Sometimes the world can seem like an overwhelming place. Our environment is filled with all kinds of stimulation that can bother those of us who are sensitive. When the world seems like it is too much then I retreat to a quiet place. I blossom in this place of solitude. My best ideas come to me in the quiet.
A few days ago I wrote a post about sensitivity, especially highly sensitive people. I ordered a movie called: Sensitive The Untold Story and it arrived on Friday. I watched the movie that evening and was thankful that someone out there understands people like me.
Elaine Aron is the author of the book, The Highly Sensitive person, which I have just begun to read. This movie helped me to see that I am not alone. Whether we believe it or not everyone falls into some kind of category regarding their personality.
Growing up, I remember biting my nails until they bled because life made me a nervous wreck. My upbringing didn't help my nerves at all. Chaos at home would make me scurry to my room for peace and quiet because I felt emotionally drained and needed a recharge in order to face the world again. Then there were times I would explode because my feelings were very intense about a situation I was put in. Watching horror or gory movies was never my thing. Loud noise makes me crazy. Touching coarse fabrics or paper gives me the creeps. After reading this paragraph makes me appear like an odd ball, but this is how my life is.
I always loved music, art, poetry, and writing my feelings down in a journal. I, also, notice details in my surroundings that others just don't see. When I love, it is deeply. I feel with the same intensity.
High school was a place that I could become invisible among the throng and I liked it that way. Once I got out into the world things were a bit more tough. I ended up in jobs that made me miserable or had to deal with a brute for a supervisor. For the sensitive person it was hell. I had a hard time fitting in anywhere.
If you know someone who is sensitive please have them watch this clip from the movie, Sensitive The Untold Story. The clip is in English, so don't worry about not being able to understand. ( I am not sure what language is written below) Better yet educate yourself about the sensitive person in your life. They would greatly appreciate it.
Has anyone ever told you that "You worry too much", "You shouldn't feel that way" or "You cannot save the world?" I have struggled with it all of my life. Sensitivity. It is also labelled hyper sensitive or HSP (highly sensitive people). It is not something that I really thought about until just recently as I was having a conversation with my nephew. He mentioned that he thinks about things a long after an incident, especially when he feels that he said something that he thinks was wrong. The words roll over and over in his mind wishing that they were never spoken. I, too, am that way. It can be torture and you feel trapped by your emotions. If you are not a highly sensitive person you will not understand where I am coming from.
I had a bout with one of my siblings recently and I cried for days afterwards, feeling it intensely. People have told me that I worry too much. I know that I do. But I haven't been able to get a handle on it. Or am I supposed to? Perhaps I am wired to be this way. Being sensitive is not that bad really; When things get to be a bit too much for me, that is when I tend to be emotional. Here are some indications that you are HSP: 1. When you are expected to do a lot of things in a short amount of time it becomes overwhelming and you shut down. 2. Crowds or places that have a lot of noise is uncomfortable and you have a hard time thinking. (Try eating in a place with metal walls, oh joy!) 3. Alone time is essential for recharging. 4. Are you in a bad mood because someone else is? 5. Do you try to avoid upsetting situations at all cost? 6. Constant change makes you rattled. 7. Do bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics or sirens bother you? 8. Does music, poetry, or art move you deeply? 9. Do you notice details that others may miss? 10. Do you notice when someone is uncomfortable and try to make them feel at ease? The list goes on and on. Did you know that about 15- 20% of the population is HSP? I didn't know that either. They are generally introverted, like the quiet, and tend to notice things that others seem to overlook. The really great thing is that a lot of the highly sensitive people are creative. Van Gough and Michael Jackson, are just a couple of examples of highly sensitive people. Click here to take a test to see if you are highly sensitive.
