how to help a highly sensitive person

And thats OK. Interesting question! You can take this simple quiz to find out your primary love language. You could accept that your thoughts wont change and set a timer to delegate space for those thoughts. The well-being of highly sensitive people might be more challenging to maintain with constant emotional and environmental stimuli, but that doesnt mean being an HSP is bad. This article aims to look at what HSP is, the signs that you might be one, and how to thrive as a highly sensitive person. It's so important that we guard our heart. What is a highly sensitive person? More intense feelings can create stronger recollections. But the comments still pierce your armor: "You're overthinking things. Join the HSP Revolution. Posts that heal, transform, and make you feel understood. Kind regards, Our best posts. When it comes to how they think and feel, HSPs tend to think through situations and reflect on their lives. Being "Highly Sensitive" Is a Real Trait. Here's What It Feels Li Due to all the overstimulation they experience, sometimes they need alone time to recharge vs. being on the go too much. I think knowing someones love language is helpful for any relationship. What is a HSP? This can be advantageous but can also lead to overarousal and chronic stress. Highly sensitive people can also be very creative and have a deep level of empathy. To get you started, you can download our three mindfulness exercises for free. Efforts like journaling, going to therapy, and finding creative outlets can transform health for highly sensitive people. 1. 203 episodes. If a friend or family member says something unintentionally offensive, an HSP might not brush the comment off. Lauren Stewart is the creator of Find Your Magic as a Highly Sensitive Person, a website to help highly sensitive people learn to deal with challenges, embrace their sensitivities, and feel less alone. HSPs notice subtle environmental stimuli that other people miss. What Is a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)? - Cleveland Clinic Taking sufficient rest and factoring in downtime is essential to enhance HSPs strengths. Here are 10 ways to care for the highly sensitive person in your life. Other peoples emotions and environmental stimuli could add up quickly. It summarizes the different indicators of the trait and discusses the strengths and vulnerabilities HSPs often face in their intimate relationships, at work, and in society in general. How to Deal with Sensory Overload as a Sensitive Person - Greater Good While there may be challenges, there are plenty of positives you can focus on. Feel stressed when they have a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time. For example, we HSPs can spend an hour deciding what to watch on Netflix and then give up, frustrated with all the options. Ketay, S., Hedden, T., Aron, A., Aron, E., Markus, H., & Gabrieli, G. (2007). If youre an HSP, you may struggle with multitasking or feel overwhelmed rather quickly. Being an HSP affected my childhood. The list goes on. Even positive change may result in high levels of excitement and anxiety simultaneously due to the overstimulation caused by new experiences. While ASD and HSP share a similar neurological pattern of sensory processing sensitivity, they are very different in other ways (Reijnders-Mies, 2021). Being highly sensitive can be considered a personality trait that comes with its own strengths and difficulties. The Highly Sensitive Person Videos & Podcasts Is this you? You could suggest continuing the conversation outside, in the hallway, or in the next room. Being HSP comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses, encourages psychologist Chivonna Childs, PhD. Many HSPs can cut through the B.S. Often, just taking five minutes to practice deep breathing or sit in nature will be helpful (Aron, 2010). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be another condition that people confuse with HSP. Toughen up!" You're left wondering what on earth is wrong with you. They could also prefer working independently or ruminating deeply on their thoughts. Subscribe here. All rights reserved. Avoid violent movies and TV shows. Processing and releasing emotions is a powerful skill everyone needs to thrive through lifes ups and downs. What It's Really Like Being a Highly Sensitive Person However, given that HSPs make such loyal friends to others, its useful to ask them how they would respond to a friend asking for support to help them understand that such requests are rarely burdensome (Aron, 2010). Good Girl - Free Woman: For Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), Empath Highly sensitive person: Signs, strengths, and challenges This can help build self-confidence and enhance resilience. The result was that my panic made him panic which didnt exactly make things easier for either of us. Aron, E., Aron, A., & Jagiellowicz, J. 2023 PositivePsychology.com B.V. Use them to help others recover from personal challenges and turn setbacks into opportunities for growth. More need to recharge after social situations, How to Identify a Highly Sensitive Person, 1. Here are three ways you can support the Highly Sensitive Person in your life without over-helping (read: fixing) or unintentionally hurting them. Smolewska, McCabe, and Woody (2006) conducted a factor analysis of the HSPS and found it comprises three distinct factors: Further analysis from Smolewska et al. The minds of highly sensitive people are always aware of whats around them, which can affect what you prefer in your environment. Youll feel more intense joy when something great happens and be more fulfilled by creative activities that engage with your emotions. Highly sensitive people are very uncomfortable in conflict situations and try to avoid them at all costs. That is really all we need. How you can help: Avoid assuming things when it comes to highly sensitive people. Such people may struggle with overstimulation or navigating intense emotions, and it's. Research into the trait as a form of neurodiversity is growing alongside specialist coaching, counseling, and therapy interventions that aim to enhance the resilience of HSPs. Yet were often in a position where, if we dont speak up for our needs, those needs just arent going to get met and people arent always understanding when we do so. You could also save time to wind down every night and allow your brain to reset for tomorrow. Join the HSP Revolution. They might also feel more upset emotionally from negative feedback. Changing the environment, sharing responsibilities, and giving them space are just a few ways to support someones sensitive nature, even if they dont know theyre an HSP yet. Dr. Childs says that about 15% to 20% of the worlds population can be classified as a highly sensitive person. If you didnt know the name of the color red, it would be challenging to describe it. download our three Resilience Exercises for free. If you had childhood trauma, you may likely be a highly sensitive person, states Dr. Childs. Related: 48 Ways to Apply Psychoeducation as a Coach. This workbook contains lots of