What if any unfamiliar situation causes you great excitement? What if a half-hour buffet leads to an unbearable desire for privacy, as a "social hangover" inevitably sets in? Perhaps you are one of the orchid people.

A little theory: The phenomenon of hypersensitivity was first described by Elaine Eyron, an American psychotherapist. Before her, all orchid people were mistakenly classified as either introverts or simply nervous or even neurotic people. Hypersensitivity has nothing to do with diseases and deviations! Of course, introversion is found in most orchid people, but there are also extroverts among them.

I will make a reservation that this is not a scientific work and I did not conduct research. What is written here is the result of observations of myself and others like me, and I was inspired by Elaine Ayron's book "The Hypersensitive Nature".

Who are these orchid people?

You can safely classify yourself as one of these 25% subtle natures if you have most of the following signs:
1. High susceptibility to external stimuli and strong excitability of the nervous system
2. Caution and even slowness in making decisions
3. A tendency to deeply analyze one's actions and the events taking place around
4. Increased attention to subtle details and subtle trends
5. High susceptibility to the emotions of other people (high empathy, pity for the weaker), as well as avoidance of conflicts
6. Loss of concentration and confusion in a situation of assessment and observation by other people
7. Developed intuition, propensity for foresight
8. Right-brain thinking, good creativity

9. Introversion (about 70% of orchid people are introverts), avoidance of publicity and a wide range of communication
10. Propensity for constant learning, the desire for self-improvement
11. Increased vulnerability and a tendency to more pronounced physical discomfort, that is, they suffer more from pain, tolerate hunger worse
12. Higher susceptibility to drug treatment, caffeine

Now we will analyze in more detail the main features of orchid people, and how they manifest themselves at work, in communication with colleagues.

1. High susceptibility to external stimuli and strong excitability of the nervous system

Details:
Perhaps this is the most striking and defining feature of orchid people. If we take beads as a metaphorical image, then this feature is a thread, and all
the rest are beads, which without a thread could not make beads.

The reaction of highly sensitive people to any, even a minor stimulus, is stronger than most people. The reaction to unexpected and unfamiliar stimuli is especially strong. For example, the unexpected sound of breaking glass or someone's shout will make you shudder, gasp and your heart will beat strongly. Strong irritants completely stun you and cause a stupor reaction, a desire to retire as soon as possible. Therefore, orchid people, due to their increased emotionality, try to avoid:
Crowded traffic during rush hour
Meetings with large crowds
Buffets and noisy parties
Long noisy lines
Traffic jams (by the way, orchid people know better than others how to avoid traffic jams;)

Cause:
The nervous system of orchid people is tuned to a higher susceptibility to minor stimuli. This, in turn, implies a more detailed processing of information entering the brain. As a result, the overload of the nervous system is greater than in most people. From here - fatigue sets in faster, with strong irritants - fatigue is completely deafening.

Manifestation in the business environment:
Orchid people are extremely uncomfortable in large and noisy meetings. In order not to aggravate your internal tension and not to force
their heart beat even faster, prefer to remain silent. They definitely don't like open-space offices.

Of course, I don't like to work on weekends, but if you have to go out, the bonus is the opportunity to sit in an empty office with dimmed lights! My work is in full swing in such an environment!

2. Caution and slowness in making decisions

Details:
Orchid people prefer to think through all the possible consequences of any action, which takes a lot of time. But their decisions are often successful,
because they were based on collecting a large number of facts and considering all possible options.

Cause:
Your brain is always striving for careful and deep processing of information, and this takes much more time.

Manifestation in the business environment:
Such people work on the principle of "measure seven times, cut once." A job in which you need to make decisions quickly causes the strongest
stress.

3. The tendency to constantly analyze their actions and the events taking place around them

Details:
Orchid people are prone to prolonged reflection and introspection. Surrounding it can be perceived as wandering in the clouds and counting crows;).
Constant internal dialogue can lead to absent-mindedness and some awkwardness in actions. But precisely because of this inner work
orchid people are more often endowed with worldly wisdom, they are more often reasonable and prudent in their actions, more often they become truly mature people.

Cause:
All the same tendency to constantly process incoming information.

Manifestation in the business environment:

When discussing some new information, a hypersensitive employee may seem to have a poor grasp of what is happening. But thanks to his penchant for analysis, he subsequently comes to an even deeper understanding of the details and nuances than others.

She herself noticed the following: when I learn something new in large quantities, there is confusion and chaos in my head. But I already know that the brain is semiconsciously processing what it has learned. And the next day or week (depending on the complexity of the task or information) comes SUCH clarity and understanding, which at first I never dreamed of! The expression "Morning is wiser than evening" is exactly about orchid people!

