- You may be more sensitive that normal to pain
- You are aware of subtleties others are not to your environment
- Other people’s moods affect you a lot
- You become easily overwhelmed by bright lights, sensitivity to fabrics such as wool, strong smells etc
- Loud noises are uncomfortable or you startle easily
- You have a rich inner world and are deeply moved by people, arts & music
- You may have sensitivity to caffeine, alcohol or other stimulants
- You can become overwhelmed by having a lot to do in a short amount of time or trying to do too many things at once.
- You tend to avoid crowded places, shopping centres, supermarkets, concerts etc
- You always choose the seats on the edge on the room, taking notice of the nearest exits and needing to face the room rather than have your back to it to feel comfortable
- You avoid violent or aggressive movies or TV (if you watch them you may even feel traumatised afterwards)
- You may have been called sensitive or shy as a child
Simply put…you react more to the same level of stimulation as someone else. Not out of choice, just basic biology! You cannot simply ‘choose’ to be less sensitive as some people may have suggested to you in your past in the same way you cannot ‘choose’ to have a different height, or have a different eye colour, you are born this way.
Fact: Every person differs in how much or how little their nervous system processes and is stimulated in the identical situations under the same levels of arousal.
Fact: Within every species the percentage of highly sensitive or empaths in 15-20%. So it’s not just humans but many animals like cats, dogs, horses, monkeys & humans!
Top tip: learning when to push yourself a little, when to take your time, when to back off completely and when to rest, recharge and try again later. This is key for any empath or HSP and key for anyone close to them to understand.
It is always about tuning in, following your inner knowing, listening and working with your body. “Push through it”, “just keep going” and “don’t stop until it’s finished are not in an HSP’s physiological vocabulary and will only lead to burnout, distress, overwhelm & exhaustion ultimately leading to achieving less not more…
