Are You A Highly Sensitive Person? Find Out… And Maximize Your Gifts!

Dec 7, 2013 | Creativity

shane bechler

(Shane Bechler)

I used to think I was an alien.  I feel art before I even see it.  Words move through me.  I understand aesthetics in an almost surreal manner.  I have dreams that are crazy wild.  I have huge food issues. Gluten lands me in the hospital. If I spend a half hour with someone brutally complaining, I can cry hysterically by the end of the day. I can tolerate physical pain, but I find it impossible to witness violence even on TV.  I can stand on stages joyfully , but I don’t like to be at a party in the center of a large crowd close to me.   That said, I also have super-duper close relationships, and my life is overflowing, especially with creatives and artists, that I am so much in love with… My flashes of the future are 90% accurate, though only when I care about someone.  I could practice Buddhism for hours a day in joy, and feel I am most “me” when I am in sacred spaces or museums.

I am a walking contradiction! But I am not an alien.

If you feel some of the same, you likely aren’t an alien either!

steve taylor

(Steve Taylor) 

Turns out that I am a Highly Sensitive Person, often abbreviated as HSP.  To know me, you would think I was anything but sensitive in the way I confront things in a very New Jersey-bred manner… though I absorb energy easily and I am deeply affected by emotions around me.  This sensitivity is not a disorder, it is a genetic trait in almost 20% of the population and it is AWESOME.  Let me rephrase that… it is AWESOME if you understand it and know how to take amazing care of yourself and protect your energy.

donna drusilla benedict

(Donna Drusilla Benedict)

How Do You Know If You Are A Highly Sensitive Person? 

While I learned after a whole lot of research and talk with many a therapist and healer that I was pretty much an HSP. I don’t intend for any of the information below to be a substitute for seeing doctors or licensed professionals.  Rather, it may encourage you to dig deeper and seek out the experts that can guide you if, indeed, you are a Highly Sensitive Person.

THIS quiz from Oprah is an interesting introduction to the Highly Sensitive Person.   It was pretty clear for me right away that I was a highly Sensitive Person when I first learned about this trait, and this short quiz confirmed it!

It also made me very excited to know that I had lots of company in the world!

Here are a few of the traits that are attributed to Highly Sensitive People—

  • Extreme sensitivity to light &  sound…
  • Deeply affected by the emotions of other people.
  • Strongly bonded to animals and to nature.
  • Enormously artistic.
  • Lots of allergies or sensitivities, including auto-immune digestive disorders and gluten sensitivity.
  • Super-intuitive and super-imaginative.
  • Alone time is key.
  • Majorly in tune with your environment.

Edward Mills has a very well-described list of 23 facets of Highly Sensitive Personalities and I encourage you to read it all HERE if this resonates with you!

aura

(via)

Just A Few Ways That High Sensitivity Can Be So Awesome… 

  • Your intuition is killer.
  • Artistic gifts are likely to flourish.
  • You can deeply experience emotion, and that is such a gift!
  • Love can lead you…!
  • You are more easily capable of experiencing high levels of bliss.

And A Bit Of  Feng Shui Reinforcement For The Highly Sensitive: 

It is not always a piece of cake to be Highly Sensitive, so its worth taking some time to reinforce your environment to support your emotional and energetic needs.

  • Give yourself the time alone that you want and need.
  • Learn the strengths of being sensitive by exploring your creativity.
  • Have at least one big plant in your house.
  • Get a pet if you can!
  • Create a meditative space, even if it is a corner of a room.
  • Use thick carpets to create more texture under foot if you live in a building with people above and beneath you.
  • Put lights on dimmers.
  • Create an energy ritual that recharges you. THIS Home Energy Makeover is a good place to start.
  • Cool colors, horizontal lines and watery patterns are emotionally relaxing.