4. Increased attention to subtle details and trends

Details:
From a highly sensitive nature, you are more likely to hear the phrase "Something is wrong here ..." It is the orchid people who will be the first to pay attention to subtle changes in the usual course of things. Whether it will be a false alarm or the beginning of an impending disaster is already a matter of time. But in any case, it will be wise for other people to listen to them. Perhaps, when the tsunami approached in Thailand, the orchid people were the first to pay attention to the animals running away from the shore, and even more so did not rush to collect shells on the exposed shore before the arrival of a big wave ...

Cause:

High susceptibility to minor stimuli is combined with increased attention to detail. The nervous system of orchid people, figuratively speaking, wears glasses with magnifying glasses: they help to see details better, but the incoming light from the lenses burns more. Nature has given us such lenses so that we can see the approaching danger in advance and warn our fellow tribesmen. A separate post on my website is devoted to the benefits of orchid people for the rest of the community.

Manifestation in the business environment:
You are the one who can alert your boss or your colleagues to a problem before it gets worse. You are the one who first notices the subtle
changes in the market and warn others about it. You may have a reputation for exaggerating danger all the time. But rather in you
appreciate this insight.

I tried to show most of the characteristic features of orchid people as advantages and strengths. Believe me, I was not afraid to go too far, since such people are rarely prone to inflated self-esteem, and such praises against them will not lead to narcissism.

In previous articles, we talked about what it is hypersensitivity how it develops sensitive child, and now - about what to do for an adult, whose sensitivity became a problem for him due to rejection in childhood and constant comparison of himself with others.

A sensitive person at the time of social maturation is already accustomed to the fact that his needs, requests, sensations, ideas about comfort, environment, desires for relationships - all this is different from the requests of the majority.

That is why a sensitive person is poorly compatible with some general rhythms, general approaches to solving life problems, does not always fit into teams, and often does not suit the methods of communication and living conditions accepted in a wide range.

Many people ask the question: why can't a sensitive person adapt? After all, all living things, in theory, adapt to environmental conditions, and may well learn to survive in it effectively. Why doesn't this happen here?

Sensitivity and adaptation

For some reason, adaptation is more often understood as the breaking of the individual to the demands of society than the real essence of adaptation - dynamic balance. And this means that not only the environment affects the person, but the person also affects the environment. Otherwise, there would be no social change, and society would forever remain in the caves.

However, we can see with the naked eye how much man has changed the surrounding reality, and, regardless of the assessment of these changes, we are forced to admit that man, in his ability to adapt, has gone much further than embedding himself in the environment.

Our nervous system, of course, has such adaptive capabilities as habituation and adaptation. But they work in proportion to the innate psychophysiological reality.

Relatively speaking, a person whose height is 170 cm will easily get used to tilting his head, not particularly straining, to pass through a door 165 cm high. It will be much more difficult for a person whose height is 190 cm, and do it regularly without injuring himself , he can't. Do you understand the difference?

Adaptation in the form of habituation and adaptation exists, of course, in people whose sensitivity- above average. But just as it is impossible for the average person to increase their sensitivity to the level of the HSP, so it is difficult for the HSP to adjust enough to match the average person.

The obvious conclusion suggests itself: in order to adapt their high sensitivity to the conditions existing around them, HSPs can and should influence the environment in order to adapt, and not just learn its rules and norms accepted by the majority.

And now we will talk about how exactly a sensitive person can do this, what pitfalls are most often encountered on his way, and what internal processes can accompany all this.

Start small

The most difficult thing that you have to do is get used to the idea of ​​your own right to be the way you are. There are no instructions on how to accept yourself, for everyone this is an individual path, which is often walked together with a specialist.

In the case of HSP, this may be a particularly important component. The experience of being accepted by another person this case- a psychologist, helps to strengthen and develop self-acceptance. But there are some things you can do on your own.

And I propose to start with a simple one - with a list of everything that is uncomfortable for you, that hurts your sensitivity. Try to somehow rank the inconveniences as they increase, from minor to more global. By small, it is usually customary to understand what most of those around wrote down there.

For example, terrible curtains in the room that mom once bought, uncomfortable chair, dim / too bright light in the room, unpleasant smell in the bathroom, hustle in line and annoying touches resulting from it, noise from neighbors, bedding in pellets, too cold / hot weather, food that is familiar, but does not cause pleasure, and somehow “wrong” in the body from it, etc.

Some of these issues are solved with the involvement of small financial costs and ingenuity. It would seem that it is difficult to buy another light bulb, earplugs, bed linen from a different fabric, think about food that is more suitable for you? Throw away old items that create an unpleasant odor, buy fragrances? As a rule, most people can afford all this, and even more.

