I’ve never been fond of labels. I appreciate their value in order, structure, and organization but bristle at the idea of defining a whole system by its parts, especially when it comes to people.
The human experience is a dynamic web of interconnected elements combined to create a unique experience in every moment. Our thoughts, feelings, tendencies, and influences inform the lens we operate through. This lens is highly changeable when we work on it, but it can feel fixed, especially when we appear trapped in a repetitive cycle.
During our time together, we’ll explore some characteristics of Highly Sensitive People and Empaths and discuss how to enhance the gifts and balance the pitfalls these people work with.
HSPs or Empaths can look a lot of different ways.
I have several friends who identified as HSPs with deep sensitivities to sounds, smells, and lights. They had to rigorously control their environments to function. Some, who identified more as Empaths, would have difficulty navigating emotional complexity or would get flooded by other people’s feelings, rendering them frozen.
Because my experience and coping strategies differed from theirs, I couldn’t imagine how we could be the same. I identified as a strong, capable woman and mother who could handle life’s challenges.
I am a strong and capable woman and mother who also struggled with boundaries, prioritizing myself, overgiving, feeling too much, and almost everything on the list that follows to varying degrees.
After practicing the tools I will discuss with you, I created a contrast in my system. From my new lens of perspective, everything looked different. I felt how an energetically balanced system functions and instantly knew I had found my silver bullet. I’m never going back!
Here is a short list of basic characteristics of HSPs and Empaths.
- Compassionate Listeners: Empaths are exceptional listeners. They have a natural ability to create a safe space for others to express their feelings and concerns.
- Feels Deeply: HSPs tend to experience emotions intensely. Art, music, or even everyday experiences may deeply move them. They are more likely to feel both positive and negative emotions intensely.
- Emotionally Porous: HSPs and Empaths often have a heightened sense of empathy and can easily pick up on the emotions of others. They can often sense subtle changes in mood or energy in a room or people around them.
- Attention to Detail: HSPs often notice small details that others might overlook. They can be highly observant and may excel in tasks that require attention to detail.
- Sensitive to Criticism: HSPs may take criticism more deeply to heart and might be more affected by negative feedback. Constructive criticism can be helpful, but harsh or unjustified criticism can be particularly distressing to them.
- Strong Intuition: HSPs may have a strong sense of intuition and be able to pick up on subtle cues and signals that guide their decisions and interactions.
- Deep Reflective Thinking: HSPs often spend a fair amount of time reflecting on their experiences and place in the world. They may be drawn to philosophical or introspective activities.
- Emotional Chameleons: Empaths are skilled at connecting with others on a deep emotional level, often mirroring the feelings they encounter.
HSPs and Empaths are often creative and incredibly nurturing under the right circumstances. They tend to have a heightened awareness of other people’s feelings, which has drawbacks. It can create an inflated sense of responsibility for others’ emotions or a tendency to assume blame where there is none. This kind of interpretation leads to confusing communication and interactions.
HSPs and Empaths are more prone to feeling overwhelmed and drained by external energies. Part of this comes from confusing other peoples feeling and energies with their own, making it difficult to tend to their own needs.
Understanding Highly Sensitive People
Highly sensitive people possess a high level of sensory processing sensitivity.
One of the defining traits of HSPs is their acute awareness of energy dynamics, both within themselves and in their surroundings.
Most Empaths or HSPs have something in common; The environments they grew up in didn’t always feel safe.
It could be as simple as being raised by caregivers who didn’t have the time or skills to attune to the child’s emotional needs. Or, it could be more obvious, such as experiences of overt trauma from caregivers who had mental health issues, were violent, or suffering from PTSD or addiction.
The commonality is that a level of inconsistency or unpredictability created an environment where the child had to amplify their senses to feel safe. They had to anticipate the emotions of their caregivers, which is how the senses got magnified.
Considering these characteristics as by-products of early childhood is controversial and goes against how people typically think of HSPs and Empaths. By recognizing this commonality, we invite the question, are HSPs and Empath created or born?
Nature or Nurture?
Are people with amplified senses born that way, or did their early childhood experiences shape them?
There is no definitive way to tell. With more research available about epigenetics and Neurodivergence, we have more insights. Our journey of personal evolution is as unique as our systems. There is no one answer for everyone.
My clients and I have reaped the benefits from working with their energy systems, especially those who get easily overwhelmed, prioritize loved ones’ needs over their own, or disconnect from their senses.
Practicing self-awareness and energy regulation techniques makes navigating life challenges more manageable regardless of how you identify.
Energy Regulation for HSPs and Empaths
Energy regulation is a holistic practice rooted in the idea that the human body is not simply a physical entity but also a complex network of energies.
The energy of our bodies and emotions are within and around us and affect how we think, feel, and perceive the world. Bringing awareness to and calibrating this energy affects the function and clarity of our sensory systems.
These are the first three steps to developing a direct relationship with your sensory system. It starts with self-awareness, creating time and space for practice, and cultivating enough curiosity and resources to persevere.
Using these techniques will not change your environment. Still, it will create a more balanced experience within your system so you can navigate your environment more easily.
- Practicing Self Awareness: The ability to sense what’s happening in your body, mental, emotional, and energetic. Accessing this information can be elusive, especially if your system is overwhelmed or you tend to disconnect from your senses. Disembodiment in all forms is common for people who experience trauma or instability in early life. By repatterning your tendencies to ‘check out’ and bringing your attention to ‘checking in,’ self-awareness becomes possible.
- Ground: Drop a grounding cord and bring yourself to the present time. Open your feet’ chakras and spin them clockwise; imagine running all the attention of your energy down and through your feet and grounding cord. Arrive in the moment and anchor yourself fully in present time.
- Energetic Regulation: Set your Astral Chakras, or the chakra system of your emotions, and connect to your physical body and breath. Regulating Astral Chakras requires unique calibrations, different from traditional Eastern teachings. There is a palpable difference people feel with a calibrated system.
- Boundaries & Containment: We often think of boundaries as saying no to things that can sap your energy or flood your senses. Setting your Astral Aura creates your own personal containment and organization of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. From here, you can make informed choices about spending your time in a way that supports all of you.
These first three steps are the same for everyone. I work with people to create a customized roadmap with their journey in mind.
Whether you identify as an HSP, Empath, or someone wanting to know more, learning about your Astral Aura and Chakras can help you feel more balanced, aligned, and ready for life challenges.
It becomes easier to embrace your sensitivity when you learn how to navigate your systems. When balanced, connections are more fulfilling with yourself and the world around you.
