10 signs that you're highly sensitive

Imagine seeing colours more intensely than others, where sound feels louder, emotion feels deeper, and every experience resonates like a ripple in your soul. What if I told you that this isn’t a flaw, and it’s a gift only a small percentage of people truly understand?

Today, we’re uncovering 10 signs that could mean that you are highly sensitive, and if you’re reading this blog post, chances are you might be one.

So, let's firstly touch base upon who Is a Highly Sensitive Person?

A highly sensitive person (HSP) is someone who processes sensory, emotional, and social experiences more deeply than others. It’s a personality trait backed by psychological research. It is a genetic trait and not a disorder. HSPs notice subtleties, feel emotions intensely, and are deeply reflective, but they can also get overwhelmed by noise, crowds, or strong emotions.

Being highly sensitive means your nervous system is finely tuned — like having a high-resolution emotional antenna built into one's mind.

Please note, you could be or could not be highly sensitive. If you are unsure, that is fine too. There is no need to worry about being perfect with your inference about your sensitivity.

Now, let's quickly discuss the 10 signs that could tell you if you are highly sensitive. Please know, there could be other determinants to understanding your sensitivity; however, I will mention the ones that stand out the most.

10 Signs You Might Be Highly Sensitive

• You feel overwhelmed in crowds or loud environments.

  Do you get into crowded places and feel your nervous system scream at you or do you sense the sounds that are made by people in crowds so loudly in your ears that you feel overwhelmed and disturbed?

  Well, many sensitive individuals and empaths (individuals who absorb others emotions quickly) can be negatively impacted by crowds and loud environments.

  
  

• Bright lights, strong smells, or intense sounds drain you quickly.

  Sensitive or highly sensitive individuals have strong senses that can get triggered quite easily with strong smells or bright lights. These intense smells, lights, or sounds can make our delicate senses feel overburdened.

  
  

• You process emotions deeply — both yours and others.

  Highly sensitive individuals have a nervous system that can process information of different types quite easily. For example, a highly sensitive person can process energetic, emotional, cognitive, body-based, and psychic information extremely deeply, in a way it can touch the core being of a sensitive soul.

  
  

• You’re highly intuitive and keenly aware of subtle changes.

  Highly sensitive individuals can have many intuitive perceptions quite naturally, and they can observe subtle changes in their inner and outer environment.

  
  

• Art, nature, and music move you more intensely than most.

  Highly sensitive individuals can feel the emotions in art, nature, and music so intensely that it could make them cry with sadness and feel elated with happiness. They can appreciate beauty in art, nature, and music like others cannot.

  
  

• You’re a keen observer of details others miss.

  Highly sensitive people can observe subtle nuances that others can miss. Their senses can guide them to observe changes in the environment that could be useful information for them or others.

  
  

• You need downtime to recharge after social interaction.

  Often, highly sensitive individuals could feel drained after social interactions due to difficulty in processing of others thoughts and emotions, including their own. Hence, highly sensitive individuals could feel the need to withdraw from social environments after social interactions to rest and recharge.

  
  

• Criticism affects you deeply.

  As a sensitive soul, you could feel negatively impacted by criticism and it can touch deep parts of a sensitive soul's heart and soul. Many times, sensitive or highly sensitive individuals can feel wounded or traumatized by criticism.

  
  

• You crave meaning and depth in conversations.

  Highly sensitive people could need to have real conversations to maintain authentic relationships. They cannot sustain shallow or surface-level conversations (although exceptions do exist).

  
  

• You sense others emotions even when they don’t say anything.

  Highly sensitive people are compassionate and can be empaths (that is, they can sense and intuit others emotions more quickly and accurately even if the other person doesn't say anything).They have radars that can accurately pick up on others emotions, including strangers.

My personal journey as a highly sensitive person

My personal experience with high sensitivity has been challenging, as I found out about my trait in my late 20s. One of the signs for me being highly sensitive was that I'd get drained quickly.

I remember that I’d come back from a busy day feeling physically drained. I don't mean just tired, but my nervous system, physical body, and emotional body needed rest. I would retreat to silence or paint for hours, until my mind felt calm again.

Especially, crowded and brightly lit places can make me feel extremely overwhelmed and confused. More importantly, I can also feel highly stimulated by others emotions and energy that can linger around me even without others physical bodies around me. It's not just me, but many highly sensitive and sensitive people can be sensitive to others' emotions as much as I or more too.

Let's talk about some other examples of how someone can be highly sensitive

I was taking a workshop about angels in Pune. After the workshop, one of my workshop clients mentioned that he can observe people in a room and notice subtle nuances for all people in the room, and collect much information about them. He said that he can observe and make notes of details that others can miss. This is a common sign of a highly sensitive person.

So, my point here is that we might disregard small signs that our high sensitivity could be giving us. It is best if we don't neglect it, as it could cause emotional, cognitive, physical, energetic, psychic, and even soul level disturbances.

Let me share another example!

I went to a business meet-up and met Lalita, an artist in her 50s who was a participant of the meet-up. A part of the meet-up was to introduce each other's businesses. After I introduced my business, Lalita shared that she was a highly sensitive person as well. She expressed and agreed that art was helping her, but also the ways in which she can feel everything deeply.

She was also happy to have known about her sensitivity, as she would be able to understand her life better.

And that's what our understanding of our sensitivity can do. It can help us embrace our lives better and in ways we can get closure about experiences in our life's that remained a mystery to us before.

So, if you recognise yourself as a sensitive soul, hurry up! Get the support you deserve today!

Book a Clarity Call

If you resonate with my message and content, I invite you to book a 30-minute clarity call with me. The call is priced at 7$. If you find that you haven't found any value in the 30-minutes, you can refrain from paying the 7$ post the call.

In this call, we will discuss your challenges around sensitivity and your unique gifts. We will discuss where you are, what you need, and whether my 12-week coaching program is aligned for you. Please note, my hourly fee is 200$, and the fee for my 12-week program is 3800$, which includes WhatsApp support, angelic protection, energy work even in between sessions, and more handholding support.

Thank you for being here. If this blog post helped you, please like, share, and subscribe to my blog. Your support helps this work reach sensitive people around the world.

Please leave a comment if any part of this resonated with you, as I would love to engage with you.

You are also welcome to explore my other blog posts to learn more about sensitivity, creativity, emotional regulation, and intuitive growth. If you'd like to relax and learn, you can purchase my course on the basics of highly sensitive people and the impact of abstract art on the sensitive nervous system.

If learning about sensitivity feels challenging or triggering, that is understandable. When I first learned about my sensitivity, I felt overwhelmed by realizations, fears, and expectations.

Embracing our gifts takes energy, patience, and self-compassion. My intention over the past three years has been to make this journey lighter, clearer, and more supportive for sensitive souls. So, please stay put and keep investing in your growth.

Thank you for reading, and I appreciate your presence.

Until next time!

-Stay playful,

Pranita

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Disclaimer:

Please note that the information on this site and blog is not medical information. Expressive Sensitive is a space to inform, educate, and engage highly sensitive people about the relationship between abstract art and high sensitivity. Please be advised that I utilize my education and experience as an artist, healer, energy worker, and a science communicator to create authentic content in this space.

To get medical support, please reach out to a qualified medical professional. Please reach out to authorized educational professionals to replicate my artistic or emotional coping methods.