Why not start using home delivery or convenience stores more often, visiting them, for example, closer to the night, when the main flow of people has already subsided? Why not think about special clothing - thermal underwear in case of cold, special sports "breathable" - in case of heat, etc.? All this does not belong to the category of inaccessible.

The question is why is this not done most often? But because most often you are ashamed, especially if you do not live alone.

It’s embarrassing to admit to the mother who gave you the curtains that they are not in your aesthetic (and that this aesthetic matters in general!). It’s embarrassing to tell your husband/wife that you can no longer sleep in such linen, it’s embarrassing to tell your work colleagues that you won’t go to dinner with them to eat pancakes, but go to a vegetarian cafe, although you will need to spend a little more time on the road, but there food is more suitable for you, and so on.

It’s a shame to be capricious, with pretensions, it’s scary to think about what they will twist at the temple, condemn, be offended or whisper behind their backs. That is why I suggest starting small. Firstly, because this is really a trifle for the majority, and they are unlikely to concentrate much on these trifles, and secondly, because learning to respect yourself immediately and globally is an unrealistic task.

Any qualitative transformation requires a resource. A sensitive person, as a rule, by a certain point in his life is very tired of playing by difficult rules for him. If you have been thinking about how to accept your sensitivity - most likely, you have already come to that very moment of fatigue.

It is the little things that can start to fill you with a resource. But sometimes it is not easy to afford them even when no one is watching you. It’s just that you yourself have long been accustomed to treating yourself this way, and from inside you are constantly broadcasting the voice of mom / dad / grandmother on the topic “all children are like children, but you have ...”

In order not to hear this judgmental voice inside you, you try not to do anything “special” for yourself. But you are not obliged to measure yourself by your parents' assessments all your life, and the fact that this voice is now in your head is your choice, conscious or not.

The first thing you can try to say to yourself is to give permission to your needs, support yourself in this. Sometimes it is worth at this moment to imagine that child who once did not understand what was “wrong” with his needs, but he was condemned, rejected and annoyed with him.

Now that you are your own parent, you may well say to yourself, “yes, you have the right to do this, I understand you well,” try to satisfy the need and see if this will have such a devastating effect on your life as you imagined.

Practice shows that after these simple attempts to take care of themselves, a sensitive person begins to respect himself more and feel more confident, because he begins to understand already at the level of sensations: it works. It helps to live, feel better, gives self-confidence and gives energy.

About bigger tasks

When the little things fill you with a little resource, and sensitivity ceases to seem like such a punishment, you will naturally have to pay attention to more serious issues.

Perhaps you can’t bear to be around people for eight hours, perhaps you are not able to get up early, you cannot stay in a cramped room with artificial light for so long, you cannot constantly fall asleep to the roar of music in a neighboring apartment, you really need beauty and aesthetics around, more tactful people, your problem with the environment is not solved by clothing alone, and your body needs a serious change in conditions ...

Many HSPs fall into despair when such thoughts arise: it is necessary to change the whole life - work, environment, the very way of life and its schedule! But a sensitive person is not a weak and weak-willed person, as we said in the first part. Everyone experiences fear of change, but that doesn't mean you can't take action.

On the contrary, heightened sensitivity can become an impetus to achieve more than the average majority.

One of my clients suffered for a long time, among other things, from the inconveniences associated with housing in a high-rise building. Noise, unpleasant smells, always dirty and smoky entrance, neighbors climbing with tactless conversations at a meeting ... When she was able to take the first steps towards accepting herself and the fact that she is a sensitive person, at some point she set herself the task: to move out from here forever. The path was not easy, but being confident in the importance of her own need, she was able to go through it, and moreover, in the course of the process she met a man who shared her aspirations. Now they live as a family in their own house outside the city.

Another client of mine sincerely considered himself a sociophobe, was sure that because of his "misanthropy" he could not, like everyone else, work in the office, that now he would have to do part-time jobs for the rest of his life and never become anyone. We decided to try to perceive all this as a lifestyle - "I do not work in the office because I am more productive working alone" (and not because I am some kind of "defective"), etc. As a result, he was one of the first to master new remote technologies, which allowed him to open his own business and stop worrying that he was not working in the office.

It can be said that increased sensitivity encourages you to take steps in life that you simply would not have taken otherwise.

People often complain that their hypersensitivity incurs costs and additional complications. But do not forget that it is she who sometimes serves as a motive to develop in the profession, earn money, increase comfort and improve health. Which in the end may well lead to a more eventful, interesting and happy life than many others.

Therefore, it is worth asking yourself the question in time: what can and want to change, thanks to my sensitivity? What life accomplishments does it give me energy for?

