HEY there, sensitive soul!
Wondering if you're an HSP (highly sensitive person) too?
See if any of these fit: Maybe you always felt a little different. You might have been called shy or sensitive. You experience emotions really profoundly. You're creative and empathetic, and have a complex inner life (lots of deep thoughts & processing). You can easily be brought to tears by joy, sadness, or the beauty of an everyday moment. You love and need alone time to recharge. You get easily overwhelmed by physical, emotional, and social stimulation. You're prone to burnout and exhaustion. There are some unique things that get under your skin or put you on overload.
INTRIGUED? SCROLL ON!
Your sensitivities are a gift, my friend. The world needs you. It's time to claim your superpower and start thriving.
Society will tell you to move faster, push through the overwhelm, be more assertive, tone down your emotions, don't care so much, don't think so hard. It often encourages and rewards the other end of the sensitivity spectrum from where you land. But you came to this world the way you are for a reason. The opposite of sensitive is insensitive - I don't know about you, but that sure isn't my goal. Let's figure out how to work with your unique traits so you can take care of yourself and love the you you truly are.
I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE HERE:
Come as you are.
not at all
enough,
too much,
and so damn
appreciated.
SOME MYTHS ABOUT HSPs:
HSPs don't like to be social; they're always shy and never outgoing
High sensitivity is a disorder or problem that needs fixing
HSPs can't be laid back; they have "no chill" because they're always overwhelmed and on high alert
HSPs are just easily offended or overly emotional
HSPs need to work on toughening up and reducing sensitivity
All HSPs are sensitive to the same things, or to all things
The Truth:
HSPs are rare & beautiful people!
You're empathetic, creative, intuitive, and feel depths of emotion that others don't. You love deeply. You see simple, everyday moments as beautiful and spiritual in nature, and you can easily be brought to tears with joy and awe. You feel more gratitude for the life you have, even for its challenges. Your brain is like a super computer. You're a sounding board for those around you because you help people see and process their own emotions. You're a compassionate and cooperative leader. You're kind and giving. You appreciate art, music, and subtleties in the environment that other people may miss. You have a rich inner life that lends itself to curiosity, intentionality, and awareness.
You might feel misunderstood and experience more pressure from our society which tends to value hustle culture, moving the fastest, being the loudest, and showing the least emotion. You get overstimulated quicker than others and you're prone to burnout, exhaustion, and overwhelm. You might be very bothered by things like bright lights, loud noises, large crowds, a too-packed schedule, or a too-tight piece of clothing. Because you absorb everything around you, sometimes seemingly basic, everyday situations might be very draining. You absolutely need alone time to recharge and that doesn't always feel possible. You might have tried to manage your overwhelm through avoidance or numbing out (substance use, chronic busyness, shopping), distancing yourself from others to guard your emotions, or covering up your sensitivities and pushing through/toughening up. You might experience more shame than others, in general, but also shame about your sensitivity. You might feel like your boundaries are constantly crossed and your energy is constantly depleted.
being an hsp comes with so many strengths & also
Some very real challenges...
"Think Katie's work is just for women? Think again. I'm a man (obviously), and my business tripled, too!"
Joshua
tripled his revenue
I'm baby farm-to-table sartorial helvetica, migas marfa paleo chambray normcore 8-bit bushwick roof party truffaut banjo actually. YOLO health goth jean shorts forage farm-to-table flannel.
HSPs, Empaths, & Introverts,
These terms are often used interchangeably, and while there is overlap, they're not the same.
You can be just one of these, two, or all three - or none, but if you're here I'm thinking you may be at least one :) No one fits into a box, and maybe you don't like labels at all. But I'm guessing you're looking for some answers and hoping to find validation that there really is something different (and special!) about you and that it's not a problem that needs "fixing". It's important to figure out the right terms to help you better understand your traits and how you can best support yourself and thrive in your world.
LET'S BREAK 'EM DOWN
oh my!
HSPs
A recap of what's above, in case you skipped around...
Being an HSP is a scientifically-proven trait that has to do with having heightened sensitivity in your central nervous system, and having deeper cognitive processing of stimuli. More simply put, your nervous system notices and processes way more than non-HSPs, which is exhausting so you can get overstimulated and overwhelmed easily in certain situations. You're creative and intuitive. You appreciate subtleties and feel emotions deeply. Your mind intensely processes everything it's taking in, so you have a complex inner life and lots of deep thinking. Alone time is extremely important for you to recharge. The trait of high sensitivity is equally common in women and men, and affects about 20% of people.
Onto the next!
Empaths
Being an empath is more than being empathetic...
Empaths have a greater depth of feeling, so you feel both yours and other people's emotions more intensely. You have an innate ability to read and understand the emotions of others, and you can also absorb them. You may take on others' emotions as your own and have difficulty distinguishing between the two. You can soak in the energy of people and the environment into your own body - absorbing everything around you like that can be very draining. Scientifically speaking, the mirror neurons (cells responsible for compassion, they respond to what we observe in others) in the brains of empaths are more active. Most empaths also share all the traits of an HSP.
Keep reading!
Introverts
Nope, it doesn't just mean quiet or shy!
Introversion has to do with where you get your energy, how you recharge. Introverts need alone time and quiet to recharge. Social situations, stimulating environments, and lots of sensory input are exhausting to you. You might enjoy these things, but only for a certain amount of time. You'll eventually get drained and overstimulated, and will want to retreat in order to regain energy. Many introverts do prefer a calm, less stimulating environment overall, and you're more focused on internal feelings. You can also be very outgoing in certain situations or with specific people - introversion doesn't mean you're always reserved. About 70% of HSPs are introverts.
ok got it!
the best part...
When you embrace your sensitivities and practice self-care, you can live life with more ease. You'll see you have gifts to share with the world. Let's reduce the overwhelm, improve your energy, and increase your self-compassion. It's time to own who you are and learn how to thrive.
i'm ready to own it,
let's chat!