Are you an HSP?

If you can answer yes to this question, you most likely know that an HSP is a Highly Sensitive Person.

Everything exists on a continuum; that includes the inherent trait of sensitivity that is tied to our temperament. As a general rule, HSP’s react more sensitively to the world around them; they tend to react more intensely and feel things more deeply. Here are some more specific characteristics of a highly sensitive person:

• Other people’s moods will affect you and you are able to pick up on the subtleties of mood changes.
• You are affected by loud noises and bright lights. You can be sensitive to clothing (no wool please!)
• You startle easily.
• You tend to shy away from watching anything too violent on TV.
• You have a greater ability to empathize.
• You are sensitive to pain.
• Conflict and criticism are felt deeply and as a result, you tend to not do well with either.
• You are perceptive and pick up things in the environment others might not notice.
• You have a deep appreciation for the arts.

Being an HSP is not something you can change as it is part of your temperament. But it is important to be aware of how you process the world as many HSP’s can feel misunderstood, or don’t understand why they feel “different” than others around them. Understanding what it means to being a highly sensitive person is the first step in integrating and adjusting it into your self-care.

See yourself in this post? You may be interested in the following quiz: https://introvertdear.com/news/highly-sensitive-person-test-quiz/

Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@jareeign