Of course, the most important thing is your attitude towards yourself, your features and needs. But, suppose (and it often happens in practice), you have already begun restructuring inside, you already perceive your sensitivity as a personality trait, and not a defect, but at the same time, people around you have not yet rebuilt and continue to present you with the same demands.

They can be understood - after all, you tried to mimic their requests before, and they are used to treating you like the average majority. And when you (in their eyes) suddenly have "claims" - you can really get a portion of criticism and depreciation.

The most important thing here is not to argue, not to prove, not to try to substantiate your need as supposedly “objective”. No matter how much someone would like, but from the objective needs we have - the need for air, the satisfaction of hunger, thirst, the need for shelter (minimal security) and clothing where one cannot survive without it. It's all. The absence of the rest of life, including reproduction, is not fatal.

But how many people dream of living only by primitive needs? Yourself, I think you can guess. No one wants to live within the framework of only “objective needs”, that is, only to survive, therefore the needs of your critics are also not objective. And you just stepped up this ladder of needs higher.

Nothing can be proved here: a person whose body does not feel accidental touches in the subway, does not notice the smell in the entrance, sleeps under the roar of hard rock, calmly digests cutlets from the nearest canteen - he still does not understand you with your sharp hearing, ability to recognize shades the taste of plain water, subtle senses of the emotional state of others, and attention to detail.

You are equal in this misunderstanding, by and large. The only difference is that your critics allow themselves to respect their needs and consider their level to be adequate, but you do not. But as soon as you are an adult, you can always change this state of affairs in your favor.

“Yes, I do. I have such requests. You have others, I respect yours, and I suggest you respect mine. That's all it makes sense to say to those who want to devalue them.

I often hear from clients about the fear of being alone, starting to assert their right to needs that are different from the majority. If your social circle begins to fall apart, then this will mean only one thing: there were and are no people in your environment who are ready to accept you as you are.

It's sad, but it's better to know about it sooner. The fewer illusions about those whom you considered close or at least friends, the less risk in a difficult situation to run into a real betrayal, which will be perceived in this way by you when these people treat some of your very subtle part rudely, and even not understanding what happened.

Changing the circle of communication is a difficult task, yes. But remember that HSP is 10-15% of all people. Calculate how many people this is in your city? Countries? Is this really not enough to start creating a social circle for yourself from those who are able to understand you without forcing themselves? In addition, a person may not belong to the HSP category, but at the same time be conscious enough to respect another person in another person, and not just similar to himself. All this in sum is not such a catastrophically small number of people.

And finally...

The exception to the rule is also the rule. There is always an average height, but there is always a sufficient number of people who greatly exceed this average height or vice versa. There are always average abilities, but there have always been both mentally retarded and geniuses in history (moreover, these deviations from the usual norm were sometimes even confused with each other).

Most men and women are heterosexual, but as far as one can see, there is a constant percentage of gay people in the world. Most people are right-handed, however, in every school you will find at least one left-handed child, and so on.

The very structure of the world presupposes differences. Otherwise, there will be nothing on which to build interaction and development, which is impossible without conflict, without that very “unity and struggle of opposites”.

And to measure it from the position of "worse-better" will not work. A sensitive person, as a rule, is called upon to solve more complex, more subtle tasks in different areas - this is his forte. The fact that it is more difficult for him to adapt to the conditions of the majority is the burden that has to be paid for enhanced abilities.

You do not have the opportunity to change your deepest features of personality, organism. But you have the choice to use it for your own development, or vice versa - to suppress and criticize along with others. And I really wish you to take a place in the stalls of life, making the most of your features.

In this article we will talk about those problems, features, advantages that are characteristic of highly sensitive people. And this information is likely to change your life. You will experience relief that for many years you could not find in therapy, training, spiritual practices, books, and periodically found yourself on the verge of despair or deep depression. Realize that you are not alone, that everything is in order with you and high sensitivity can serve for good.

The main problems of highly sensitive people

I have identified 8 such problems and you will surely recognize yourself in them if you are a highly sensitive person.

