The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You is a self-help book written by psychologist Elaine N. Aron. It is designed to help sensitive individuals understand their unique qualities and how best to thrive in a world that can be overwhelming at times.
Embrace Your Sensitivity
Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) possess unique qualities that can be both a blessing and a curse.
However, instead of resisting or suppressing their sensitivity, Aron encourages readers to embrace it and take advantage of their natural strengths and abilities.
Be Mindful of Stimulation Levels
As too much stimulation can be overwhelming for highly sensitive people, Aron recommends limiting exposure to stimuli such as loud noises or bright lights whenever possible.
She also suggests creating a calm environment at home or work that reduces stressful stimuli.
Choose Your Battles Wisely
Highly sensitive people have a tendency to take things personally or become easily offended; however, Aron suggests that HSPs should choose their battles wisely and let go of issues that aren’t worth fighting for.
This helps reduce stress levels and prevent burnout.
Trust Your Intuition
High sensitivity often comes with strong intuition, which can guide us towards making wise choices in our lives, if we listen carefully.
Aron encourages readers to pay attention to their inner voice, as it can provide invaluable insights into how we can best navigate our lives.
Find Supportive Relationships
Finding supportive relationships with friends, family, colleagues or therapy professionals can make all the difference for highly sensitive people.
Having someone in our corner who understands us can help us feel validated and provide us with much needed emotional support.
Cultivate Self-Awareness
Being aware of one’s feelings, thoughts and behaviors is essential for HSPs as it helps them make wise decisions and maintain balance in their lives.
It also enables them to better manage their emotions and reactions to stressors in the environment.
Manage Stress Levels
As HSPs are particularly susceptible to stress, it is important for them to develop effective ways of dealing with it.
This includes engaging in relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or mindfulness, as well as getting sufficient restful sleep.
Choose Carefully What You Do
Aron encourages HSPs not to overextend themselves and instead make wise decisions about where they expend their energy.
This means saying yes only when we’re truly passionate about something and setting realistic goals so we don’t become overwhelmed by too many obligations.
Take Time for Self-Care
Taking time for self-care is essential for HSPs, who tend to have heightened emotional needs.
Aron emphasizes the importance of taking breaks from the hustle and bustle of life and engaging in activities that promote physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Set Healthy Boundaries
Setting healthy boundaries is an important element of self-care for HSPs. While it’s important to be kind and generous, it’s also important to be aware of one’s limits and not overextend oneself in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
