11 Authentic Signs You Might be a Highly Sensitive Person

If you struggled during your childhood or young adulthood with the demands placed on you by your parents, your school, or your friends, you might be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). Children who are quieter, more reserved, less competitive, more creative, and more astute in their observations of the world around them frequently find out that they are highly sensitive. High sensitivity isn’t a curse, and it’s not a disorder. In this article, we aim to share authentic signs you might be a Highly Sensitive Person.

To put it simply, being a Highly Sensitive Person is a personality trait traced back to increased mirror neurons in our brains that mean we sensitives take in more stimuli within our environments. Because we take in more stimuli, we are wired within our brains to notice more, think more, hear more, smell more, and feel more. While many sensitives can admit that this “more” in nearly every area of our senses can be hard, the first step is to find out if you’re an HSP and go from there. With 15-30% of all people in the sensitives category, you’re not alone. Moreover, high sensitivity is considered by many to be a wonderful gift, even a blessing for a more full and creative life.

11 Authentic Signs You Might be a Highly Sensitive Person

You might be wondering, what are some authentic signs that I might be sensitive? Well, I’m glad you asked. here are ten signs that you could be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). I also highly recommend that you visit this article with links to several HSP quizzes to help you determine if you’re an HSP.

3 Valuable Workbooks for the Highly Sensitive Person

1. You feel deeply and intensely about things, both positive and negative.
   • Sensitives often find that feeling intensely is something that they feel often. From conversations with a friend or family member to a love song on the radio to an argument with your mom, HSPs frequently find it necessary to develop mental boundaries to avoid overthinking and overwhelm.
2. You’re easily overwhelmed by sensory stimuli, such as loud noises or bright lights.
   • Each HSP has their own heightened senses; some are more stimulated by noise, others by sound, and others by smell. Depending on how you are wired, you’ll want to put guardrails in place to avoid overstimulation in your highest areas of sense. For instance, if you’re triggered by scent, avoid the lunchroom at work or buffet restaurants with all foods (and smells) close together.
3. You have heightened empathy for others and can feel other people’s emotions as if they were your own.
   • Sensitives frequently report that they can “feel” or “perceive” the emotions of others. Think of Deanna Troy on the show, Star Trek: The Next Generation. She used her skills to be the ship’s counselor where she broke up disagreements, helped people reach valuable accords, and perceived invaders before they showed hostility.
4. You’re often deeply affected by art, music, and other forms of creative expression.
   • There’s a reason many sensitives end up working in art, music, or creative professions. Those who are more attuned to music, art, and helping professions have a tendency to use their sensitivity as a superpower to perceive, express, and convey complex emotions and joy through their creative mediums.
5. You’re highly attuned to your own emotions and can quickly identify when something is bothering you.
   • Because we feel more of everything, we sensitives often feel when something is off inside us. Many sensitives are also journalers and find themselves expressing their feelings easily in a journal or diary.
6. You tend to avoid conflict and prefer to maintain harmony in your relationships.
   • Sensitives tend to either be avoiders or peacemakers, often bringing two parties together by helping one explain to another their grievances. If you want to resolve a disagreement, find an HSP to come in as your mediator and you’ll find no better person for the job.
7. You’re highly intuitive and can often sense when something is wrong or when someone is lying.
   • I wish this authentic sign wasn’t true. It’s hard to perceive when someone is being disingenuous or even lying, but we sensitives are like human lie detectors, so don’t try to put anything past us! If you’re an HSP parent, your kids already know they can’t lie to you.
8. You’re prone to anxiety and may struggle with feelings of worry or fear.
   • Sensitives, this is a hard one. Because we are so attuned to ourselves, the world around us, and others in our lives, we are more prone to worry, fear, and anxiety. I recommend having an HSP-trained coach (I’d love to work with you), a therapist, a pastor, or a good friend or two to whom you can turn for guidance and help in this area. Anxiety is hard, but it can be conquered and kept at bay.
9. You have a strong sense of justice and fairness, and may become upset when you see others being mistreated.
   • If you want to see the underdog supported and helped, but a sensitive person in their midst. HSPs can make great public defenders, therapists for underprivileged kids, and lobbyists for causes they care about.
10. You’re deeply connected to nature and may find solace in spending time outdoors.
    • Sensitives typically love being in nature and find that this is one of the best ways they can reset and refresh to find peace. Pausing to appreciate the world around them, sensitives are true lovers of the natural world and often have a greater sense of the beauty of creation.
11. You have a deep sense of spirituality and often can sense the presence of God in your everyday life.
    • It’s not talked about much, but sensitives are frequently the spiritual leaders and directors in their communities. They seem to have a natural ability to perceive the unseen and find great solace in being able to pray for people and perceive the intentions of the Divine, God.

Photo by Christopher Campbell on Unsplash

Be sensitive, be free

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