1. highly sensitive people white crows. Chances are you were the kid who was different from the rest. You were a little avoidant of other children and did not quite understand how to communicate with them.
2. You adapt to the environment. You have a feeling inside that you have no right to show yourself as real. You do not show your true nature, mimic and pretend that you are the same as everyone else. Even though inside you know you're different. And most likely, you live with it all your life. And it hurts to talk about it.
3. You have guilt-related problems. You are afraid to offend and disturb other people, it is inconvenient for you to disturb them. You are a very sensitive and tactful person. And often, because of this, it is very difficult for you to communicate with people and express yourself the way you would like.
4. Strongly developed ideals, representations and stereotypes. They are almost always associated with feelings of shame. You have many ideals that you must live up to. But usually, you don't live up to these ideal ideas of yourself. From this you are very ashamed and hard, because you are constantly aware that you do not fit the different criteria of an ideal person. Because of this, you also have many difficulties.
5. You subject to someone else's mood. You are very worried when your loved ones feel bad. Your feelings do not allow you to express yourself as you would like. Often, when your loved one feels bad, you also feel bad, as if you absorb his condition and mood.
6. This problem is very big, it is also peculiar to me. You quickly get tired of others and from communicating with them. Many people can chat for hours on end and feel great doing it. You and I run out of breath much faster, especially if this is empty chatter. Sometimes we meet people, communicate with them, and then we realize that we are wildly tired, but it is inconvenient to leave - a feeling of guilt.
7. Difficulty making a decision. You try not to make mistakes more than others. You are looking for many solutions, trying to calculate your actions, predict the result. But the problem is that the more options there are, the more difficult the choice becomes. Therefore, we very often get stuck in making a decision and slow down actions, because this applies not only to significant decisions, but also to simple, everyday ones.
8. You have a hard time with rejection, criticism and negativity. You are like a bare wire. Much of this has to do with your feelings of guilt and shame. After all, you do not correspond to your ideals, which you have absorbed since childhood. And it's hard for you when someone criticizes you and your actions. You can be offended by even a minimal phrase, a comment.

If all of the above, or at least partly about you, you are where you need to be. We will help you reconfigure your actions and habits so that these problems are not so difficult for you. Here you will finally get to know the real you.

Features of highly sensitive people

In this part of the article, you will learn about the four most important features of highly sensitive people. Features are something neutral, they are not problems, they are not pluses and minuses, they are just our distinctive properties, from which advantages and disadvantages follow.

Feature #1. Depth of information processing

This means that you are looking into the essence of things. Remember, there was such a phrase “look at the root”? It's about you. You see some patterns that other people do not see or they need to concentrate or think especially hard. You are focused on understanding the essence of things.

Some of you may even have a philosophical mind. You want to understand some deep meaning, what lies inside. You process information at a special depth. Therefore, you are not interested in chatter about anything and superficial conversations.

Feature #2. Increased irritability of the senses

From this follows your rapid fatigue. It is for this reason that it’s hard for you to be constantly in some kind of parties, it’s hard to talk for a long time, it’s hard when there are a lot of impressions, events during the day, when there is noise and bright light around you, there are always some distractions.

You have a particularly acute reaction to stress because your senses are highly irritable and receptive. It's just a property.

Feature number 3. Increased attention to detail and nuance

It happens by itself, you don't have to do anything for it. You just think in detail and see in detail. If many people see the situation as a whole, then you see everything in detail, you perceive any information in detail. You just scan these details and nuances, some small parts that most people don't get.

That's why we became psychologists, because we hear nuances, we hear details that most people don't pay attention to. This is imperceptible to ordinary people, they pass it on deaf ears, and you notice and notice very well. You see a lot more of some small details, features, strokes, nuances and things like that.

Feature number 4. Increased emotional reactivity

It can be either external or internal. This means that we, highly sensitive people, feel more acutely. We strongly feel everything, we are captured by our feelings. More than half of people consider themselves to be insensitive people in general. Our feelings play a big role.

Perhaps at some point in your life you thought that your feelings were bothering you and decided to give them up. And from that moment on, you most likely started having problems. This happens to many highly sensitive people.

I want you to understand that feelings are your forte. You feel thinner and sharper than most people. Moreover, you feel not only your own, but also someone else's. There are a large number of mirror neurons in our brain that make us empathize with other people. We feel someone else's pain, we feel someone else's joy, someone else's grief, both good and bad other people's states. And this is our property.

So, I told 4 properties of highly sensitive people - the depth of information processing, increased irritability, increased attention to detail and nuance, and increased emotionality.

Accordingly, from these four features, which are neutral in themselves, follow as our minuses, our problems, which I spoke about earlier, our pluses, our strengths, which we will discuss later in this article, also follow from them.

Move on to the next section, there will be about your strengths that have always been with you. Perhaps you did not notice them or did not know how to use them.

Benefits of highly sensitive people

We have already talked about the characteristic HSP features and what troubles they imply by themselves. However, as every coin has two sides, so the disadvantages can be turned into advantages. And there is no one more effective and cooler than a pumped HSP.

High sensitivity suggests a number of advantages that we have over ordinary people.

