Am I highly sensitive?

psychologial and physical well-being crisis

There are two sides to high sensitivity: one pleasant and one problematic.

“There is no clear scientific definition of high sensitivity,” says Birgit Lehner. “There are people who have a higher level of feeling and perception than most others. It’s innate and means you have a more permeable nervous system.” Smells, sounds, even the awareness of the body are all more intensive. But the way highly sensitive people think is different too: they are fundamentally more reflective and think more to get to the bottom of complex questions.

Birgit Lehner says that "on the one hand it can be a very positive thing, because you have a rich inner life and experience things more intensively. On the other hand, too much rumination can also have a negative impact on your mood.” As a first step, your own perception and acceptance of being a highly sensitive person is important. It may be sensible to take more time-outs and plan in good sleep in day-to-day life and on holiday.

When it comes to highly sensitive children, it’s important to talk to them about it and tell them it’s entirely normal

Highly sensitive people often find it difficult to distance themselves from their social environment when they need to. Birgit Lehner recommends: “organise your energy well, try not to overreact and look for places you can retreat.” She also says “it can be helpful to dampen stimuli such as media consumption and offer to do things outdoors and plan free afternoons”.

For children, it’s important to talk about their high sensitivity and let them talk about it. This will result in high sensitivity becoming normalised.

Ultimately, each person needs to find their own methods and learn to deal with it. If you want to do this with a professional, you can make a free appointment with one of the Austrian family counselling centres.