Living Better With Sensory Overload as a Creative and Sensitive Person
Are you highly sensitive, highly responsive to your senses, your feelings and other people? This trait or temperament of sensory processing sensitivity is part of the lives of about 20% of people - and perhaps almost all creative people.
We are commonly referred to as Highly Sensitive People, but a term I have recently come across (via Tracy Cooper, Ph.D. among others) and appreciating more, is High Sensory People. Conveniently, still HSP.
High Sensitivity therapist and author Julie Bjelland notes that as highly sensitive people, “We take in more data than the majority.
“Sensory overload is when our senses take in more information than our brain can keep up with processing.”
“When our brain is overwhelmed by this input, it enters the fight/flight/freeze mode making us want to flee or fight or we might shut down.”
She notes:
“I believe HSPs are often some of the most gifted creators, innovators, teachers, healers, and leaders — once they learn how to mitigate the biggest challenge to their sensitivity: sensory overload.”
She warns, “Sensory overload can ignite anxiety and irritability, intensify sleep disturbances and exhaustion, and lead to loss of productivity, creativity, and focus.”
See my article with videos, related podcast episodes and much more: How to Live Better With Sensory Overload as a Highly Sensitive Person.
You can learn more about all this in one of the free ongoing video classes by Julie Bjelland: Sensory Overload & The Highly Sensitive Person.