Benefit #1 Empathy

The ability to deeply empathize with people, to feel what is happening to them emotionally. It is necessary in such professions as a doctor, teacher, psychologist, seller.

Not to mention that it is very useful to feel people: not to run into an irritated boss, to “feel” a favorable state and ask for something in this mood, to support a loved one. After all, people so often need support and silent understanding.

Benefit #2 High Consciousness and Conscientiousness

We cannot do half and if we take on a task, we give ourselves to it completely. Wise leaders appreciate this. And a fanatical attitude to your favorite business cannot but lead to success.

Benefit #3: Attention to detail

Highly sensitive people are able to notice and see something elusive that the average person will not pay attention to.

We are more sensitive to mistakes and shortcomings and strive to eliminate them, from which the result approaches the ideal. The main thing here is not to fall into perfectionism, but you probably already know how to deal with it.

Benefit #4 Focus

The ability to focus and delve deeply into the process is another of our superpowers. Do not distract the HSP and he will give amazing results.

Benefit #5 Depth Perception

Highly sensitive people process information at deeper levels of memory. We do not like superficial perception - we are able to analyze the information received more deeply.Most likely, during your studies it was difficult for you to cram, memorize, but if you understood and delved into it, then there were no problems in memorizing.

Benefit #6: Deep Analytical Thinking

Attention to detail, ability to concentrate and depth of perception together form a quality that deserves special consideration. The combination of these qualities allows you to effectively perform tasks where attention is needed, combined with speed and accuracy. We see cause and effect relationships very subtly, which makes highly sensitive people excellent analysts.

Perhaps the last couple of points caused you some resistance, because. you give the impression of an inattentive person and you yourself are such

think. However, this is not entirely true: the HSP's attention is more tenacious - it is more focused on details and thus you are distracted by them.

Benefit #7: Learnable and Curious

We Highly Sensitive people are constantly learning, even when we don't intentionally do it.

We are constantly developing and improving - we feel an irresistible need for this. And the curiosity and inquisitiveness of the mind does not allow our brains to “rust”.

Benefit #8: Reflection and Analysis of Past Experience

HSPs are able to think and think for a long time. Your past, plan for the future, calculate options.

We think about our behavior: whether we did the right thing, said in a given situation, how we reacted and why. If you do not turn it into self-digging and self-discipline, then this quality can help you avoid many future mistakes and not dance on the old rake.

As you can see, you and I have many useful and unique abilities that are inaccessible to ordinary people.

High sensitivity is not a curse, but a huge potential for pumping and development.

High sensitivity is not fantasy, it is in our biological nature

Friends, next we will briefly talk about some of the studies regarding high sensitivity. There is a big problem here, because when I tell you about high sensitivity, you may have objections. And you say that, of course, it looks like me, but maybe these are notions, this is not serious, and these are my fantasies.

Indeed, such an idea appears. I want you to understand that your high sensitivity is not just thoughts and fantasies. This is in your biological nature.

Evidence of high sensitivity

I will tell you about several scientific studies so that you are convinced that this is really the case, this is your genetic and physiological feature, and not just fantasy. That is, you really are like that and you really belong to a special category of people.

Proof #1.High sensitivity exists, and we find confirmation of this in studies that have been conducted on newborns. That is, an adult can fantasize himself and simply say that he is highly sensitive, but a baby cannot think of anything about himself yet. Certain experiments were carried out on newborn children, they changed the taste of water, etc. 15-20% of children showed increased sensitivity to such changes.

Proof #2.In the United States, studies were conducted using magnetic resonance imaging. People were placed in a tomograph and they were shown pictures of other people experiencing positive and negative emotions. Studies have shown that the brain of a highly sensitive person is more sensitive to the emotions of other people. On the tomogram, it was quite clear that in highly sensitive people the response in the brain to the sight of photographs is much stronger than in ordinary people.

Proof #3.Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) have a special gene that can be found in highly sensitive people. As a result of the action of this gene, less serotonin is produced in our brains and in the brains of monkeys. Accordingly, there is less serotonin in the brain. This is our distinctive physiological feature. Scientists have determined that a special gene is responsible for this, which is inherited. High sensitivity is an innate human property. So it is considered with a high degree of probability.

Proof #4.In America, telephone surveys were conducted. People were randomly selected, they were called on the phone and asked how sensitive they were. More than half of the respondents (the sample was completely random) said that they were completely insensitive. And only about 20% said they were very sensitive. This is statistical confirmation that highly sensitive people are a special group.

Proof #5.Scientists note that high sensitivity is also characteristic of other animal species. Moreover, if you try, you can arrange a selection, that is, take highly sensitive individuals and cross them. After some time, a separate highly sensitive breed of organisms will be bred.

