Greetings,
Have you ever felt that you are more sensitive than most people? Do you immediately notice minor details others seem to miss whether it is the decor in a room or body language of a stranger? Are you easily overwhelmed by too much stimuli? Do you tend to get anxious in situations that do not seem to bother others as much?
You may be what is called a Highly Sensitive Person or HSP. (For those of you who took the Creating Balance class, you will recognize the Vata personality.)
I recently saw this article and thought I would share it this week. Here is an excerpt from the article “16 Habits of Highly Sensitive People” by Amanda L. Chan.
“Do you feel like you reflect on things more than everyone else? Do you find yourself worrying about how other people feel? Do you prefer quieter, less chaotic environments?
If the above sound true to you, you may be highly sensitive. The personality trait — which was first researched by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D., in the early 1990s — is relatively common, with as many as one in five people possessing it. Aron, who has written multiple studies and books on high sensitivity, including The Highly Sensitive Person, also developed a self-test (which you can take here) to help you determine if you are highly sensitive.
While recent interest in introversion — driven largely by high-profile publications on the subject, including Susan Cain’s book “Quiet,” — has brought more awareness to personality traits that value less stimulation and higher sensitivity, Aron notes that highly sensitive people still tend to be considered the “minority.”
But “minority” doesn’t mean bad — in fact, being highly sensitive carries a multitude of positive characteristics. Read on for some of the commonalities shared by highly sensitive people.
1. They feel more deeply.
2. They’re more emotionally reactive.
3. They’re probably used to hearing, “Don’t take things so personally” and “Why are you so sensitive?”
4. They prefer to exercise solo.
5. It takes longer for them to make decisions.
6. And on that note, they are more upset if they make a “bad” or “wrong” decision.
7. They’re extremely detail-oriented.
8. Not all highly sensitive people are introverts.
9. They work well in team environments.
10. They’re more prone to anxiety or depression (but only if they’ve had a lot of past negative experiences).
11. That annoying sound is probably significantly more annoying to a highly sensitive person.
12. Violent movies are the worst.
13. They cry more easily.
14. They have above-average manners.
15. The effects of criticism are especially amplified in highly sensitive people.
16. Cubicles = good. Open-office plans = bad.”
Click on this link for detailed descriptions of the above –
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Warmly,
Lori Nitchals, Parish Nurse
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