After reading the book of Elaine Aron ‘ The Highly Sensitive Person ‘ I was quite convinced that I am an HSP too. And it’s a must-read if you are one of us too. About 20% of the people out there are highly sensitive, so it’s quite common. And after that, I’ve read a couple more books, but a lot of them were lacking a couple of things. Which is how to deal with it.
To begin with, if you are a highly sensitive person, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you! It’s not a disease, nor is it a psychiatric disorder. It’s just something that defines who you are and why you are experiencing what you are experiencing.
However, it can be quite a challenge to go through daily life for some people if you haven’t found a couple of ways to cope with your sensitivity. Luckily, I’ve had some experience with it already and I’ve decided to share what was working for me, and hopefully will work for you too.
Highly Sensitive Person Symptoms
For those of you who aren’t sure yet if they are or aren’t a highly sensitive person, I’ve got here a couple of symptoms that are related to being highly sensitive. There are quite a few, and if you want to have more clarity about them, I’d suggest you do this test here to see if you are remotely close to being an HSP.
#1 The Need of Alone Time
Of course, we all need some time alone now and then. But the biggest difference between a regular person and an introverted HSP is that someone highly sensitive often needs alone time to unwind. Also known as 
withdrawing yourself. The big difference is that you feel that you are completely sucked dry by your environment, or it feels that you overloaded your whole system.
#2 Being Emotionally Overwhelmed
Everyone has a normal emotional reaction, but if you feel that sometimes you experience more emotions than any other human being, it might be that you are highly sensitive as well. I even have it when I’m looking at cute puppies on YouTube that do amazing things, I just start to cry and can’t stop. I’m not even going to share them here to prevent you from starting to cry!
As an HSP you are also affected by the emotions of others, so make sure that you be aware of this when you are emotional. More about this down below.
#3 Caffeine Sensitivity
Highly Sensitive Persons are known for their sensitivity of caffeine, and probably other products as well. This means that you go into hyper-drive when you are drinking this liquid! This occasionally isn’t too bad, but your 
heart rate will go up as well, which then might cause anxiety. Which then will be hyphened as you’re emotionally more vulnerable. Therefore, try to stay away from coffee.
In my own life, I’ve discovered that I have been very sensitive to other products as well, like Codeine. Which is in a lot of painkillers. It didn’t make me go insane but it kind of had the same effect as being on weed. Which was quite fun for me, and cheap as well, but when I found out that I’m quite sensitive, I throw the pills away.
If you do like to drink some coffee, make sure you read my article about homemade coffee from acorns!
Dealing With HSP
These are just a couple of things that people with HSP have to deal with, click on one of the links to see what more signals might be saying that you are highly sensitive. We are now going to continue to see what you can do to deal with being highly sensitive. As you know, life goes on.
#1 Schedule Alone Time
As I’ve said before, highly sensitive people should be aware that they need some alone time. So make sure that you schedule in some time for yourself BEFORE your whole system goes into a meltdown. Scheduling it in is quite easy, sticking to it is something else.
A lot of highly sensitive people have a hard time saying no, as this might seem egocentric. But think of this, how can you help others, if you are not helping yourself?
Some activities you can do to make your alone time as comfortable as possible are doing some meditation or yoga. But it can also be reading a book (read something romantic to shut your brain down instead of reading a very informative book). Find what you love to do and do it all by yourself.
#2 Go Into Nature
This one is also very easy to do, and you can even do it in your alone time. If you do want someone to join you, make sure that person is someone who energizes you and not someone who sucks your energy. You are there to connect with yourself and nature again, to recharge your batteries, not to help others with their problems.
Within this step, I’m also going to include that it’s quite important to get some plants into your home. If you’re not that great with flowers, get a couple of cacti! They don’t need a lot of attention, but you’ll get a relaxing feeling from the green that’s inside of your house. I try to make sure that every room in my house has at least one plant inside!
Another tip, try to go on a nature retreat now and then. Book a cabin in the woods, or near the beach or a lake. Go somewhere where there aren’t that many people. This is especially effective when you are living in the city.
#3 Cleanse Your Energy
And now, to my favorite part of this article, cleansing your energy. As a highly sensitive person you’ll be affected by other people’s moods and energy, therefore, it’s a good idea to cleanse your energy field every once in a while. Or when you work with a lot of people it’s even good to do this every single day. Luckily there are many ways to do this, so you can vary it!
