sudden news or surprises can shake them to their core. If it is a sad news, they feel a physical reaction due to the impact. Their chest feels heavy and it becomes hard for them to function normally for a few minutes.
11. You are too hard on yourself
You tend to take yourself way too seriously and have high standards for yourself. This also sets you up to be self-critical at every point in life.
While you do set goals and tasks, you follow up only if you feel an emotional connection with it. If not, you forget about them and later feel bad for not meeting your own expectations.
12. Bright light and loud noises disturb you
Strong stimuli like bright lights, loud music, very pushy people tend to overwhelm you. If you are an HSP, understanding the triggers will help you form strong boundaries. You can also let your close ones know how they can help you manage by how to deliver bad news or sudden changes. You can also alter your external space to make it more soothing.
