I periodically experience “psychological hunger” when my brain demands to read some psychological literature. Recently I had such a crisis again :) And I started browsing the relevant sites. I came across one of the Western ones, dedicated to psychology. There, an article about highly sensitive people caught my attention. I started reading it and realized that it was very, very close to me. All my life I thought that this sensitivity was simply the result of a nervous disorder. But no! :) For crazy people like me, they came up with a name - “highly sensitive people”.
Gifts, also the positive sides:
1. Sensitivity to details
One of the most noticeable abilities of highly sensitive people is the richness of their sensory perception of the world around them. The smallest details of texture in clothing, ingredients in cooking, the sound of music or even traffic or human conversation, smells and colors are all things that highly sensitive people perceive more strongly than other people.
I periodically get fixated on different shades of color :) I like dark blue, then marsh, then sea green :) It’s better not to start talking about music at all. In my opinion, this is the most brilliant invention of the human mind and heart! Music can convey everything - all emotions and experiences! But, by the way, not everyone knows how to do this. Sometimes a singer comes on stage, sings a song, sings well, and you feel neither warm nor cold from his performance, because he came out and just worked the number, hit all the notes, didn’t go out of tune, and smiled. And sometimes he’ll come out and fake it, but he’ll sing in such a way that for no apparent reason you start crying. It's the same with studio recordings. Sometimes you listen to the original and a cover, and the cover touches you much more than the original, but sometimes it’s the other way around :)
2. Semantic nuances
Highly sensitive people also have the ability to understand the subtle nuances of things, they are more cautious in their actions and more careful in considering different options and possible consequences.
When choosing different options for “what to do,” scenarios of consequences scroll through my head, both 5 minutes in advance and 50 years in advance.
3.Emotional awareness
Such people are more aware of their internal state than others. And this creates the basis for richer and deeper work as writers, musicians, actors and other creative professions.
A strong response to pain, discomfort, and exercise may indicate that such individuals at least have the potential to take better care of their own health.
I periodically try to explain to people around me why something is happening to me. And it turns out to be so difficult!
4. Creativity
Psychologist Elaine Eron, author of The Highly Sensitive Person, writes that about 20% of people are highly sensitive, and 70% of those twenty are introverts, which contributes to creativity. Many great actors are quite shy in life.
I don’t know about introvert/extrovert. Of course, I don’t hide in a corner, and if I see that there is someone to communicate with, I will do it quite actively, but I won’t open my soul to everyone, because practice shows that people are self-absorbed most of the time and are of little interest in someone else’s soul. :) But being creative is always welcome :)))
5. Deep empathic understanding
High sensitivity to the emotions of other people can be a powerful tool for all professionals whose work is directly related to people (executives, personnel managers, teachers, psychologists, psychotherapists, etc.).
In general, empathic understanding is not the result of intellectual effort. Essentially, this is the ability to “get into someone else’s skin.” Many experts consider empathy to be an innate property that is genetically determined. An individual's life experiences can only strengthen or weaken it. Empathy depends on the accessibility and richness of life experience, accuracy of perception, and the ability to tune in while listening to the interlocutor, on the same emotional wavelength as him.
Curses, also the negative sides:
1. Get overwhelmed easily
The biggest problem of highly sensitive people is vulnerability to sensory and emotional overwhelm. Collecting and processing such a large amount of information from the external and internal world can sometimes become excessive and result in pain, mental exhaustion, stress, anxiety and other similar reactions.
Well, for me this is often a consequence of point 4 (perfectionism)
2. Are influenced by other people's feelings
The other side of sensitivity is reacting to the emotions and thoughts of other people. Being around angry people, for example, can cause highly sensitive people a lot of stress.
This is truly a “curse”! If I start communicating quite closely with a person and open up to him, I automatically begin to read and partially take away his mood. It happens, it seems like I got up on the wrong foot, everything is fine, but I talked to someone who is in a bad mood and that’s it - my mood is spoiled too!
3. The need for a lot of time and a lot of space for yourself.
These people sometimes need time to “step back” and “recover emotionally,” even if this is not always good for their goals or personal growth.
