A Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), as described by Elaine Aron in her book “The Highly Sensitive Person”, is someone who is more sensitive to subtleties of the environment, has a more sensitive nervous system and more active insula (the part of the brain thought to be the centre of overall awareness).
She estimates that 15-20% of the population are highly sensitive and have slightly different needs from the other 80%.
The most important part of self-care for HSPs is to stop pushing yourself in the belief that you ‘should’ be less sensitive or that you ‘should’ be different to how you are. Your nervous system is more sensitive than many others, so you will need different boundaries.
I’d love to hear if there is an area in your life where you feel you need to set different boundaries?
Love Jen x
Reference: Aron, E. N. (2016). The Highly Sensitive Person. NY, New York; Random House.
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