via Psychology Today by Jenn Granneman
Growing up, I was a very sensitive child. One of my earliest memories is of freaking out after seeing a particularly bad story on the news. I don’t remember what the story was about, but I do remember running into my bedroom, plugging my ears, and making up a song about how “everything will be all right.” I sang it as loudly as I could to cover the noise of the TV, until my mom came in, shocked to find me in such a ramped-up state.
It wasn’t until much later that I learned that I’m a highly sensitive person(HSP), and then things finally made sense. Highly sensitive people process information deeply, and as a result, experience the world a little differently than others. Images of violence or stories of heartbreak can be excruciating to them. Sudden loud noises, bright lights, and busy schedules have the power to rattle HSPs profoundly.
Today, I’m a writer who studies introversion and high sensitivity. I’ve found that HSPs need somewhat different things in life to be happy than non-HSPs. Here are 14 of those things. Keep in mind that every highly sensitive person is an individual, so each will need slightly different things to thrive.
1. A slower, simpler pace of life.
Because they process information deeply, HSPs may move a little slower than others. They may need more time to do certain tasks, like getting out of the house in the morning. They may take a little longer to make decisions, such as which item to buy at the grocery store, because they are taking in not just the mountain of choices, but also nutrition information, price, and how they feel about chicken noodle soup. Suddenly, their mind flashes to chickens being cooped up in tiny cages then slaughtered … and they must take a few beats to ponder if they can live with this reality on their dinner plate. All of this takes time.
2. Time to wind down after a busy day.
Like introverts, HSPs can’t go-go-go for too long. Their extra-sensitive nervous systems absorb mounds of information and process it to the umpteenth degree. As a result, they may get easily overwhelmed and worn out after a busy day. Time to relax lowers their stimulation level and restores their sanity.
3. A calm, quiet space to retreat to.
Preferably this is paired with #2. This space, ideally, would have low lighting, little noise, a beautiful aesthetic, and the HSP’s favorite tools to relax (a book, music, a comfy pillow, etc.)…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE
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