Me and My Highly Sensitive Self

Image from hsperson.com

Have you ever read a book and thought "This book was written about me specifically"? That's how I felt after reading The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron. Every other page I would read a sentence that felt like the author knew me personally. For example, the author would describe people that need to retreat to their room after interacting with people. Reading this book felt both exciting and liberating.

The main traits of "highly sensitive people" or HSPs can be summed up with the word DOES:

• D - Depth of processing. HSPs carefully observe and reflect on a situation before acting.

• O - Overstimulated. Because HSPs pay more attention to their environment we tire out sooner.

• E - Emphasis on emotional reactions. HSPs tend to have strong emotional reactions and empathy for the people around them.

• S - Sensitive. HSPs are highly observant of all the subleties around us.

According to the author's research highly sensitive people make up about 20% of the population. There is a good chance that you know a few highly sensitive people.

My favorite concept from the book is the idea of "overstimulation". HSPs tend to be highly stimulated by the environment to a point that can be overwhelming. For example, being part of a large crowd at a concert may be  appealing to most people but I frankly consider that to be terrifying. I liked the strategies the book outlined for dealing for overstimulation. It helps to reframe the overwhelming situation into something that I've been able to handle before.

I think one of the most comforting things is knowing that there are others like me out there. It's always nice to know that you're not crazy and there are others that think the same things that you do.

Have you ever read a book and thought "I have found my people!"? Feel free to email me and let me know!