Psychology

I think I’m a highly sensitive person.

For a while, I believed I possessed a set of traits that often feel rather inhibiting, especially in social situations – ones I have to actively try and undermine to maintain a cheery facade around other humans.

Mostly I just wrote this off as introversion.

However, in my daily Internet wanderings, I stumbled upon an HSP quiz devised by a psychotherapist, which I scored rather highly on.

Things like the following:

• Being overwhelmed by strong sensory input
• Wanting to withdraw from stimulation and place myself in a quote, dark room
• Leading a rich, complex, inner life
• Feeling frazzled and needing to be alone
• Feeling overwhelmed when I have much to do in a short time
• Trying hard to avoid mistakes and forgetting things
• Feeling sensitive to the needs and emotions of others
• Awareness of subtleties in my environment
• Being shaken up by life changes or alterations in routine

Apparently, around 15-20% of the population exhibit the HSP trait – too many to be a disorder, but enough to make it a recognizable presentation.

I’m not exactly sure what this means and if any actionable strategies can help.

But hey ho. Know thyself and all that.

We often ruminate in negativity, obsessing over worst-case scenarios with a defeatist attitude.

At such times I use a forcible mantra to jumpstart inner positivity and gratitude:

“This moment is perfect.”

As Shakespeare said, “There is nothing either good or bad, only thinking makes it so.”

After all, how we view anything is a subjective choice.

So whatever larger worries we have, we can dial into the present moment and choose to perceive it as perfect.