DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOU? Signs of a Very Sensitive Person

I hope you’re all keeping well, in whatever corner of the world you reside.

Today I want to discuss some things Sensitive people do.

I’m sure if you’re an Empath, or HSP, you will have already seen the list of Empath traits. However, the following, is something that could also describe an Empath or Sensitive person, yet they might not be something you’ve given much thought to.

So, let’s take a look at what they are…

1. You become deeply touched by the kindness of others

This is something many people could admit to, but for a Sensitive person a simple act of unexpected kindness can blow them away. Often bringing tears to their eyes in the process.

2. You have to avoid certain films because of their impact

Violence on the TV, or anything overly heart-wrenching, where someone is emotionally suffering, can be difficult to observe for a Sensitive person. It can create a massive stress response within the body and even a cortisol spike, which can sometimes trigger insomnia.

10 Ways to Trigger an Empath

3. You anticipate others’ needs

Sensitive people often sense what another person needs before they’ve had chance to realise it for themselves. However, it is often the case that most people do not want to be told what they need, because it would probably mean giving up something or someone that they do not want to give up. They usually have to figure it out for themselves.

4. You find it near impossible to just brush something off

If someone has upset or irritated you, it can linger in the mind for days, weeks or even years. The mind replays what the heart can’t delete, which means a Sensitive person finds it difficult to ignore having being hurt or angered by another. You might forgive, but don’t forget.

5. You dissect conversations

This can be the words of others or your own. Hearing things that aren’t actually said but are intended are indeed a trait of a Sensitive person. But it can also mean that you dissect your own words and replay your conversations, worrying how they might have been wrongly perceived or caused offence.

6. You find it difficult to express your true feelings

Anyone who is Sensitive has a huge well of feelings that often go undeclared. This can be for many reasons. Fear of rejection, not being able to articulate your truth, reading whether the other person is able to process the information, or indeed, if they are interested in listening to what you have to say.

7. You feel peoples’ emotions

This goes without saying for anyone who considers themselves to be an Empath, but always deserves a mention. Feeling people’s emotional energy will seem strange to anyone who doesn’t experience it. And although everyone normally feels the vibes of people or places, a Sensitive person feels them in surplus.  Read more here.

Can An Empath Really Feel Other People’s Emotions?

8. You need time to recover after socialising

Social events can cause a hangover whether alcohol was consumed or not. This is because you pick up the emotional energy of others, and often take it in. Also, too much time spent around many people, in a relatively small space, can trigger the stress hormones. If adrenaline or cortisol are triggered, they can cause sleeplessness. And that is despite the fact you may feel incredible fatigue after socialising. A social hangover could take several days to recover from.

9. You get deeply moved by the arts or certain music

A song you love can bring you to tears, or overwhelmed with emotion, and it will replay in your mind over and over. Observing inspirational or colourful artwork can leave you mesmerised by its effects. You may not necessarily consider yourself to be an artsy person, but certain pieces of art or sculpture can draw you in and keep you intrigued by the hidden story within.

10. You notice details that no one else does

This is not so much in a critical way, you would just see something, like a picture not sitting straight on a wall, or perhaps an object looking out of place or that was moved.

11. You’re prone to overthink everything

A Sensitive person’s mind can sometimes feel like it has been given a steroid injection. It can whizz around for hours on a simple idea. Roaming from one thought to another. This is especially evident at night-time and can be linked with number 5 on the list about dissecting conversations.

Why are So Many Empaths Experiencing Information Overload?

12. Confrontation with others makes you uncomfortable

Confrontation can leave a Sensitive person reeling with discomfort. This is for the reason that confrontation often leads to conflict or a quarrel. Any type of argument will never benefit a Sensitive person, and they try to avoid them. But the downside to this it can lead to feelings of resentment or excess stress from holding things within.

13. You say sorry a lot

Sensitive people don’t want others to feel uncomfortable, so will apologise even when something is not their fault or even for no real reason at all. For example, you may be in a supermarket and someone blocks your path, but you will be the one to apologise for the inconvenience.

14. If you have discomfort in your body your focus always returns to it

Being Sensitive generally means you feel everything more powerfully, and this includes pain. When you feel a discomfort somewhere in your body it can be hard to take your mind off it, and it may mean you worry more about it than you should.

15. Your senses are heightened

You may smell things more powerfully, or colours might appear brighter, you might even be more sensitive to differing heats. This is simply because everything is energy vibrating at different frequencies, and that includes scents, colours, and even temperatures, and Sensitive people tune into all types of energy.

7 Secrets of the Sensitive

So, there you go. How many did you identify with? And, if nothing else, this list is some more food for thought on your Sensitive Empath ways.

Stay happy and healthy.

Until next time.

Diane

10 thoughts on “DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOU? Signs of a Very Sensitive Person

  1. ❤️

    I’m curious about how you view childhood trauma as playing into some of this. I feel like I have been a feeler since I was born, but growing up afraid, invalidated, and never shown it to be a good thing to speak up, many of these traits are either a direct result of, or amplified by those things. Overapologizing (because I’m in the way/don’t want to be in the way/do not want to upset anyone so I can stay safe), hypervigilance when out in public, feeling out who is safe, who is hiding something etc, people pleasing by anticipating the needs of others so I can feel safe (and needed?), etc.

    I’d love to hear your thoughts!

    Thanks for great posts! Nicki

    • Hi Nikki,
      That is a great question. And yes, I most certainly do believe childhood trauma can play a massive part in much of the above. Especially in amplifying the feelings of not being safe, and taking pre-emptive steps to stay safe (reading for who could be harmful, over-apologizing, etc.).

      I also believe that we can be affected by trauma when in utero. My mum’s mother died when she was pregnant with me, and I know it had a massive impact on me and how I showed up in the world.

      There is always the argument of did the trauma create the Sensitivity or was it experienced more adversely because of the Sensitivity.

      My personal belief is the Sensitive/Empath side of a person is already there when they entered this life, and whatever traumas were experienced as a child amplified their safety issues. For example, I have three sisters who had a similar upbringing to me, yet they do not have the same Empath/Sensitive traits.

      Loud noises/voices could traumatise a Sensitive child, whereas, they have no impact on other children.

      Early life trauma can affect the nervous system as well as how the body reacts to stress. Meaning we often overreact to things that have little to no effect on another. And being hypervigilant is indeed a self-protection process, where we are anticipating, if even subconsciously, our own safety.

      I hope this answers your great question. It certainly got my brain working this morning. 🙂

  2. All correct except saying sorry a lot. I will apologize if I am wrong or hurt someone. I won’t avoid apologizing but saying sorry a lot, maybe in the past. The rest however is very accurate.

    • Hi Jean,

      I have 3 different web addresses, but they all are the same site with the same posts.

      So, if you sign up on one of them, with your new email, my posts will come through to your email address.

      Hope this helps.

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