Highly sensitive persons do not have an easy life. Their high sensitivity can lead them to develop an empathy that makes them suffer excessively and often they hit the wall that represents the incomprehension of the others.
At the base of this cognitive and emotional hypersensitivity is a different processing. Highly sensitive people process information differently, so loud sounds, images of violence or pain, too bright lights and crowds can affect them deeply. Therefore, to be happy they need quiet environments where their senses can rest. Although that’s not enough.
Happiness comes from the hand of simplicity and meaning
- A slower and simpler rhythm of life
Because highly sensitive people process information at a deeper level, they often need more time to perform certain tasks, such as having breakfast or leaving the house in the morning. They also need a little more time to make decisions, even the simplest and seemingly inconsequential ones like choosing the flavor of an ice cream, because they find it more complicated to process the enormous amount of existing options, since in their mind they meticulously value all the pros and contras, to the point that in some cases can suffer an authentic analysis paralysis. That is why highly sensitive people tend to be happier taking a slower pace of life and choosing a simpler lifestyle.
- A quiet environment to relax after a busy day
We all need a balance between activity and rest, but for highly sensitive persons it is essential. At the end of the day, these people absorb an impressive amount of information and process it to the last detail, which is often exhausting, not only mentally but also physically. The time of relaxation and disconnection serves to reduce the level of stimulation and restore their inner peace. Without that balance, a highly sensitive person may end up suffering from panic attacks or depression. That’s why they need a quiet place where they feel completely at ease to rest.
- Permission to get excited
Highly sensitive people are not only susceptible to external stimuli but also emotionally very sensitive. They usually have emotions on the surface and can not avoid expressing what they are feeling. That means they show their anger without sifting, as well as their joy. For these people it is very important to express their emotions because being forced to repress them will make them feel much worse. Therefore, it is essential that they receive validation from those around them and that the others appreciate that sincerity.
- Time to adapt to change
Transitions are often difficult for everyone, but for highly sensitive people they can quickly become a huge source of stress that overwhelms them. Even positive changes, such as starting a relationship or moving to the house of their dreams, can be stressful for these people. They need a longer period of time to get used to changes and accept them fully. Highly sensitive people have their own rhythm and it is important that the others respect it because trying to accelerate it will only cause more stress and destabilization.
- An exit for their creative side
Many of the highly sensitive people experience an imperative need to create. They channel their observations, ideas and emotions through art, poetry, music … Their sensitivity can become so overwhelming and social incomprehension so great that they need to explore other channels to express their inner world. For these people creativity is a kind of escape valve that allows them release all emotional and sensory experiences.
- A natural environment and beauty
Whether we want it or not, our environment affects us. However, the influence of the environment on highly sensitive persons is even more intense. The disordered, chaotic or simply ugly spaces generate a state of uneasiness difficult to bear, to such an extent that they can destabilize them emotionally causing irritation, frustration and/or sadness. On the contrary, nature and the ordered environments with an aesthetic beauty make them feel happy, it is as if they helped them recharge their emotional battery.
- Sleep well
We all need to sleep well and a bad night’s sleep ends up destroying us, but for highly sensitive people, sleep problems are an unbearable nightmare. Not sleeping puts them in a bad mood and affects profoundly their performance to such an extent that they find it almost impossible to do anything. Sleep helps highly sensitive people process daytime experiences to take away some of their emotional impact, so they need it almost as much as oxygen to breathe.
- Meaningful interpersonal relationships
Highly sensitive people are not necessarily introverted, but they enjoy the intelligent company and need to find a kindred soul who understands their sensitive nature or, at least, respects it. That person can help them protect themselves from overstimulation and validate their feelings, facilitating their day-to-day decisions. However, if they do not find someone who understands and values them, they prefer to be alone because superficial relationships lack charm and bore them quickly. Highly sensitive persons want to connect from the depths and often avoid irrelevant relationships at all costs.
- A rich inner life
Highly sensitive persons have a greater predisposition to look within themselves, their values are constantly questioned and they always try to perfect something. In fact, it is not strange that this type of person is often classified as an “old soul“. These people do not usually look for vibrant experiences, but they are able to live intensely the simplest experiences that for the others tend to go unnoticed, like a sunset.
- A sense of life
Some people seem to float in life without direction or purpose. For highly sensitive people it is unthinkable. On the contrary, they usually spend a lot of time reflecting on philosophical issues. Who am I? Why I’m here? What is the meaning of life? These people are always looking for a deeper meaning that gives a sense to their existence and acts. If they do not find it, they can suffer an existential crisis. Their happiness depends to a large extent on finding their place in the world.
