Highly sensitive people tend to pick up on the needs and feelings of others. They hate letting people down. Learning to say no is a challenge and a necessity for HSPs because they can feel crushed by the demands of others, particularly because they can feel their friends' disappointment if HSPs need to say no.
In addition to the information overload aspect, media can also cause big feelings (another common trigger), and the combination is brutal. HSPs are especially vulnerable to crumpling when faced with nonstop coverage of a devastating event.
Many of the characteristics of Myers and Briggs' INFJ personality type can also describe a highly sensitive person (HSP). Whether you are an INFJ, an HSP or both, it's important to understand who you are and what you need to be happy.
HSPs have stronger emotional responses, both positively and negatively. This means they feel higher levels of joy and happiness, but easily upset at times of sadness. They may also get angry when they are hungry or feel hurt when criticized.
The brains of sensitive people can grow and change in ways that may allow for more creative associations. Sensory intelligence. Sensory intelligence means taking in more information from your environment and making good decisions based on that information—a defining characteristic of highly sensitive people.
They're more empathic: Sensitive in general, HSPs are particularly perceptive to emotions. They feel emotions more acutely, both for themselves and on the behalf of others, and notice more emotional subtleties. Not surprisingly, they are more attentive and show more concern for others.
HSP struggle to witness arguments, hear raised voices or see any form of physical violence because they are highly attuned to the emotions and energy of other people. They also tend to avoid conflict because they don't like the thought of upsetting others, or other people being upset with them.
The three subtypes of highly sensitive people include Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES), Low Sensory Threshold (LST), and Ease of Excitation (EOE). Before we explain what each of these means, it's important to note that HSPs can fit into more than one subtype, each subtype has its own characteristics.
HSPs are typically highly intelligent, and seek out opportunities to do deep work. Many HSPs are academics, artists, researchers, scientists and technicians with high level proficiency. HSPs are deep learners, and so enjoy going deep on their chosen subjects, and often gain proficiency early in life.
As a psychotherapist, I have found taking things personally to be a common struggle that many experience. And highly sensitive people (HSPs) have an active inner world and a heightened nervous system, which makes them more prone to these experiences than others may be.
HSPs have more active mirror neurons, which explains their gigantic capacity for empathy. Mirror neurons are brain cells that help us understand what someone else is feeling. They're involved in recognizing sadness and relating to it. Because of such active mirror neurons, HSPs absorb emotions from people around them.
So your Highly Sensitive Person psychic brain IS wired in a way that's essentially a sixth sense. Brain regions involved in awareness, empathy, and self-other processing are more easily and deeply activated than the brain regions are of people without the High Sensitivity trait.
HSPs thrive in relationships where they feel seen, heard, and valued. When a partner validates an HSP's words and feelings — and without judgment or condescension — it's very gratifying.
Bjelland noted a belief that all empaths are HSPs, but not all HSPs are empaths. Dr. Orloff said that an empath indeed carries all of the attributes of an HSP but with more developed intuition and a sponge-like ability for absorbing emotions.
For highly sensitive people, sleep is a magical elixir.
But sleep is more than just a necessity. It's a magical elixir, especially for highly sensitive people (HSPs). Because they can get easily overwhelmed, HSPs may need more sleep than others.
Sensitive people have a higher likelihood of having low self-esteem. As a highly sensitive person, you may have learned to hide the depth of your emotions or your propensity to become overwhelmed. You may be trying to be “normal” or fit in with “risk-takers,” a temperament trait highly prized in our society.
Being an HSP can be tough sometimes because the world can feel really loud, really intense, and just… really a lot. It's like the volume's turned up to max all the time. But don't worry, you're not alone.
They have a hard time with conflict and tend to avoid confrontation. This can be challenging in the workplace or at home. They also feel responsible for others' expectations, which makes it harder to let people down. HSPS can overcome many of these downsides through therapy and learning to be more assertive.
It would mean socializing all day, every day. Highly sensitive individuals need space to rest so their nervous system can relax after being in a stimulating environment or situation. Being more empathetic is one of the hidden powers of highly sensitive people, but it also requires space to rest the body.