practical, research-based mental health exercises to help HSPs manage overstimulation, intense emotions, and relationship issues. Their mental and social well-being are closely connected, so sticking with the healthiest relationships may be best, even if that results in a smaller friend group. A highly sensitive person will likely struggle to understand themselves if theyve never heard of HSPs. If you or someone you know experiences one or more of these, a licensed therapist could help you better identify if youre an HSP. 43 Self-Care Practices for the Highly Sensitive Person The basic idea is that there are five main ways you can express your love, and most people tend to prefer one or two of those love languages over the others. All Rights Reserved. This book is aimed at clinicians working in a therapeutic capacity, as Dr. Arons (2010) research has found that HSPs make up the majority of psychotherapy clients. For HSPs who require 2 hours of alone time per day, this can be a sacred time for . Like many highly sensitive people with trauma and chronic stress in their past, I have faced my fair share of struggles in life. HSPs high sensitivity means they take great joy in the simple pleasures in life, making them low maintenance and easy to please. From ugly-crying watching a movie to having an emotional outburst in public, HSPs can get triggered and have an emotional response anytime, anywhere. While they may have energy for certain loud activities, they can't always keep up when those around them are loud. Being more empathetic is one of the hidden powers of highly sensitive people, but it also requires space to rest the body. Checking off more than half of the questions could mean youre an HSP. They can spend a lifetime learning to manage their sensitivity and have the extroverted lifestyle they love. Currently, we do not have an article about extra-sensory perception. Increased empathy and creativity are some of the secret superpowers of highly sensitive people. Just remember to use your indoor voice! Or, better yet, make the small decisions yourself instead of putting it on them. Some people just like their quiet time or some people just admire art where the rest of us dont.. Your friend or family member might move to a new environment with you, change the volume of their voice, or switch the conversations subject. Dr. Cassils book guides HSPs on how to leverage their unique qualities for success in every area of life. A highly sensitive person is more aware of social stimuli, such as other people's voices and facial expressions. Avoiding TV shows or movies that are violent. Lasting relationships have a solid foundation of communication. Emotional Regulation and HSPs. Highly Sensitive Person (HSP): Signs, Challenges, and Coping Tips But highly sensitive people sit back, they think about things and then, they think about things some more, which gives other people time to digest, sit and wait. Criticism is another negative stimulus that could trigger more intense thoughts or feelings in an HSP. Aron (2010) explains how to work with SPS by providing psychoeducational interventions and remedial nurturing to compensate for the lack of support and understanding HSPs often encounter in the less sensitive outside world. HSPs can find handling conflict and criticism challenging, as they tend to have very high expectations of themselves and are hard on themselves when falling short. Stop feeling held back and start to feel confident you can handle anything. They could worry about how their tone or words came across because theyre more empathetic. The five languages of love are an idea from author Gary Chapman. Others additional criticism can feel overwhelming. And its something that not everyone understands. There are cultural differences in their experiences, too. Exhaustion due to overstimulation may cause introverts and HSPs to need recharging periods. Theyre deeply affected by other peoples emotions, How High Sensitivity Impacts Someone's Wellbeing, 1. It can be as simple as backing them up (Yeah, it really is pretty loud in here, can you just turn it down a little?) or being the first one to say something (Pardon me, but its pretty cold in here. For someone with Asperger's, sensitivity might imply a sense of being overwhelmed when overstimulated. Like what youre reading? They can think for hours on end and be OK with that.. However, this paper might interest you. For example, instead of saying, Lets meet tomorrow evening, say Are you up for meeting for dinner tomorrow night? And if they say no, respect their decision; dont pressure them into saying yes. HSPs may identify as introverts for various reasons. (Also, showing compassion toward your HSPs view is much more likely to bring them around than just arguing them into the ground.) Even though you enjoy the work and your co-workers, the constant social stimuli and increased responsibilities could intensify your daily anxiety. Policy. This books special strength is its focus on creating healthy boundaries that protect HSPs from emotional overwhelm and negative energy. For HSPs, though, its because we need time to process things and avoid overstimulation from doing too much even if were extroverts. Depth of processing occurs both consciously, through analysis of information conveyed by communication in relationships, and unconsciously, through gut feelings or hunches. HSP children will not present with the avoidance of eye contact, lack of social responsiveness, or preference for obsessive, repetitive pursuits common to children with ASD (Acevedo et al., 2017). Do yourself a favor and just be honest from the start, okay? When I am too stressed out, overwhelmed, or in a state of panic, I cant really effectively communicate my needs. Genes could make someone more of an HSP, but environmental experiences could see you leaning into sensitivities as a survival mechanism. This means you need to be sure to get enough sleep at night, eat healthy meals, and take care of your body, mind, and spirit in whatever ways you can. However, an HSP will always carefully evaluate the risks before proceeding with an adventure, as their sensitivity counters impulsivity (Aron, 2010). Emotional Regulation and HSPs - The Highly Sensitive Person HSPs, are there any steps I left out? People with highly sensitive natures may deal with more emotional and sensory input but also have secret superpowers. Making empathetic connections and emotional ties that feel equal to those in long-term relationships indicates you are more in touch with your ability to care about others. I would like to know if you have any article about extra sensory perception? If we HSPs have a problem, we all agree it is overstimulation. A highly sensitive person, also known as an HSP, is a personality trait that makes a person ultra-sensitive to certain social situations, environments, and is also linked to introversion. It discusses the overlaps between sensory processing sensitivity and a range of clinical disorders, including autism, attention deficit disorder, anxiety, depression, and borderline personality disorder.
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