Highly sensitive people process information deeply and, as a result, experience the world a little differently than others. Images of violence or stories of anguish can be unbearable for them. Sudden loud noises, bright lights, and busy schedules have the power to affect HSP moods. Situations that may be moderately stressful for the average person can cause a sensitive person to spiral into overthinking.
In this post I would like to examine which habits we can implement in our lives to ensure that we are aware of our sensitivity and learn how to get the most out of this trait.
5 things for an hsp to be happy
1- Time to make decisions
If there is something that highly sensitive people do not like, it is not having time to make decisions. We like to take into account all possible scenarios and the potential consequences of each path to take.
As a highly sensitive person, you work best when you have time and space to reflect before responding. You pick up nuances and are adept at making connections and integrating complex information. It is essential that you give yourself the opportunity to process all that information that you constantly receive.
But… how to give yourself time if everything happens so fast?
Receiving so much information in a short period of time and under pressure can lead to paralysis when making decisions. In my case, I realized that it was difficult for me to make decisions in any area of my life, not only about which career to choose but which brand of cereal to buy. If you identify with the above, perhaps this strategy will help you:
Take into account the value of your time and how taking days or hours to make a decision can make you lose an opportunity or simply your precious energy. For trivial decisions like what bread to buy, dare to be more spontaneous or try using a coin and go with what it says (if it’s heads I buy baguette if it’s tails I buy normal braid).
However, for important decisions, use this wonderful quality that you have as a highly sensitive person and feel free to reflect and analyze the different situations and results. You can always give yourself a deadline if you tend to procrastinate.
2.- A place of refuge
For those of you who are single and live in your own apartment, arriving home may give you a sense of relief, of being able to take off the mask you have to wear at work.
But what if when you arrive home it is also overloaded with stimuli? you could then experience constant stress without even being aware of where it is coming from.
If that is your case because you live with children or with your parents, make sure you have a place where you can reduce the level of stimuli: noise, lights, people…
3.- A social circle that respects your sensitivity
That means they don’t pressure you, they don’t make you feel weird about needing time to recharge, they understand your strengths and weaknesses as a highly sensitive person. That they accept you
We don’t need a lot of people, but a few close friends who will give us the same level of empathy and genuine care that we offer them. Otherwise, as highly sensitive we expose ourselves to having unilateral relationships that do not contribute anything to ourselves. Here are some features your social circle should know about HSPs:
- We feel things deeply, but we may hide our emotions from others, because we have learned to withdraw.
- We may appear uncomfortable in group situations, such as work meetings or parties, because there is too much stimulation, such as loud noises. This does not mean that we do not value relationships.
- When we start new relationships, such as friendships or dating, we may seek reassurance because we are hypersensitive to any perceived signs of rejection
4.- A job where you can control the stimuli
Humans spend 90,000 hours of our lives at work (yes, a third of your life🙄). That is why I always emphasize the importance of looking for a job in relation to your personality. Otherwise, you can make your life a nightmare (it happened to me when I worked as a telemarketer or waitress). It is therefore essential that you know yourself and know what irritates you in a work environment. Some things that can put highly sensitive people in a bad mood at work are:
- Lights too bright
- Constant noise like doors with entry alarms.
- Inefficiency As HSPs, we need our work to have meaning in our lives, to know that we are having an impact on the world. If otherwise in your job there is a lot of inconsistency and they send you to do tasks without any sense, it will be a source of unhappiness.
- Constant supervision. It especially gets on our nerves and it makes us make more mistakes when we are being watched.
As I highlighted in the previous article, you have three options if you find that your job is sucking all your energy as a highly sensitive person:
a) Reduce stimuli: use earplugs, ask your boss to work in a less noisy room, put on headphones with music. It is not applicable to every job.
b) Change yourself (?): I put it as an option because maybe you have tried, but honestly in vain. Being a highly sensitive person is largely genetic so it won’t be very effective.
c) Change jobs: of course depending on the situation you are is not always possible.
5.- Scheduled recharge time.
The good thing about having a set recharge time, whether it’s one day a week or a couple of hours a day, is that we eliminate the feeling of exhaustion before it’s too late.
Above all, it is especially important for HSPs that they are competitive and productive in nature. Oftentimes, you can feel like that reload time is wasted time where you could be doing other things. But if you realize that this recharge time is not an option but just as essential as eating or showering, you will be able to be more productive for even longer (at least that has been my own experience).
It is time to disconnect from the outside world, thus reducing the stimulating load that it implies. Some people find it helpful to meditate, write in a journal, take a shower, or just be alone for a while. Whatever your way of disconnecting, you need to give it the value it deserves.
6.- A routine
I believe that a routine is necessary for all types of people, especially if you want to get the most out of your day. I would like to recall this quote from Jordan Peterson, in which he talks about the power of routines:
People commonly associate routines with a boring life. But I say plan your day to have the day you want. And then, that will be a great day.
Jordan Peterson
Thus, it contemplates having a daily routine as the path to personal satisfaction, productivity, happiness and reaching our goals. Eating breakfast at the same time each morning, as well as eating dinner and going to bed at the same time each night, creates comfort and stability. When we stay on top of our routines, life feels easier to manage. This sense of manageability allows us to deal with unpredictable changes.
Some ways a routine can help are:
- Better stress levels lead to better mental health, more time to relax, and lower anxiety.
- Rest quality. Your sleep schedule and bedtime habits affect your mental acuity, performance, emotional well-being, and energy level. It’s best if you can keep a consistent schedule for waking up and going to bed.
- Better self-esteem, as a result of a more productive life for tedious activities but also for those that you are passionate about.
That’s all for today’s article on the habits every highly sensitive person needs to be happy. Tell me in the comments what tricks you implement in life to take advantage of your sensitivity✌️
Whoa! I really like this blog, I love the fact that the HSP is described accordingly at the same time you provided strategies or tips on how to cope with it. My work is not related to the psychological field however since my task is more to this expertise I’m beginning to understand more about mental state. And I’m also thankful that I was introduced to this job role wherein I not only benefited from my work but also I’m learning a lot and some are even applicable and impacting to me and the people around me.