#3.1 Smudging with Sage
#3.1 Smudging with SageWhite sage has been used throughout centuries already and it’s still quite effective up until today! You can find them easily in spiritual shops or you can even buy them at amazon these days! I love smudging myself a lot, however, the scent is not for everyone. So if you are having roommates or your family isn’t a big fan of the smell, make sure you do it in a space that isn’t used that often.
How to do it is very easy. Light the sage stick until it starts smoking. I’d even say the more smoke the better. Make sure that you whirl yourself into the smoke and don’t forget any parts of your body. This even means that you have to lift your feet to get the smoke underneath them.
Just make sure that there is an open window nearby as the smoke can be very thick and might irritate your eyes a little bit.
After you’re done, make sure you extinguish the sage in some salt. This to make sure that it doesn’t keep smoking until it’s all gone. Just to make sure that you can use the sage a couple of times. One smudge stick lasts me about 6 months, and I use it about once a week.
#3.2 Taking a Bath With Bath Salts
Salt also has some cleansing properties as well. So if you aren’t living close to the ocean or any kind of saltwater, it might be nice to take a bath with bath salts. You can buy them almost anywhere and they are also scented, so you can use whichever scent that you like.
This also combines quite well with the alone time. So by doing this, you hit two birds with one stone.
#3.3 Visualisation
Another great way to cleanse your aura is by visualization meditations. These are easy to do as well and yet again, a great way to combine with some alone time! There are many great meditations out there, so look on the web to see if you can find one that is fitting for you. In this article, I’ve talked about the app Insight Timer, which is a great way to do some visualization meditations on the go!
I’ve put one here as well to give you an example of what you have to look for. If this one already isn’t fitting for you of course. If you like this one, then you can hold on to it and do it whenever you’d like!
This meditation below I’ve made especially for you guys. It’s a short and free meditation to clear your aura in a very subtle and enjoyable way. If you are good in visualisations, then this meditation is something for you.
#4 Eat Healthier
Have you ever thought about this: If your brain is already very sensitive, how do you think your body reacts? Meaning: if you got a hard time controling your emotions and looking at what’s yours and what’s from another person, this also means that you are more sensitive when it comes down to food.
Try to eat as healthy as you can as your body is a sponge as well. So if the mind’s not doing well, how do you think your body is doing? I’ve already got a couple of articles where I talk about homemade gummies, that are healthy and great when you are trying to live healthier. But also try to replace your sodas with some great teas that you can easily brew yourself! And have a look at this breakfast with all kinds of homemade products.
It’s a bit like the chicken and the egg. We don’t truly know the relationship with body and mind. But they are connected. This means that if your body is not doing so well, mostly your mind isn’t either and vice versa. Not only that, but you are already sensitive to what others are feeling and saying and thinking, which can translate itself into starting to eat more to feel more grounded. Which is another reason why it would be good to consume some healthier foods.
Conclusion
There are many more things to say and to do when you are highly sensitive, but I’m afraid I have to wrap it up now to have some alone time myself. Anyway, if you have more questions about being HSP, feel free to ask them in the comment section below or to send me an email. I will try to do my best to answer your questions and guide you in whatever way I can.
Nama-stay wonderful!
I am a highly sensitive person, when I was a child my mother used to call it “being highly strung”. I still don’t quite see the analogy but I now see the understanding behind her words. It’s taken me a while to come to terms with being highly sensitive but after a stint in hospital earlier this year I now realise it’s critical to me to stay aware of my sensitivity and to have a range of practices, like meditation, being in nature, writing, exercise, etc. that I need to keep me balanced, stable and happy. I am trying to factor yoga into the mix as well but I have resistance to it. It has been very beneficial for me in the past. 🙂
Hi Deb, I’m happy to hear that you’ve made amends with being an HSP! Fighting never helps and might even make the signals worse as you won’t follow your own guts of the things that are working for you. And if you feel some resistance to do some yoga, don’t worry, you’re already meditating as well, so maybe that’s the path you have to stick with 🙂
Aww, I’ll have to read this book! I feel so related. I’m a crybaby. I also start sobbing watching videos on YouTube. And those videos of puppies on YouTube are so cute.