This is exactly what I am doing now:) “Emotional recovery”. And as for space - in the conditions of the capital this is unrealistic :)
4. Unhealthy perfectionism
Overthinking and overanalyzing lead to unhealthy perfectionism or stress reactions over various issues that are perceived as “too much” or “wrong.”
I'm trying to fight him. Sometimes it even works out.
5. Living out of sync with our culture
Modern culture dictates to us that it is normal to be an extrovert, sociable and friendly, but not a highly sensitive introvert.
Incredible facts
Almost all of us have met highly sensitive people in our lives.
We know that with such people you need to be especially careful with your words, as you never know how they will react.
Recent studies have shown that approximately 15-20 percent of people are hypersensitive. However, many do not know what this means.
Read also:13 unexpected signs that you are very smart
Often hypersensitive people are classified as introverts, but this is not the same thing. These people are sensitive to many things, from pain to caffeine consumption.
Often this type of person has a number of habits and characteristics.
1. Your feelings are much deeper than usual.
Such people experience everything on a deeper level. They have good intuition and try to get to the bottom of things.
2. You're better at spotting lies.
You could be a good detective not only because of your good intuition and attention to detail, but also because you are good at picking up nonverbal gestures that most people may not notice.
3. You like to study alone
Most of these people always feel like someone is looking at them. They feel much more comfortable alone, away from the scrutiny of others.
4. You take a long time to make decisions
Highly sensitive people take longer to make decisions. They overthink things a lot more because they are aware of all the little details and weigh all the possible consequences.
5. You notice details first
You will be the first to notice others have a new T-shirt and the slightest change in the weather.
6. You have a developed right hemisphere
The right hemisphere is associated with emotional expression, music, recognition of faces, colors, images and intuition. Highly sensitive people are more inquisitive, imaginative, and intuitive.
7. You get more upset about bad decisions.
If you make the wrong decision, you often beat yourself up about it for a long time. Your emotions are exaggerated due to great emotional reactivity.
8. Not all highly sensitive people are introverts
About 70 percent of highly sensitive people are introverts. But if a person has grown up or is used to being in a close-knit group of people, it is much easier for him to adapt to strangers.
9. You are a good addition to any team.
Although highly sensitive people prefer to work alone, their thoughtfulness helps them come up with interesting, innovative ideas.
10. You are more prone to depression and anxiety.
If a highly sensitive person is exposed to a lot of negativity, especially in early childhood or adolescence, they may feel insecure and be prone to anxiety and depression. This is especially important for parents of such children to know and always support them.
11. You are not prone to casual relationships
You need to feel comfortable with a person in order to become intimate with them.
Understanding that you are a highly sensitive person can explain a lot.
Research suggests that 15 to 20 percent of the population is highly sensitive. However, many people have no idea what it means to be a highly sensitive person.
Despite its connection to introversion, high sensitivity is not the same thing. Highly sensitive people are hypersensitive to a range of factors and stimuli, from the response to caffeine to the response to pain. It's no surprise that highly sensitive people have noticeable behavioral patterns.
What do highly sensitive people do? Here's a nine-point list to answer that question. (Adapted from the Erons' book, The Highly Sensitive Person Scale.)
- They feel overwhelmed and depressed if they have a lot of work to do. It takes a lot of effort for highly sensitive people to continue working when faced with multiple tasks. Their anxiety is noticeable, and the higher the stress level, the more difficult it is for them to be productive.
- A noisy environment seems like chaos to them. Highly sensitive people cannot work successfully in open offices. Their senses are overloaded by the sights, sounds, smells and activity going on around them.
- They can be “angry-hungry”. When a highly sensitive person is hungry, he gets angry. It is very difficult for him to continue his studies, and he often transfers his irritation to those who come to hand.
- They find it unbearable to be under surveillance. Highly sensitive people are at their peak when they are alone. Put them in a stressful situation, such as a boss watching them make a sales presentation, and they are likely to succumb to the pressure.
- Art touches their soul. When attending a concert or an art gallery, highly sensitive people experience art vividly. They are overwhelmed by emotions, and these emotions are deeply felt.
