You may have heard the abbreviation HSP before or you already know that it stands for Highly Sensitive Person. You might wonder if you are a HSP or if you are just the ‘sensitive flower’ your family and friends have labeled you in the past. There is a lot of misinformation about HSP’s which make it hard to identify as well as manage it. If you find that you or someone you know is a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP,) you need to be aware of the following:
Being highly sensitive is a normal trait.
It is inherited by 15 to 20% of the population. Indeed the same percentage seems to be present in all higher animals. In fact, 1.4 Billion people are HSP. Being a HSP means your nervous system is more sensitive to subtleties. Your sight, hearing, and sense of smell are not necessarily keener (although they may be,) but your brain processes information and reflects on it more deeply.
As a HSP you are more easily overstimulated, stressed out, or overwhelmed.
This is a very important fact for many HSP’s to know, as it will help understand yourself, what you should avoid and how you can deal with certain situations differently than a non-HSP.
This trait is not something new I discovered! It has been mislabeled as shyness (not an inherited trait), introversion (30% of highly sensitives are actually extroverts), inhibitedness, or fearfulness. HSPs can have some or all of those traits, but none of these are the fundamental trait they have inherited.
There is a reason for those negative connotations and lack of research.
In the western culture being tough and outgoing are preferred personality traits. Being highly sensitive is often looked at as a weakness. Therefore in the past the research focus has been on sensitivity’s potential negative impact. This cultural bias affects highly sensitives as much as their trait affects them. Even those who love you probably have told you, “don’t be so sensitive,” making you feel abnormal when in fact you could do nothing about it and it is not abnormal at all.
One of the great challenges that HSP’s face is the need to fully understand the trait.
Once you have a handle on the trait you then have to be able to incorporate that knowledge into a lifestyle that allows you to honor it while still remaining functional within the context of the greater world.
For the HSP, the old saying “Information is Power” holds particularly true. Whereas general worldwide awareness of High Sensitivity is growing rapidly, it is up to the individual highly sensitives to learn as much as possible about the trait, so that you can interact with others from a state of understanding, rather than confusion.
There is a great movie that will provide you with everything you need to know about HSP called SENSITIVE: THE MOVIE that you can watch directly on the site. Just follow the link.
Personal experience has taught me that it is not merely important to learn about the nature of one’s sensitivity from books or movies, but also to learn through fellowship and friendship with others who are also highly sensitives. The sharing of life experience that comes with being Highly Sensitive can be as important a teacher as any book.
“HSP Connections” is an attempt to bring together a variety of literary and real life resources for HSPs. In a way, it represents a step in my own journey as an HSP, providing a resource center that simply didn’t exist when I first read about the HSP trait in 1997.
I wish you peace and enlightenment on your journey!
Are you HSP?
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Do you have social anxiety? I can help you take control and live a rich, meaningful and exciting life without constant anxiety and second guessing.
The majority of HSP’s don’t know they are highly sensitive. They only know that they can’t tolerate a lot going on around them at once. They feel overwhelmed, over-stimulated, easily moved by other’s energy or emotions, have low self-esteem and often hear their parents and peers say that they are too sensitive.
As a certified Life Coach with a passion for HSP’s and a highly sensitive myself, I am an expert in coaching HSP’s to overcome their struggle and self-doubt. I help HSP’s and the socially anxious in their life management and grow their self esteem. You will learn how to best function in your world, find the right career or business, increase your well-being, have healthy relationships, increase your income so you can do what you love and love what you do.
When you learn the benefits of being a HSP and how to take good care of yourself, you become more empowered, healthier and happier. I will help you recognize your own energy and clearing energy you’ve taken on from others, and teach you how to ground and protect yourself from the energies of others. These energies can make you feel like your life is in chaos and like you just don’t feel like yourself.
Let’s identify the energies that aren’t yours today and clear old beliefs that are not benefiting you now. Become more empowered with higher self-esteem and release being a victim of your sensitivities.
Schedule Your FREE DISCOVERY SESSION by calling me at (805) 883-8598 or e-mail at coachmarilyn1@gmail.com
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