Confessions of a Highly Sensitive Person

  1. Maintaining a sense of inner peace, or internal equilibrium, is of the utmost importance to me. People or circumstances that interfere with my inner peace must be dealt with swiftly and accordingly. I do not allow these things to fester—they cause me too much unrest.
  2. Being sensitive and being a pushover are not the same thing. Indeed, sometimes the opposite is true.
  3. If I become hurt or angry, I can stay that way for much longer than I would like. And I may have a difficult time soothing myself; although, I have gotten better at that over the years.
  4. I have a zero tolerance policy for people who sow intentional chaos.
  5. There are few things I love more than sitting quietly in nature, preferably birdwatching. I could, and often do, spend entire days like that. Just looking, listening, and taking photographs. 
  6. I have no problem going a whole day without speaking.
  7. I don’t have a lot of friends, but those friendships I have are important to me. I am very selective about who I allow to get close to me.
  8. I am adept at reading people, which is probably the reason for #7.
  9. I am easily overstimulated. I hate bright, noisy, chaotic environments. 
  10. I have a thing about artificial light. There are certain stores and restaurants I will not visit if I think the lighting is bad. It actually bothers me so much that it ruins the whole experience. I also tend to frequent businesses that are aesthetic “happy places” for me. Whole Foods, for example, is one of those places, and the biggest reason I like Whole Foods is that the lighting is good.
  11. I am easily unsettled by people who are restless, chaotic, or histrionic, though I rarely show it. 
  12. It’s my observation that most people are chronically overstimulated and don’t even know it.
  13. I have a very hard time lying to myself. I generally know when my motivations are less than pure, when I’m being petty or ego-centered, or when I am rationalizing, idealizing, projecting, etc. This is both a blessing and a curse.
  14. It is remarkable to me how easily desensitized we are to the presence of cruelty in our everyday lives.
  15. I am easily emotionally moved, but I don’t cry much.
  16. I hate conflict.
  17. Persistent loud noise can make me irritable.
  18. Rather than take the time to explain to some people why they’ve hurt, upset, or disrespected me, I find it better to cut them off silently. In this way, I do not pour my time, energy, and emotions into situations that are not worthy of them; nor do I risk disrupting my inner equilibrium.
  19. It never ceases to amaze me how cruel people can be without even knowing it.
  20. I am hyper self-aware. I am also a total hypochondriac.
  21. Nearly everytime I have my blood pressure checked, it is too high–not because I have high blood pressure but because I get really anxious whenever I am being measured or evaluated.
  22. I have a sanctuary (my home office/art studio/reading room). This is the space I retreat to whenever I feel overwhelmed. 
  23. Processing negative emotions can take a great deal of time and energy. I tend to withdraw during periods like this. I call it “going into my cocoon.” 
  24. I am sensitive to beauty, and I put a great deal of effort into making my home aesthetically pleasing and comforting. If I walk into someone else’s home and it seems to me that no effort has been put into these things, I judge.
  25. I think we have a spiritual need for beauty.
  26. I am not good at forcing myself to perform according to other people’s standards and expectations. I have historically failed at this more often than I care to admit. I am much, much happier and more productive when I have the freedom to be inner-directed. That is, when I can move according to my own instincts, set my own schedule, do my own research, develop my own ideas, etc. That doesn’t mean I don’t work well with others or that I wouldn’t benefit from collaboration. It just means I work differently.
  27. I am overly sensitive to the effects of a bad night’s sleep. 
  28. I don’t think the positive aspects of high sensitivity are talked about enough. Sensitivity can be an incredible gift: it’s what makes the everyday feel awe-inspiring and miraculous. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

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