This is another confirmation so that you do not think that these are some kind of fiction. We are highly sensitive people. This is a separate category of people. High sensitivity is due to our nature, our biology, our physiology, and it is written in our genes.

I hope this news pleases you, it will help you to connect even more easily with who you really are, always have been and always will be.

It is useless to fight with your feelings and emotions, you must learn to use them for peaceful purposes. I hope with our help you will learn to deal with this much better, because we are HSPs ourselves. We had big serious problems, we are psychologists, we have learned to cope with it. And we can help you with this.

When you think about the secret of successful people, what qualities do you think help them achieve success? You will be amazed by their ingenuity and creativity in solving problems. Or maybe you will be overwhelmed by their emotional intelligence and fantastic ability to make contacts with other people.

This is just a partial list of the qualities of highly sensitive people (HSPs), who make up 20% of the world's population.

Despite popular belief, highly sensitive people often make great leaders. They tend to be successful professionally. They are both disliked and highly valued for their commitment to the cause, even if they are good at ruffling the nerves of their colleagues from time to time.

High sensitivity is a feature that is misunderstood. I myself belong to a highly sensitive people, therefore, more than once suffered because of my empathy and always experiencing character. Fortunately, attitudes towards sensitivity have changed in society, partly due to the recognition and acceptance of the principle of neurodiversity. It is that neurological differences between people are normal.

Being very sensitive is a superpower, but only if you use it correctly. Otherwise, it, on the contrary, can complicate your life.

In order to survive in our world, highly sensitive people have to be guided by certain principles that relate to absolutely everything - love, work, and even how to live with such a feature of the psyche so that it does not hurt.

The Secret Life of Highly Sensitive People
It consists in the fact that they notice every little thing, they just read between the lines. Believe it or not, highly sensitive people make wonderful entrepreneurs, namely marketers, because they are great at networking, listening to other people, empathizing with them.

Highly sensitive people are very conscientious.

Details, structure, organization are your forte. After all, you are so deeply immersed in the process that you can easily develop long-term plans and think through the best solutions. And this, you see, is a valuable help.

Highly sensitive people can concentrate on an idea with real fanaticism. All these qualities contribute to success in our difficult time of information technology and clip thinking.

Highly sensitive people are more creative and creative.

There are many highly sensitive people among the world famous artists and artists. Why? Hypersensitivity and a rich inner world make them just made for success.

So use your natural curiosity, ask questions, use your gift. All this distinguishes you from other people and is a big plus.

Highly sensitive people do everything with genuine passion.

You are very proud and try to make as few mistakes as possible. You are equally passionate about your work and relationships. It is felt. As a rule, such people are interested in many things and know how to do a lot, which often makes them pioneers in a particular industry.

HSP and success
Can your hypersensitivity interfere with your life? Of course, this cannot be ruled out. But with a certain amount of balance and thoughtfulness, you can turn this feature of yours into a huge force.

Try to get feedback.

Most highly sensitive people, despite the fact that they communicate well with others, feel very uncomfortable during public meetings or presentations. One critical remark is enough for them to survive for several days later.

Therefore, if you are a highly sensitive person, always be ready to play with high stakes. You must be ready for any questions, calculate everything one step ahead. Prepare a few blanks on how you will react if something goes wrong during the discussion.

For example: “Let's return to the discussion of this point a little later”, “Quite a difficult question. What is your vision of the situation?”, “Thanks for the feedback. Give me some time to process what I've heard.

Don't react - answer.

Life does not always go according to the intended scenario, therefore, HSPs should develop the ability to respond correctly to its challenges. In order not to panic and not succumb to emotions, learn to put a barrier between what is happening and your reaction to it.

For example, when your partner leaves dirty dishes in the sink for the umpteenth time, don't let the stress wash over you. HSPs are felt more and more acutely and deeply, so such a reaction will only aggravate everything.

An explosion or, conversely, silence - these reactions are not constructive. Instead, take a deep breath and count to five before answering. This will help you curb your emotions.

Quietly ask yourself why you are unhappy. Take time out and come back to discuss the problem later. Write down your thoughts before answering. There is nothing to be ashamed of in this pause. In fact, this is a sign of your maturity, thoughtful attitude to life and healthy self-control.

Set reasonable boundaries.

It is important for highly sensitive people to conserve their energy without wasting it on trifles. You spend all day passing through yourself the feelings and moods of other people, which is why it is so important. Naturally, all the negativity affects you. It can even be noise in the room, bad music and so on - all this affects sensitive people.

Simple, at first glance, things can help you with this. You can, for example, come to the office half an hour earlier to be quiet during this time, to tune in to the working day. For example, I always set aside 15-30 minutes between meetings to be alone, to concentrate.

