Challenges Of Highly Sensitive People
Are You A Sensitive INFP?
Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash I n our memories, some experiences from our childhood stand out in stark relief. Something about them made an impression on us. Something about them was charged with a feeling that we then carry into our lives, consciously or unconsciously. A Sensitive INFP And Not Fitting In For me,…
Read MoreAre You Suffering From Cultural Depression?
Photo by Kitti Incédi on Unsplash I see a lot of depression around me. Perhaps you do, too. But it is a strange kind of depression the kind of depression that comes when everything around us seems wrong. I call it cultural depression. Depression And Culture What I am seeing is a fairly complex depression…
Read MoreThe Social Challenge Of Highly Sensitive People
Highly sensitive people can be independent and able to be alone. However, that does not mean that we necessarily are happy and comfortable with it. Recently I have been asking myself why being alone is considered, “bad” or a sign of a problem. Do I need to be herded into a group, an identity, or…
Read MoreRace, Culture and HSPs: “Black People Don’t Do Therapy”
I am no doubt an HSP. I’ve read Elaine Aron’s wonderful and eye-opening books, I’ve taken the quizzes in the workbooks and I’ve been greatly helped by much of the advice given on HSP websites and by knowing that I’m not alone. And like very many HSPs I’ve suffered bouts of depression and very high…
Read MoreThose Pesky Boundaries
Photo by Fabien Bazanegue on Unsplash Fuzzy boundaries? Boundaries are one of the biggest challenges facing highly sensitive people. They can be a source of aggravation and unhappiness. There are many reason why boundary issues are a problem for us, some having to do with us and others having to do with the world. It…
Read MoreHow Highly Sensitive People Can Prevent Burnout
If you feel stretched beyond your limit you are not alone. The crushing workloads and stress of so many highly sensitive people are a prescription for burnout. You would think that avoiding burnout would simply be a matter of not crossing a threshold of fatigue. Burnout is not that simple. Many people in our fast-paced…
Read MoreThe Loneliness Problem
Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash If we took a survey of HSPs, how many would say they are lonely? Loneliness is not the same as being alone. Being alone and enjoying it come from our full engagement with life. Loneliness is something else. Loneliness often feels like we have been graded and found wanting.…
Read MoreAre You Numbing Your Sensitivity?
Photo by Gabriel on Unsplash Are your numbing your sensitivity? I do sometimes. As I stood in line waiting to order my cup of coffee, I reached for my phone in my purse. You know, just in case there were any new updates within the last 5 minutes since the last time I checked it.…
Read MoreGiving Up Perfectionism For Greater Joy
A few months back, my husband and I had a little conversation in which we discussed swapping and trying out each other’s interests. Mine is painting. His is building puzzles, of the 3,000 to 5,000 pieces kind. Before he met me, my husband didn’t have any particular interest in art. But in our time together…
Read MoreOur High Sensitivity: Both A Gift and Vulnerability to Anxieties
Along with the many benefits of our high sensitivity trait, we may also be especially susceptible to anxieties. One aspect of a highly sensitive nervous system can be a strong startle response, as noted in an item on the Self-Test on the site of Psychologist Elaine Aron, PhD: “I startle easily.” Of course, just being…
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