- They are aware of others' discomfort. Highly sensitive people readily admit that someone in the room needs to dim the lights or turn down the volume of the music. Without saying a word, they understand that other people's feelings are overloaded. After a long day or a busy week, highly sensitive people need quiet time to recover. A dark bedroom is an ideal space for recuperation.
- They feel uncomfortable in loud noise. Loud rock concerts and noisy fireworks shows are not much fun for the highly sensitive. They have a lower threshold for sensitivity to noise compared to other people.
- They avoid media that depicts cruelty. Watching violent films or playing graphic video games are too difficult for highly sensitive people. So don't be surprised when they refuse to watch a horror movie with you.
High sensitivity: pros and cons
Most people are aware of the dangers associated with high sensitivity—such as an increased risk of depression and anxiety—but sensitivity isn't all about its downsides.
Highly sensitive people are more aware. They notice details that others may not notice, and they can also be creative people.
High sensitivity is not a disorder that should be eliminated. On the contrary, such sensitivity is a deeper
processing of signals coming from the senses. Understanding and acknowledging your own high sensitivity will help you gain a better understanding of yourself and your needs.
Do you care about the little things more than others? Do you always think about how the people around you feel? Do you prefer a quiet and peaceful environment?
If all of the above applies to you, you are very sensitive. This personality trait was first researched in the early 1990s. It is believed that every fifth person in the world is hypersensitive. There are many books devoted to this topic. One of them describes habits of highly sensitive people. Find out if you have this character trait.
How highly sensitive people behave
Excessive sensitivity- not a bad character trait at all. Such people are very kind by nature and will never refuse in trouble. They will bend over backwards to help you solve your problems. So be a little gentler with them. Try not to affect them, which are already aggravated.
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Do you feel like your reaction to things is stronger than others? Do you worry about how other people feel? Do you prefer quiet rather than chaotic environments?
If the above applies to you, then you may be very sensitive. The personality trait—which was first researched by Elaine A. Aron, Ph.D., in the early 1990s—is relatively common, affecting one in five people. Aron has written many works and books on hypersensitivity, including such as “Highly Sensitive People”, and also developed a test () that will help you determine whether you are a very sensitive person.
Although recent interest in introversion—driven largely by wide-ranging publications on the subject, including Susan Cain's book Silence—has brought more interest in personality traits than the meaning of less stimulation and more sensitivity, Aron noted that highly sensitive people are also are generally considered a "minority".
But "minority" doesn't mean it's bad - in fact, a highly sensitive person combines many positive characteristics. Below are some common traits that all sensitive people share.
1. Their feelings are deeper
One of the hallmarks of highly sensitive people is the ability to experience deeper feelings than their less sensitive peers. “They like to perceive things on a deep level,” Ted Zeff, Ph.D., author of “The Survival Guide for Highly Sensitive People” and other books about highly sensitive people, tells HuffPost. “They are very intuitive and can go a lot further to figure things out.”
2. They are more emotionally responsive.
Highly sensitive people react more strongly to situations. For example, they will be more sympathetic and caring about a friend's problems, Aron says. They may also care more about other people who have been the victim of negative actions.
3. They are used to hearing: “Don’t take everything so personally” or “Why are you so sensitive?”
Depending on the culture, sensitivity can be perceived as a valuable asset or a negative trait, Zeff explains. In some of his studies, Zeff says that highly sensitive men from different countries he worked with - such as Thailand and India - were rarely or never teased, while men from North America were often or always teased. "So many of them are very cultured - the same person who said 'in certain cultures this is considered a valuable contribution.'
4. They are used to working alone
Highly sensitive people tend to avoid being on a sports team where there is a sense that everyone is constantly monitoring the other's actions, says Zeff. In his studies, the majority of highly sensitive people surveyed preferred individual sports - cycling, running, hiking - rather than group sports. However, this is not a universally accepted rule - some highly sensitive people had parents who instilled in them the understanding that it would be easier for them to become involved in group sports, Zeff reports.
