Are you the type of person who tends to feel things quite deeply – both emotionally but also in a sensory capacity? Sometimes in our culture the connotation of being “sensitive” can be seen as a negative thing – perhaps overemotional or not able to take criticism….
However if we look to evolution, we can see why a percentage of humans have a high sensitivity trait (also known as sensory processing sensitivity) which helps them to sense, feel and experience things on a deeper level. This may include heightened senses generally (touch, taste, smell, hearing) so that the information that comes into a highly sensitive person’s brain is includes more detail. They will tend to notice things that others do not (hence evolutionary wise this was a very key part of tribe safety) however the depth and breadth of information can become overwhelming in certain situations and environments. A highly sensitive person’s nervous system will become more quickly overloaded – and they will tend to replenish by having time alone or without excessive stimulation. You can see the implications for certain working environments or busy life situations! Highly sensitive people will generally feel both positive and negative experiences more intensely.
Highly sensitive people can often provide a wonderful sense of depth of perception, compassion and attunement. However having this trait can pose some challenges in learning to manage the nervous system overload at times. Read more about sensory processing sensitivity and try a short online assessment test.