Managing your energy effectively comes down to setting strong boundaries and being mindful of what you let into your life. Keep toxic people out of your way, don't let the media influence you. Learn to relax and rest.

If HSP is your loved one or colleague
Highly sensitive people make excellent life partners and community leaders. Although it must be admitted that loving them, living or working next to them is quite difficult. You cannot (and don't even try) to change them. But you can always support them with the following tricks:

If you work with HSP:

Keep them up to date on everything that's happening. Maximum information! Highly sensitive people perceive new and most complex information very well, because the more they know, the more effective they work. Whenever possible, always give them time to prepare. For example, familiarize them with the agenda ahead of time. Focus on coaching, not criticism.

If you love HSP:

Be sure to set aside time when your partner can be alone or in silence. Be prepared that he will suffer from insomnia. It can be very difficult for them to fall asleep because of their active and inquisitive mind.

Be patient with them during misunderstandings. Don't be offended when they want to be alone. You will always have time to catch up - during trips to theaters, museums or trips out of town. HSPs love to get new knowledge, as well as nature, art, and are always happy to embark on pleasant and funny adventures with you.

Whether your highly sensitive person is your spouse, brother, or co-worker, try to keep that personality in mind and use it for the benefit of your relationship or work.

It will not always be easy, but over time you will realize that it was worth it: very sensitive people change our world for the better.

Text: Grisha Prophets

Highly sensitive people, or highly sensitive people, especially susceptible to external stimulation, the emotions of others, and the details of the world around them in general. We tell you who they are and how to understand if you are one of them.

Who are highly sensitive people?

Highly sensitive people (we will call them highly sensitive people), or HSP, or HSP are people who react more intensely than others to the world around them. Both positive and negative information are processed more attentively by such people, so they can be overwhelmed and overwhelmed by external stimuli - when they are too much or they are too intense. Such people pay a lot of attention to all sensations: tastes, touches, sounds and smells. They are especially sensitive to emotions, their own and others. The press calls them new introverts: highly sensitive people have been especially written about lately, although the phenomenon was defined back in the mid-90s.

Who introduced this concept?

Psychologist Elaine N. Aron identified highly sensitive people for the first time
in his book The Highly Sensitive Person, published in 1996. Aron lived in San Francisco and began studying HSP with her husband Arthur in 1991. Aron describes HSPs as those who are "increasedly sensitive to stimulation" and who are "more aware of details and nuances and process information more deeply, more reflectively than others." Aron believed that Carl Jung, Emily Dickinson, and Rainer Maria Rilke were highly sensitive people and that they generally "are usually poets, writers, teachers, doctors, scientists, and philosophers." It is believed that 20% of the world's population are highly sensitive people.

Why are they suddenly talking about?

The term and Aron's book were not exactly forgotten, no - other researchers wrote about HSP, and scientific articles were published about them, but it was in recent years that the media paid special attention to them. The Huffington Post wrote about how highly sensitive people interact with the world differently, The Wall Street Journal wrote about the phenomenon, even Scientific American remembered Aron and her ideas. In the scientific world, interest in them is also increasing: for example, the first conference dedicated to high sensitivity was held in Brussels. A documentary film called “Sensitive” is being released about the HSP phenomenon, in which, for example, singer Alanis Morissette, who considers herself a highly sensitive person, starred.

Why single out highly sensitive people when introverts already exist?

Because this is a psychological - and neurobiological - category of people according to completely different indicators. Aron developed a 27-point sensitivity scale to highlight HSPs; and, as with introverts, it's not just a binary system, you're not just either a highly sensitive person or not, there is a gradation here. If introverts are primarily defined by their relationships with other people, highly sensitive people are generally defined by their relationship to the world. However, like introverts, HSPs may like to be alone to give their brain a break from stimulation. For example, if you often cry at the cinema, or you are annoyed by strong smells, or you are imbued with the emotions of other people at the most unexpected moments. And this is important to study: because if you understand that you are a highly sensitive person, you can better arrange your life, for example, try to work in quiet and calm places.

Do HSPs really exist?

Oh sure. They are distinguished by many psychologists and neuroscientists. Hundreds of studies have been devoted to high sensitivity, from brain scans to genetic analyses. Research into the brains of HSPs shows that their brain processes are different from those of other people: HSPs are more empathetic, more attentive to their surroundings, and more understanding of other people. The catch is that, of course, there is a trap here, as with introverts: after the word and idea became popular, many began to call themselves highly sensitive people, even those who technically do not belong to them. Everyone wants to consider themselves special, so I want to believe that we understand the world around us deeper and more subtle than others.