5. They take longer to make decisions.
Highly sensitive people are more knowledgeable and detailed in their decision-making, says Aron. Even if it is not a 'right' or 'wrong' decision - for example, it is impossible to choose the 'wrong' flavor of ice cream - highly sensitive people will tend to take longer to choose because they are weighing every possible outcome." Aron advises: “Think as long as the situation allows, and ask for more time if you need it,” she writes in a recent issue of the Comfort Zone newsletter. “During this time, try to claim a minute, an hour, a day, or even a week that will help you get on the right path. How does it feel? Often, on the other side of the decision, things look different, and this gives you a chance to more vividly imagine that you are already there.” One exception: One day a very sensitive person will come to the conclusion that in this situation the right decision will be this, and in another situation this will be, and in the future he or she will quickly make these decisions.
6. They are more frustrated when they make “bad” or “wrong” decisions.
Can you imagine how you feel when you make a bad decision? For highly sensitive people, "these emotions are magnified because their emotional activity is higher," explains Aron.
7. They are extremely detail-oriented
Highly sensitive people are the first to notice details in a room, new shoes you put on, or changes in the weather.
8. Not all highly sensitive people are introverts.
About 30 percent of highly sensitive people are extroverts referring to Aron. He explains that many times highly sensitive people who were also extroverts grew up in a close-knit community—whether in a cul-de-sac, a small town, or with a parent who worked as a priest or rabbi—and so interacted with a lot of people.
9. They work well as a team
Because highly sensitive people are deep thinkers, they are valuable employees and team members., says Aron. However, they are well suited for those command positions where the final decision does not need to be made. For example, if a highly sensitive person is part of the medical team, he or she is valuable in analyzing the pros and cons of the patient undergoing surgery until someone else ultimately makes a decision about whether the patient needs surgery.
10. They are most prone to anxiety or depression (but only if they have had a lot of negative experiences in the past)
"If you have enough bad experiences, especially early in life, that you don't feel safe in the world or feel confident at home... or at school, your nervous system is too 'anxious,'" Aron says. But needless to say, all highly sensitive people will continue to worry - having a supportive environment can go a long way towards protecting them from all this. Parents of highly sensitive children, especially, need to "understand that these are truly great kids, but they need to be kept on track," Aron says. “You can overprotect them, but you can’t underprotect them. You have to titrate them when they are young so they feel confident and have a good time.”
11. An irritating sound irritates a very sensitive person even more.
It's hard to say that anyone is a fan of annoying sound, but highly sensitive people are even more sensitive to chaos and noise. That's why they tend to be more depressed due to overactivity, Aron says.
12. Violent movies are the worst.
Because highly sensitive people sympathize even more and get irritated even faster. Violent or horror films are not their thing, says Aron.
13. It’s easier to make them cry.
That's why it's important for highly sensitive people to put themselves in a situation where they don't feel upset or somehow "wrong" to cry easily, says Zeff. If their friends and family realize that it is simple - that they can easily be made to cry - and support this form of expression, then "easy crying" will not be seen as something shameful.
14. They have good manners
Very sensitive people are also very conscientious people, as Aron says. Therefore, they are likely to be attentive and have good manners - and always notice unscrupulous people. For example, a highly sensitive person may be more aware of where his cart is in the store—not because he's afraid someone might steal something from it, but because he doesn't want his cart to disturb someone else. .
15. For highly sensitive people, the consequences of criticism are greatly amplified.
Highly sensitive people have a reaction to criticism that is more intense the less sensitive the person is. As a result, they may use certain tactics to avoid criticism, including flattering (so that no one will criticize them), criticizing themselves first, and avoiding sources of criticism, Aron says.
People may say something negative [and] a non-HSP (highly sensitive person) may say, “Never mind,” and not respond, Zeff says. But the OCCH will feel it very deeply.
16. Offices = good. Open offices=bad
Since highly sensitive people prefer to work alone, they also prefer a solitary work environment. Zeff says many highly sensitive people enjoy working from home or being self-employed because they can control the stimuli of their work environment. While those without the luxury of creating their own flexible work schedules (and environments), Zeff notes that highly sensitive people may enjoy working in a cubicle—where they have more privacy and less noise—than in open offices.
