9 Traits Of A Highly Sensitive Person

Are You A Highly Sensitive Person, a HSP?

More and more people are realising they are a highly sensitive person. According to various research 15-20% of the population are HSP’s. Dr Elaine Aaron a HSP Expert, states that a lot more people think they are highly sensitive when they are not.

Now more and more studies are demonstrating being highly sensitive which is also known as hypersensitivity is not a dis-order or a weakness. Highly sensitive people are not emotionally unstable or emotionally immature.

Study Of  Highly Sensitive People

In-fact an FMRI study of the Highly Sensitive Brain demonstrated sensory processing sensitivity and response to others’ emotions. The highly sensitive person is shown to be physiologically affected by others moods and the environment that surrounds them.

An explanation why many HSP’s struggle with the harshness of modern day living. Especially sensory processing; for example noise and busyness.  Which can lead to an increased risk of  highly sensitive people suffering from chronic anxiety, stress and some other health related issues.

The Gifts And Challenges Of A Highly Sensitive Person

Being a highly sensitive person has tremendous gifts and challenges. In many ways being highly sensitive is a powerful skill needed in society. Especially when so many people are so disconnected from their heart, emotions, pain, fear and compassion.

A highly sensitive person usually has much greater compassion and awareness of the outer and inner world of those around them.

Probably the reason many HSP’s are the Drs, nurses, healers, therapists, counsellors, carers, nursery nurses…

And why many in these careers suffer from burn out and other chronic health challenges like CFS or depression. As they often have many challenges around grounding and having healthy boundaries.

Common Traits Of A Highly Sensitive Person

Here are some of the more common and easy to wide range of traits of a HSP

Highly Caring And Compassionate – you can often recognise a HSP as they care for others very deeply. They are extremely compassionate it simply oozes out of them. And very giving to the extent they often put them self last. Self care is often last on their list.

Highly Intuitive And Psychic – highly sensitive people tend to be highly intuitive and at least a bit psychic. Though many block their psychic abilities from a young age because of others perceptions and their own fear. But they have a strong inner knowing, especially about people they meet and those around them.

Highly Empathic -a highly sensitive person is usually highly empathic, easily affected by other people’s emotional and mental pain, fear or negativity

Struggle With Violence And Strong Negativity – hypersensitivity usually comes with a strong aversion to negative or violent media such as the news and tv.

Highly Emotional – a highly sensitive person tends to appear more emotional, they cry more easily especially to situations, things and events not affected by others.

Highly Spiritual – they are usually naturally attracted to various aspects of spirituality.

Struggle To Function in Busy Environments – many HSP’s struggle to function or work in busy environments like call centres, busy office, factory even at school, college. So they need to take time out away from their desk or work environment to become re-focused and re-energised.

Need More Time Out- a highly sensitive person tends to need more time out and time away from others. They need more time to unplug, switch off, relax, even sleep. As being a HSP means you tend to have a lot more sensory processing over load.

Many HSP’s Freeze Or Shutdown– Due to the degree of their sensitivity many HSP’s can become very shut off emotionally especially those that are empaths. Often life, their surroundings can feel quite traumatic so they become quite shut off emotionally. Most are very ungrounded and not fully in their body in an energetic way. Many suffer from chronic anxiety and stress even if they are unaware of it.

So How Can A Highly Sensitive Person Become More Resilient?

One of the big challenges a HSP has is balancing the scales of their gifts with the harsher energies of modern day living. So it is important a highly sensitive person learns effective anxiety and stress management skills.

They also need to learn how to ground and set healthy boundaries. Because HSP’s are often more in their heart and head than the rest of their body. Their energy fields tends to be a lot more scattered and porous so they are easy target to the energies around them.

I know as a HSP how important it is to become more resilient to modern day life. One of the most powerful things I started to study over 25 years ago was meditation. Meditation is one of the most powerful skills everyone should learn especially someone who takes on other’s emotional thoughts, feelings and physical symptoms.

Meditation with daily practice can give us instant access to inner stillness, inner peace. It can helps us become more centred within in our own space. Rather than expanded out into everyone else’s energetic field. You can start learning how to meditate more easily today

Inner Child Therapy and Healing is extremely helpful for most HSP’s and Empaths. Inner child work can help not just heal old trauma, but unhealthy beliefs or distortions that have arisen from their gifts.

Unhealthy views or fears that have arisen because of other people’s views of their sensitivity. As well as unhealthy patterns that are keeping their level of sensitivity to an unhealthy degree.

As a highly sensitive empath who has been studying in the holistic and spiritual field for over 30  years. I have learned a variety of powerful empaths tools from with some of the most awakened, gifted and skilled healers and spiritual teachers around the world.