When I realised I was probably a HSP, it was sort of a relief. A lot of things suddenly made more sense. As a HSP your nervous system is more sensitive so things that are ‘normal’ for other people can have a big impact on you.
The things that ticked the boxes for me:
- I was often “hangry” (when you turn in sort of a monster when you don’t eat on time) and that can be one of the characteristics of being a HSP.
- When I hear a loud noise, I am the only one walking past it with my fingers in my ears.
- I can often sense how people feel or how the energy of a place or room is.
- Once we went on a day trip to a Spanish town (can’t remember the name now). I was happy, enjoying the day till we walked up to this church. Suddenly I felt really sad and had to cry. It turned out that the facade of the church was full of chains from slaves.
Does this sound familiar?
Here are some tips that help me a lot:
- Set your boundaries. Every morning I envision this protective layer around me where energies from others bounce off.
- Make self-care your top priority. Take enough time to recharge your battery. If my battery is low, I get of balance easier. My morning ritual is sacred.
- Don’t watch movies that trigger you. For me is that for example war movies. I tried it a few times, but when I left the cinema feeling so sad and that I couldn’t sleep at night, I knew it wasn’t worth it.
- Try to have your big meal for lunch. That way your blood sugar level is balanced better. Since I eat more for lunch and less for dinner the ‘hangry’-moments almost disappeared. Also, take emergency food with you. I always had nuts in my bag to snack on to make sure I don’t get to the ‘hangry’ point.
- Check if you are sensitive to certain foods. I feel much better since I stopped eating gluten.
Hopefully these tips will help you too. And remember, being a HSP is not something negative. It is just a little different. Being sensitive is also our strength (hello empathetic women). Just be careful that it does not turn in to some kind of “excuse” to not grow or go forward.