<< Understanding HSP biology is critical for the health and wellbeing of sensitive people. The nervous system of highly sensitive people is more sensitive to all kinds of stimulus than the nervous system of the non-HSP. Sometimes identified as sensory defensiveness, overstimulation can create serious health problems for HSP's. The highly sensitive person can have difficulty handling bright lights, noise, fabrics, touch and electromagnetic devices. Crowds, many social situations and modern entertainment involving violence are also problematic for highly sensitive people. Since all stimulus and information involves more mental and physical processing for an HSP than others and because HSP's pick up more stimuli than others, HSP's must be mindful about the mental workload that they take on. Furthermore, because HSP's are more right brained than left brained (holistic rather than compartmentalized) in their mental processing they work much harder to process inputs of all kinds >>
Highly sensitive people are different, have different biologies and different needs. Knowing the signs of stress for HSP's is vital in knowing how to design the kind of strong stress management program that an HSP needs for a thriving, healthy life.
One in five persons is a highly sensitive person (HSP) according to Elaine Aron, Ph.D., the foremost authority on HSP's. There is a misperception that the characteristic of being highly sensitive means the same as high emotionality. In actuality, highly sensitive refers to a sensitive nervous system which picks up more sensory inputs of all kinds. The HSP's busy nervous system gives them a higher susceptibility to stress and therefore a greater need for stress relief.
Stress and health are two of the biggest life challenges for highly sensitive people. Stress can cripple an HSP's ability to function which makes stress reduction and management critically important to the well being of HSP's. Highly sensitive people suffer from a great variety of disorders that stress can make worse. An effective stress plan not only addresses basic stress management needs, but also, if comprehensive, promotes improved health which, in turn, allows the abilities and talents of an HSP to flower. Because HSPs are also more right brained than non-HSP's, their more holistic method of processing information of all kinds is a demanding comprehensive process and adds to the need of HSP's to manage their stresses well.
HSP's are also people who notice patterns and therefore how to change them, contributing in important ways to the evolution of the human race. HSP's are important, although being outnumbered they may not necessarily be aware of their value.
HSP sensitivity provides a natural transpersonal perspective. An HSP is usually a highly compassionate person, who prefers collaborative processes to adversarial ones. Highly sensitive people are natural visionaries, peacemakers, creatives and humanitarians.
One of an HSP's greatest needs is to treasure their health so that they may play their important role in human life.
