Common Myths of the Highly Sensitive Person

In this episode I share some of the common Myths of the Highly Sensitive Person and why eradicating these myths is so important to help us reframe what it means to be sensitive.

If you are a highly sensitive person, or you know of anyone who is highly sensitive, this episode will give you a better understanding of what some of these commonly shared myths are.

More about your host, Jules De Vitto...
 
Jules is a Coach and Educator who is experienced at helping Highly Sensitive People to overcome anxiety, stress and burnout. Jules is Highly Sensitive herself, and has been practicing mindfulness for over 10 years to find greater balance and reduce stress in her day-to-day life. 
 
She has a degree in Psychology, an MA in Education and an MSc in Transpersonal Psychology, Consciousness and Spirituality! She’s taught for over 11 years and is also a qualified Transpersonal Coach and Mindfulness Teacher.

She’s a published author through Changemaker Books and John Hunt Publishers. She wrote Resilience: Navigating Loss in a Time of Crisis to help people through the Covid-19 Pandemic!

Featured in Psychology Today, Psych Central, Medium and Insight Timer - Jules is accredited through the International Association of Coaches, Therapist and Mentors (IACTM), Transpersonal Coaching and Therapy Network (TCTN) and is an Authentic-Self-Empowerment Facilitator.

You can stay connected with Jules through the following social media:

Website: https://www.highlysensitivehumans.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highly.sensitive.humans/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/highlysensitivehumans/ 

Join the 8-week course, 'Step into your Authentic Power as a Highly Sensitive Person' starts October 4th 2021, and is limited to 20 people! Join now!

Transcript

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Welcome, I'm your host, Jules DeVito, and you're listening to the Highly Sensitive Human Podcast, the show that offers an insight into the world of the highly sensitive person and helps those who identify with the traits of high sensitivity to feel more empowered and resilient without denying their authentic gifts. So I think this is one of my most favorite topics to talk about. And the first thing I want to say at the beginning is how I've never been that fond of labels or this attempt to place people into boxes. I think it's really important to not over-identify with the labels, especially labels that might tell us that there is something wrong with us. So for me, there's this danger that if we over-identify with labels, they can actually start to limit our potential or even cause us to get stuck in a mindset that tells us that we are not or we are limited in what we're capable of. So I do think we need to be very careful when we are using labels to describe ourselves or to describe other people. But at the same time, it's really, really important that we recognize that we do all have incredibly unique ways of perceiving and interacting with the world. So for this reason, labels can be really, really helpful and we can use them as a reference point. So instead of them restricting us, we can use them to help us or help other people make sense of the world. So the first thing I want to share is how it's so important to know that the label of the highly sensitive person is not indicative of a disease or a condition, and it doesn't attempt to place the highly sensitive person into the role of a victim. So being a highly sensitive person is not a disorder, it's not a disease, and it doesn't make you a victim to the world or circumstances. But we can instead use the information, use the traits, the knowledge we have of highly sensitive people to help us make sense of the way that highly sensitive people experience and process information in the world. So this can also empower those who resonate with the traits and help us to celebrate our authentic gifts rather than to become a victim of these traits. So hopefully this makes sense, and I'd love to hear feedback from anybody listening to this episode, how that relates to you. Do you feel that your traits as a highly sensitive person are a gift? Do you feel like you can celebrate these traits? Or does it feel more like you are limited in your potential because of being highly sensitive? So you'll find my contact details in the episode notes. Please feel free to get in touch. I'd love to hear from you. And also if you have ideas for topics or things that you'd love to hear about on this podcast, then also send me an email, get in touch, and let me know what it is you feel is really, really important to talk about in relation to the highly sensitive person. Okay, so I want to share some more myths with you today about being highly sensitive. So, as I just mentioned, being highly sensitive is not a disease or a disorder. And it shouldn't be confused with other things like autism, ADHD, or even introversion. So I think that's one of the biggest myths that a highly sensitive person is always introverted. There are many highly sensitive people who are extroverted, and actually the evidence shows that around 30% of HSPs are extroverted. So the next myth is that being sensitive means you're weak. So unfortunately, the word sensitive is loaded with so many negative connotations, such as being weak, soft, or even broken. And I used to worry about being sensitive because I didn't associate it with being empowered or resilient at all. And this myth is often ingrained into us when we're young children. So society teaches us that being resilient is about having this tough and strong exterior. And if someone is too emotional or sensitive, then this is a problem and they need to toughen up. So that's what society tells us. But the truth is, sensitivity and being highly sensitive is not a weakness, it's actually a strength. And the qualities of the highly sensitive person, such as being highly intuitive, empathetic, and compassionate, are beautiful gifts in this world which need to be nurtured and encouraged. So this is the exact message that I really want highly sensitive people to hear. Yes, sometimes being highly sensitive can feel overwhelming and we might encounter struggles, but if we learn to nurture and engage in practices to support our needs, then we can share our strengths and feel more resilient at the same time. So the next myth is if you are highly sensitive, then you need to fix yourself. So this is so interesting, and I've been there myself. I've seen time and time again that trying to fix ourselves is not the solution. So this idea of fixing ourselves suggests that we are broken. And unfortunately, this belief isn't just a problem with highly sensitive people, but it is a global mindset that I think we need to really move beyond. So if we try to hide our traits or fit into a specific way of being, then we're not being authentic or honest with ourselves. And this can lead to the experience of even more stress, anxiety, or burnout. So instead, what can be helpful is connecting with our core self and celebrating our unique way of experiencing the world. So this helps us to feel more empowered. And when we realize that there is nothing we need to fix, but we actually just need to connect with the truth of who we already are and prioritize our needs and self-care, then we can make huge progress in feeling resilient, feeling empowered, and being true to ourselves, being authentic in the world. So everything we need is already in us. And it's just that sometimes we can become disconnected from this authentic and core self. And that's okay. We all do this. It's a constant struggle trying to reconnect with your true self or be come back into alignment with the authentic self. But I find that we can do this on a daily basis by reminding ourselves that we do have something unique to offer to the world. And as highly sensitive people, we can think about what this unique message or gift is. So you can ask yourself, what were you brought here to do? What's your purpose in life as a highly sensitive person? What are those gifts that you are able to offer to other people that maybe some people don't have? As I've mentioned today, um, eradicating these myths and reframing what it means to be highly sensitive is so important because we can then empower highly sensitive people to be authentic and build resilience without denying our gifts. And so, for example, as a highly sensitive person, this might mean uh saying no to things, setting boundaries, and knowing it's okay to do that. It might mean that you need to sleep more than the average person or take more breaks or have time to process your busy day alone. And if you can respect your needs and prioritize your self-care, then you're more likely to feel balanced and energized for your other commitments. So I hope this has helped to clarify some common misconceptions around a highly sensitive person, and I hope that this can empower higher sensitive people to value their authentic way of being in the world. Thanks for joining me this week on Highly Sensitive Humans. Make sure to visit my website, highly sensitivehumans.com, where you can subscribe to the show and find out more about my upcoming workshops, my online eight-week course, and where I also offer one-to-one coaching for highly sensitive people. And if you found value in the show today, I'd really appreciate a rating, or if you'd simply share this episode with your friends or other highly sensitive people that would help support this podcast.