What is a “Highly Sensitive Person” (HSP)? Highly Sensitive Person is a term used to describe 15-20% of the population who are born with a unique sensory processing trait that allows them to notice more subtleties in their environment, resulting in both deeper processing (thinking & feeling) and a tendency toward becoming overwhelmed by stimuli more quickly. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of high sensitivity you can start here: The Highly Sensitive Person: A Form of Neurodivergence.
Photo by Joanna Nix-Walkup on Unsplash What is a “Highly Sensitive Person” (HSP)? Highly Sensitive Person is a term used to describe 15-20% of the population who are born with a unique sensory processing trait that allows them to notice more subtleties in their environment, resulting in both deeper processing (thinking & feeling) and a tendency toward becoming overwhelmed by stimuli more quickly. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of high sensitivity you can start here: The Highly Sensitive Person: A Form of Neurodivergence. It wasn’t until my 30’s that I realized the answer to the above question is “no.” No, not everyone is sensitive—at least not in the very specific context of Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), the scientific name for the more colloquial term Highly Sensitive Person or HSP.
Photo by Robbie Down on Unsplash Our culture loves the idea of “closure” when it comes to grief. But would we ever really want closure after experiencing a deep loss, like the loss of someone we love? Photo by Alexis Chloe on Unsplash If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard someone say that the reason they’re afraid to set boundaries is because they’re afraid of being “mean,” I’d be rich. Our culture, on the one hand, upholds individualism to an extreme, while on the other hand, encourages and normalizes unhealthy codependent relational dynamics. Mixed messages much? Photo by taylor hernandez on Unsplash |
|