Are you someone who is easily influenced by your surroundings? Who feels things very deeply, and who gets overwhelmed easily and needs a moment to yourself? Then you may be what is known as a highly sensitive person, or HSP as it is abbreviated.

Hypersensitivity is something that has long been researched very little, but has received more and more attention in recent years. Approximately 20 percent of the world's population is estimated to be highly sensitive, which means that they take in and process the world on a slightly deeper level than others. Being highly sensitive means being particularly compassionate, caring, easily moved, vulnerable and empathetic. This means that you often notice and pick up signals from your surroundings that many others would overlook.

A highly sensitive person's brain works differently

A person who is highly sensitive often has a more active nervous system, and the brain does not filter out external and internal stimuli in the same way as other brains. It analyzes and processes every little impression several times over, and often makes connections and comparisons between what it is experiencing now and other events it has been part of. This results in a highly sensitive person's brain doing more cognitive work during the day compared to others, which leads to easily feeling more exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of the day.

Some brief signs that you are highly sensitive

• You may break down from an overwhelming task at work
• You take "hangry" (hungry + angry) to a new level
• You are easily thrown off balance by too much noise, smells, coffee or sugar
• A nice compliment or the sight of a beautiful sunset can make you feel happy for days
• You can easily read how other people are feeling

To feel the energies of others

As a highly sensitive person, you are more aware of your surroundings and can therefore easily feel the energy of places, animals and people. If you want to read more about what it is that makes it possible to feel the energies of others, you can do so in our article " What does energy mean? ".

If you are sensitive to other people's energy, it can be expressed by, for example, feeling anxious without knowing why, feeling sad all of a sudden, or having pain in some part of your body. This means that you have taken on and absorbed another person's energy, and a good way to think if you suddenly feel a feeling without knowing why, is to ask yourself "Is this mine?". If the answer to the question is no, the feelings usually ease and disappear.

Another tip for not taking in as much of the surrounding energies is to visualize yourself as in a bubble of light. This can be done if you are in loud places with many people, or in other stressful environments. You can also use another technique where you imagine "energy scissors" that cut the bond of energy between yourself and the person you have been with.

High sensitivity is a gift

Being highly sensitive comes with many benefits and should be seen as a type of superpower. As a highly sensitive person, you know how others feel without having to ask, you are incredibly creative and understanding, and have a fantastic connection to nature and a great intellectual ability. If you are highly sensitive, tap into your talents and gifts and share them with the world.