I have started to learn about myself and have started to schedule time to be alone. I’ll also follow your advice and go into nature more often. Thank you very much for this post.
Great you enjoyed it Ann! Enjoy your alone time 🙂
After reading these three points you mentioned concerning highly sensitive persons I have been starting to wonder if I’m in this category. You have said that 20% of the people are here, so I know that chances are that I’m also in. I think I’ve become a highly sensitive person because of my experiences. I wasn’t this way as a teenager, growing up. Is that possible? Becoming HSP due to the experiences we live?
Hi Paolo, when you look at the test, you can see that they also talk about childhood experiences. So, it’s a bit like a characteristic, which means that you are not really able to develop it. At least, I’ve never heard of it. It might be possible though that what you are mentioning here can be something else as well. A beginning burn-out for example has a lot of similarities with the signals of being highly sensitive.
I know one or two people who are highly sensitive so this information is really helpful. It’s good to know that HSP is not an ailment but merely a cosmetic makeup so to speak. I think explaining that angle to HSP friends will help them cope with their sensitivity, and knowing that it’s common is helpful too. Caffeine sensitivity is especially noteworthy as I suspected as such. I’m really interested in #3 cleansing energy. Do you have a favorite sage product or just straight sage mostly? Thanks for a great post and I’m looking forward to reading more!
Well, sage smudge sticks, in general, are just what they are, dried white sage packed together ;). So, in this case, there is not really a favorite sage product. I never stuck to a certain brand as I travel a lot and buy them wherever I can find them.
Hi, I am a highly sensitive person with social anxiety, ptsd, depression and lots of other fun mental issues.
I am highly sensitive to negative things and annoying people. It probably comes from trauma but my genetics are also a factor I know.
because highly sensitive people are rare, it is lonely for us and luckily we have the internet to learn and connect which makes it easier for us.
Hi Jake, as I mentioned here before, 20% of people are actually highly sensitive, so you are not alone out there! It’s just hard for others to say that they are as it is not something that you really shout out loud; But then again, it’s also not something to be ashamed about, nor is it a disease!
I don’t think I am a highly sensitive person but it wouldn’t hurt to do the test suggested. We never know? Sometimes we don’t know ourselves well enough. I know some friends that have these symptoms. I discovered very useful info in your article that I will be able to share. I found it very interesting that sage can have an effective impact! Thank you for these helpful tips!
I kind of forgot to mention in this article as well that these tips are actually also usable for everybody! We live in a world with so many people that we will be affected by others one way or another, so it can never hurt to do a couple of the things that I mentioned here, even without being highly sensitive.
Hi and thanks for this information about dealing with high sensitivity.
I myself am not highly sensitive but I feel that my daughter may be. It is sometimes quite difficult to deal with those who are highly sensitive so having information available, such as what you have provided here is very helpful.
Have you written, or do you know of any resources I could access to help me further with dealing with my daughter’s high level of sensitivity?
Hi Marketa, first of all, it would be good to check with this test if your daughter has truly is an HSP. And if so, it would be good for you to do some reading about it. This book is an amazing aid for parents on how to deal with it. And my personal advice to you is to accept it first and not try to force your daughter into doing things she doesn’t want to do because of her high sensitivity. Like going to big birthday parties might be a bit too much to her and if she knows that, try to see where you can compromise.
I was seeing myself in this post as I read through. Although I never knew I am hyper sensitive, but as I was reading through I noticed I have almost all of the symptoms mentioned in this post. That already being a part of me, I am really glad you also gave steps on how to deal with HSP. Funny enough one of my kids has a similar attribute, can it be passed through genes?
I think I really need that book in my life right now because I feel like I pass for a highly sensitive person. Your post has really captured the essence of what they really are and I like it. I love to spend some time alone not because I feel sad but because I feel the need to reflect. Also, some things like caffeine and some medicinal properties have some very serious effect on me. Thank you for a good explanation. Cheers!
I am not a highly sensitive person but I have noticed very closely that a couple of my friends show some of these symptoms. I see that you gave ways to deal with the resulting features of people with the issue. I a not sure they know they have it too but I will share this post with them and hope seriously that they read it and also use the solution too. Thanks
Thanks for sharing this with your friends John! I hope it will help them!