8 tips for dealing with hypersensitive people

Hypersensitive people are extremely intuitive people who feel everything earlier and more intensely than others. This extreme sensitivity usually makes these people quite critical, since the effects are also greater.

Noises, smells or the way others act are often a key point for highly sensitive people. Furthermore, as they are fully aware of this extreme sensitivity, they tend to be uncomfortable and react as soon as they notice the first change. Many times, your reaction may seem exaggerated to others and it is not uncommon for it to get worse over time.

A problem that usually occurs with hypersensitive people is that they are not understood and appear surly and moody.. People usually do not understand the reason for their reaction nor do they consider its intensity appropriate, which makes the situation worse and creates an uncomfortable and unpleasant atmosphere.

Hypersensitive people

Being a highly sensitive person involves more than just being hypersensitive to stimuli. It also includes:

Greater awareness of sensory stimulation. Deeper cognitive processing of environmental stimuli. More emotional and physiological reactivity and behavioral inhibition. Stronger activation of the autonomic nervous system in stressful situations. Stronger positive and negative emotional responses. Stronger perception of subtle differences. Knowledge of long-term consequences. A low pain threshold. Low tolerance to high levels of sensory information.

Being a highly sensitive person can be stressful and cause a lot of problems in relationships. However, there are also benefits when the environment is right. Some advantages include tener a rich inner life and show greater empathy. Being highly sensitive can also provide depth in information processing.

What causes hypersensitivity?

The causes of hypersensitivity depend on several factors such as evolution, environment, genetics, and early experiences. Research suggests this type of sensitivity is an evolutionary trait that increases the probability of survival because it prepares the organism to be on the lookout for possible dangerous situations. However, being constantly on alert when there are no threats is adaptive.

Upbringing plays an important role in the development of hypersensitivity. A lack of parental warmth can cause a child to develop high sensitivity and carry this trait into adulthood. The same goes for negative early childhood experiences (Chen et al., 2011). People who have experienced trauma are more likely to develop hypersensitivity.

Genetics may contribute to high sensitivity. The dopamine system may play a relevant role, as it affects personality and may make some people more likely than others to become highly sensitive.

Respect, key to dealing with hypersensitive people

Not understanding the way of reacting or experiencing the stimuli of another is no reason to get angry or marginalize them.. Nor is it a reason to make fun of him or to find a way to make him react violently. This, which seems funny to many, makes highly sensitive people suffer and influences their self-esteem. Many may become shy and introverted because of this.

If you live or spend a lot of time with such a sensitive person and their reactions are full of bad mood or negative attitude, perhaps you should ask yourself to what extent you provoke these responses and what you can do to encourage more appropriate ones.

It is not the other’s fault for being so sensitive, just as you cannot help but feel pain and move away abruptly when a flame approaches your skin or a needle pricks your finger.

In all cases, Respecting the way hypersensitive people feel and receive stimuli is the key to dealing with them. and promote a healthy relationship and pleasant climate for everyone.

How to deal with hypersensitive people

Applying this principle of respect may not always be easy, especially since highly sensitive people are usually used to not being treated appropriately. This means that they may be predisposed or become increasingly sensitive to the lack of understanding of the people around them.

The following tips will help you treat and also care for those highly sensitive people who may suffer from events or situations that not only do you not understand, but that you may not even imagine.

1. Accept the other person’s hypersensitivity

It may be tempting for you to help the person overcome their high sensitivity. However, this can leave her feeling embarrassed, rejected, inadequate, and increasingly stressed, despite your good intentions. Instead, make sure you are open, receptive and understanding, and work hard to create and maintain a positive and relaxed environment for that person.

2. Speak quietly and avoid noises

It may seem obvious, but many times we are not aware of what the volume when speaking or the devices we have on or the noise we can make can disturb others. Respecting others involves something as basic as controlling the intensity of sounds.

With noise and high volume we invade the personal space of others and we create a climate prone to bad mood and abrupt reactions in which dialogue and empathy are no longer an option for others.

When volume or noise bothers us, we are not able to think clearly and emotions begin to dominate our rational mind. It happens to all of us, hypersensitive or not. The difference is that the hypersensitive person notices the stimulus first.

3. Don’t consider him a complainer

If there is one thing that bothers hypersensitive people, it is being accused of being complainers. They react the same as you when something bothers them. The difference, once again, is that they perceive the stimulus earlier and with more intensity.

4. Ask him to tell you what is bothering him

One of the problems of dealing with hypersensitive people is knowing what bothers them and to what extent it affects them. Be understanding and willing to help and ask him in a good manner to explain what is bothering him. What’s more, also ask what you can do to avoid it if the way to do it doesn’t seem obvious to you.

The hypersensitive person should also know that you do not perceive things the same, but that you are interested in not bothering them, that what you do you do without being aware that it bothers him.

5. Respect their time and space

People adapt to the environment. It is a basic rule of survival. But not all of us do them the same. Hypersensitive people also develop their own way of adapting to circumstances.. And, as happens with any person, some do it in one way and others in another, not all of them being equally effective.

In any case, Hypersensitive people develop their own form of adaptation and many do their part to try to lead a normal life.. But they need their time and space. Their strategies may require high doses of concentration, getting away from the crowd for a while, or maintaining a certain distance. Respect it and it will be easier.

6. Don’t provoke discussions on sensitive topics

Topics such as politics and religion (and in some environments, football or the predominant sport in that country) are sensitive topics that require very little to end up arguing.

Engaging in conversations about these issues can be very delicate for hypersensitive people, so it is not advisable to get involved in this type of conversation with them. It will affect them emotionally more than most.

But for hypersensitive people there may be other types of delicate topics. That will depend on each person. That’s why It is important to try to detect these issues so as not to argue about them and learn to identify the signs that a topic of conversation is sensitive for that person.

7. Take care of the details

Sensitive people are very observant. By observing details they make sense of the world around them. The most insignificant details for others can be very important to them. Taking care of the details will allow you to empathize more with that person, be understanding and help them feel better.

8. Be patient, their brain is slightly different from the rest

In 2014, a study was published in which it was shown that the brains of highly sensitive people were a little different from the rest. Apparently Their brains have a fairly large empathic capacity.. Someone highly sensitive is able to register the sounds of their environment, smells and aromas, as well as the emotional states of other people.

Your way of registering your environment can exhaust and stress you, which can lead to reactions such as an argument or intolerance. When their brains become saturated they tend to become blocked and their ability to think is reduced.. From there the Need to spend time alone to recover. This demonstrates and once again shows that we give them the time they require when they need to be calm.

Finally, maintaining an appropriate environment can make it easier to deal with hypersensitive people. With less sensory input, they may not feel as overwhelmed and stressed. This can motivate them to use their empathy to understand you better and foster meaningful relationships with you and others.

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