Do you feel moved by the beauty of music, feel extreme empathy toward animals, cry during touching commercials, hate loud nosies, are easily startled or overwhelmed, and need a lot of quiet alone time? If so, you may be a highly sensitive person or an HSP. Elaine Aron, who has a Ph.D. in clinical depth psychology, discovered the traits of HSPs and wrote the book The Highly Sensitive Person, in which she says 15 to 20 percent of the population are HSPs.
HSPs may have been called “too sensitive” or told their heightened sensitivity is a weakness. But once a person comes to the realization that they’re an HSP, they’ll understand themselves on a much deeper level. They’ll see their sensitivity, intuition, and conscientiousness as a strength and a gift, and they’ll feel happier and more confident because of it. Keep reading to learn about the traits of highly sensitive people; how being highly sensitive affects diet, workouts, and body image; how HSPs can practice self-care; and how to use sensitivity as a superpower!