Enjoy being who you are, how you are.  We all have our unique genius to bring to the world.  I can’t wait to bring you so much more on this super-important subject.  I bet I am not the only one who used to think I had a problem before I realized it was a gift… ! xoxo Dana

P.S.: The Love Camp is coming (!!!) to transform life with so much more love! Attracting more live, giving more love, living with more love in every day!

The FREE 3-Video series kicks things off right HERE!!! It’s packed with feng shui to help you create even more openness, magnetism and more LOVE in awesome, tangible ways! This hour of feng shui videos for love starts soon and it’s only up for 21 days a year…so if you’re ready for a lighter, brighter, more love-filled life, you won’t want to miss it! xoxo!!!

********************

feng shui 101You can always give someone the gift of a new home!  Send them a copy of my e-book  Feng Shui 101.  Its the guide I made for you to create your own personalized feng shui at home, in the office, wherever you may be… in 8 weeks.  It’s not filled with strict rules or what you “must” do.  Its filled with information, questions, exercises and even videos and classes to help you confidently create amazing spaces with killer feng shui and live with more flow.

 Learn more about the 8-week feng shui adventure & grab your copy.  Message me at dana@fengshuidana.com & it will be given as a gift!   And, as always, please let me know what happens!

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12 Comments

  1. Ml

    Yes! I love this. Thanks Dana 🙂 xo

    Reply
  2. sheunesu

    Excellent you touched on this Dana, I find that a great way to revitalize your energies for such a person is to take Himalayan salt bath, & having good tunes playin, that always helps clear the negative energy you’ve absorbed throughout the day.

    Reply
  3. katie

    I have actual had friends jokingly ask what planet i am from. I usually say something like PLANET AWESOME .. oh and i am taking ur advice about the ginger bath tonight.. ive got some toxins i need to sweat out!!

    Reply
  4. Claudia

    Hey, this was great! I am definitely a highly sensitive person, and I can definitely relate to the gluten-sensitivity – last time I ate a wheat-crust pizza it landed me in the hospital. It feels nice to know I am not alone.

    Reply
    • danaclaudat

      you are NOT alone 🙂 and its worth taking extra-awesome care of yourself. Big lesson I learned the hard way 🙂

      Reply
  5. Amanda

    Hi Dana! My name’s Amanda, I’m 25 and I’ve been a fan of your blog for the past two months now. This article by far speaks to me! I love it! I feel like I have meet my fellow “aliens” and it feels good. I have a much more deep understanding of myself. Like Oprah says an “ahh ha” moment. I’m always on the journey of getting to know myself. There’s never a time when I wake up and think “today I’m the best it’s gonna get.” No. This article has definitely enlightened me. Thank you.

    Reply
    • danaclaudat

      So nice to meet you Amanda! And that’s great! The study of HSP’s (aliens :)) is such a hugely awesome relief for you, me & so many people… I’m thrilled to be learning more!!!! And will be sharing all I can as I go! xoxoxo

      Reply
  6. Abigail Lopez

    Hi Dana,
    Thank you for posting this. Trusting in ourselves, our intuition and the messages we share is how we tell our stories. Your writings are full of fantastic ways of creating harmony for optimum clarity.
    I will continue following you and your wonderful blog.
    Abigail

    Reply
    • danaclaudat

      Hi Abigail! Welcome! & thank you so much! I’m glad you are enjoying…!

      Reply
  7. donna g.

    Hey Dana! Great info., as always. I will debate one small point though. If you’re conscious of, and want to avoid emf pollution, you don’t want any dimmer switches in your home. The emf’s they give off are through the roof!

    Reply
    • danaclaudat

      wild. i need to look into this. thank you!

      Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. How To Protect Your Energy | Feng Shui For Highly Sensitive People | The Tao of Dana - […] soul, lover of nature, loner by nature.  Highly Sensitive People are more common than you think.  After reading THIS…
  2. Highly Sensitive Person Traits | Living Artfully | The Tao of Dana - […] you an HSP?  THIS can shine more light on what it is if you are unsure… and THESE tips…

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