–Cheryl Richardson
High Sensitivity is genetic
Research shows that rather than just being a personality type, like being shy or outgoing, high sensitivity is defined as having a hypersensitive nervous system. Heightened sensitivity makes a person acutely aware of subtleties in his/her surroundings, and is more easily overwhelmed when in a highly stimulating environment. I can hear you asking, “but isn’t our personality a product of our genes?” And the answer to that question is yes and no. To understand this question we first must understand that the essence of who we are is comprised of two parts: temperament and personality.
Temperament refers to a set of innate or inborn traits that organize and determine a person’s approach to the world. It is the internal processor and is hard wired into the DNA. Personality is what arises within an individual as a result of their temperament, life experiences, value system, education and a host of other factors. Personality is the driver of external responses, social interactions and behaviors.
Simpy put, temperament is like an art canvas and personality is the painting on the canvas. The primary point is that personality can be changed and is constantly evolving but temperament remains the same. High sensitivity is a result of one’s temperament and is reflected through their personality.
Brain activity in highly sensitive people is different than people without this trait
According to research, the key difference is that, compared to the 80% without the trait, the brains of HSP’s are able to process everything around them much more—reflect on it, elaborate on it and make associations. When this processing is not fully conscious, it surfaces as intuition. The brains of the highly sensitive are hyper-processing, assimilating, evaluating and synthesizing information all of the time. This is what causes them to become overwhelmed, feel tired and explains their tendency to withdraw for periods of time. They need a break.
Coping with Hypersensitivity
Now that we understand this issue a little better we can begin to take steps to cope with it. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are or know a highly sensitive person:
Final Word
