Highly sensitive people (HSPs) are often misunderstood. It is easy to think of HSPs as rude if they suddenly ghost at a party. Everyone else is left wondering what happened. HSPs have a more sensitive nervous system then 80% of …
How are Highly Sensitive People VALUED in Western Culture
Reading Elaine Aron’s wonderful book “The Highly Sensitive Person”, I came across this research. The study highlighted the differing traits that made children more popular in different cultures. It revealed Chinese children to naturally value shyness more than Canadian children. …
Highly Sensitive People Often Feel Flawed
As a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) your nervous system is more attuned to the environment than other people. This means you will have a stronger sensitivity to loud noises and smells, you will probably be deeply moved by art and …
The Nervous System of Highly Sensitive People
The term ‘highly sensitive person’ was first coined in 1996 by Dr. Elaine Aron. Being a highly sensitive person is not a diagnosis, it is a trait that comes from having a sensitive nervous system. It is hereditary and has …
Traits of a Highly Sensitive Person
Adapted from Aron (2016). It is estimated that 15-20% of the population is highly sensitive. There is even a scale to measure it! (Benham, 2006). One of my clients introduced me to Elaine Aron’s book “The Highly Sensitive Person”. I …
Can I Widen my “Window of Tolerance”?
The simple answer is YES! With time and focus you CAN widen your window of tolerance. Why is this a good thing? It increases your resilience and keeps your prefrontal cortex (the part responsible for cognitive processing) switched on for …
How To Decrease Hypoarousal
When we are in hypoarousal (when we have gone into freeze and dissociation) we have started to numb and dissociate. To help yourself when you are on this end of the spectrum, you need to stimulate the senses and get …
Signs of Hypoarousal
Hypoarousal is another defence mechanism. It feels like exhaustion, numbness, feeling disconnected from everything and everyone, like you are in a dream. You may want to sleep a lot, eat little and feel quite numb and dissociated. It can be …
How to Decrease Hyperarousal
Hyperarousal is when there is excessive energy that often expresses as anxiety, panic, feeling out of control and wanting to run away. When this happens, it is difficult to relax as our body has gone into fight or flight mode. …
Signs Of Hyperarousal
As we move through life most of the time we are within a safe range of arousal, which means a state where we can function well as a human being. We are able to self-regulate, we feel grounded, present and …