Guide to Being a Highly Sensitive Person
I have known I was a highly sensitive person from a very young age - and being one has given me both positive and negative experiences.
While being highly sensitive has guided many of my choices in life, from my job to my friends, it has also taught me a lot about intuition and my place in this world.
Today, I’m sharing with you my short guide to being a highly sensitive person, and detailing some of the experiences that come with it.
What is a highly sensitive person?
A highly sensitive person is someone who thinks, feels, and loves very deeply - and can pick up well on the energy others emit. In this regard, highly sensitive people aren’t simply “reactive” or “dramatic”...rather, they are able to internalize external stimuli remarkably and are often considered very intuitive.
How do I know if I am highly sensitive?
There are many traits that mark people who are highly sensitive.
First, you may find yourself oftentimes with very deep emotions that you may not know exactly how to verbalize - or even what to do with. These emotions can be very strong regardless of whether they are positive or negative, which can feel overwhelming.
Second, you might feel overwhelmed in crowded or noisy places. This is because you are constantly picking up on everyone else’s energy in that space - and it can be a real struggle for your mind and body to process all the energy it’s receiving. While your less sensitive counterparts may be able to bounce around crowded areas without issue, you may need time to process what you’re feeling.
Lastly, you likely “have a feeling” about many things right off the bat - from places, to situations, to people. This is your intuition speaking, and it comes with being able to pick up on the energies (again, whether positive OR negative) from places, people, and things.
Coping with Being Highly Sensitive - and Why It’s a Good Thing
As I’ve said numerous times in this post, being highly sensitive can feel overwhelming, isolating, and scary. You may have been labeled as “dramatic” in the past when you express these very strong feelings and may feel ostracized by friends or even romantic partners because of them.
However, the main tool for coping with being highly sensitive is learning to not only accept it, but embrace it.
As a highly sensitive person, you have a gift not everyone has, which can benefit you immensely in relationships, friendships, jobs, and more. One of the biggest advantages is that you know you can “trust your gut,” on a large expanse of issues, and can advise other people in doing the same.
Many highly sensitive people find themselves working jobs as healers, counselors, wellness coaches, and other jobs of the sort - where they get to work one-on-one with people and use their skills to help them.
Being highly sensitive certainly comes with challenges, but it also gives you a unique perspective on the world and the people you will encounter - a perspective that will prove invaluable over time.