- You can’t sleep because you hear a clock ticking in the other room.
- You can’t sleep because there is a tiny sliver of light coming in from between the curtains.
- You can’t sleep because you can’t stop thinking about something someone said to you that day.
- You can smell something going bad in the refrigerator even if no one else can.
- It takes you a long time to decide on what food to order at a restaurant, and even after ordering, you aren’t sure if that’s what you want.
- You need your environment to be just right before you can get fully engrossed in work.
- You jump when you hear a car horn honk. Or squealing tires. Or when someone talks to you when you are deep in thought.
- You can’t shop when someone is waiting for you.
- You’ve been startled by your own shadow.
- You have a 5 degree temperature window where you are comfortable.
- You never travel without an eyemask and earplugs. In fact, you use earplugs more than anyone else you know.
- You have a lot of pet peeves.
- The idea of going to a crowded club or bar sounds like the worst thing ever.
- You avoid coffee because the caffeine affects you too much.
- The TV is too loud.
- The lights are too bright.
story about the clock ticking..
Some friends of mine visited me from Norway. Both of them are sensitive too.. how do we manage? don’t ask… ahhaha but.. in regards to clock ticking…
I moved the one that was annoying me from one place to another.. where i felt comfortable. Guess what happened ?.. it was moved as well to the next room where one of them felt it was not loud to disturb her.. then on that other room .. my other friend moved it further .. because it did not suit her.. so the poor clock was bouncing all around home .. ahah until one day.. it appeard laying on top of the microwave at the kitchen!!! that was the end of it..we decided to get a digital. AHAHA.
Haha! On the bright side, you were lucky to live with people who understood your sensitivity!
Yes! you are right!… and i found it interesting that when i found your link and showed it to them.. they said that it was a blessing to know the trait through other person’s eyes.. for sometimes we feel overwhelmed like if we are the only ones suffering at first when we do not understand..with your postings they have come to know better what it is about. It feels good to help.. once you know your trait. Because since you go through similar experiences on a daily basis .. the comments give an insight..and help a lot.
HA! I relate to nearly ALL of these things ( I can drink coffee though and usually am fine ) but the decision thing is definitely SO me. My friends know to never ask me to be the decision maker when we are trying to figure out something to do. I have major decision remorse, as I call it, on nearly everything I do! I will rehash a decision to death!!! HAHA… I laugh, but it does drive me kind of crazy.
I’am 59 yeears of age, and all my life I KNEW that I was not normal. Everything practically mentioned on this website describes me to a T. I never heard of a sensitive person before (In these terms) but Iam so glad I ran across this site, it explains alot about my life. I am especially sensitive to the paranormal and have been experiencing things since the age of 4 that I can remember, from Angels to Demons, and once Iam positive that I saw Satan in the flesh during a visit to a grocery market. My sister in-law and myself were headed to the check out and laughing about something when all of a sudden the whole store went silent and my attention was drawn to the back of a man standing at the Jewelry counter, it was so intense and my heart felt as if it was about to explode,while still walking closer to this person the closer I got the more intense was the fear… then all of a sudden he jerked around like he knew I was there with the meanest most hateful look I to this day have ever seen. We locked eyes which seems like a eternity and then things went back to normal ,except my heart was still beating to the max but my mind at that moment told me it was the Devil, and he felt me noticing HIM. I also have had experiences concerning Churches, I can feel when the Spirit of a Church is not right. At around 15 my Mom and Granny wanted me to check out a Preacher in town “With the Calling” as they described him, they knew I had a heightened awareness of God since five years of age and thought I would be enlightened by him. So I went and upon entering the entrance of the Church’es door I frooze. The hair stood up on the back of my neck and my heart started beating fast and I refused to go any further. Mom and Granny said I was being silly and persuaded to enter. Well I was RIGHT !, this Preacher turned out to be Jim Jones one of USA’s most prolific and horrific so called religious leaders causing the mass suicides of nearly 1000 people under his leadership. Again thanks for this site I have a new understanding of me .
Oh my goodness, Theresa, that story about the guy in the grocery store is so scary. This is fascinating, that you may have a higher sensitivity to evil or bad people! Wow. Was the man real (did other people see him)? Or just you? Thank you so much for sharing and I am so happy the site speaks to you!
I’ve taken batteries out of clocks to stop the ticking so I can sleep.
If there is even a sliver of light coming through the window from the street lamp, I can’t sleep.
I laughed out loud when I read the line about only having a 5 degree temperature range, this is actually what my ex and I would always joke around about, except we would always say it’s more like a 2 degree range.
In college it would take me hours to even begin studying because EVERYTHING has to be just right, from the location, to the food I had on hand, to the temperature, to the lighting, to the noise levels, to the music, to what I was wearing, if I had exercised that day and the list goes on.
I tried caffeine once. And that’s all it took for me to never ever ever try it again. Some of the worst physical pain I’ve ever experienced, i.e. stomach ache from Hell.
I can’t think of anything less appealing than going into a bar or club. Bleh.
omg where do you live? we should be friends!! 😀
Hi Kelly!
I’m just reading your blog for the first time after a friend recognised some of my behaviours and told me she thought I might be HSP. After reading some of your posts, I think she might be right! I have literally just nodded my way through this list and, for the first time ever, I don’t feel like a freak. Thank you for writing about this!! x
Thanks Sarah, I’m glad you like the blog and tell your friend Thanks!! 🙂 🙂
The temperature thing is me! I always joked before that I’m either too hot or too cold, there is definitely a small window of optimum temperature for me and my husband always teased me about it but now I know why. I thought I was just a wimp
When I was in college, I had a roommate who had a wristwatch that bothered me at night. He had to take it off and put it under his pillow so that I could sleep!
For the temperature, I keep my window slightly open 24/7, even when it’s snowing!
I can’t sleep when feeling hot, even if I’m completely exhausted.
I’m so overwhelmed from the discoveries I’ve made from your website.
All my life I’ve been told that I’m too sensitive and it’s always been a negative. Everyone’s opinion seems to be that I am not like them and therefore, I am wrong.
Your page has made me feel so much better.. so many things are making sense now and I feel like less of a whiny drama queen.
I struggle every day at work with lighting, temperature wars, smells from things like scented garbage bags to Glen-20 sprays, my (latest) micro-managing boss, the noise from various equipment around me.
I live alone so that I can control my environment as much as possible.
I have always made fun of myself for disconnecting a smoke alarm on my bedroom ceiling because of the laser-like dot of light keeping me awake, and put blu-tac over the stand-by light on my stereo for the same reason.
I’ve been working for a long time on roles that are causing me serious compassion fatigue and recently had to take an impromptu week of leave to have a break before burnout.
There are so many more things, and I’m completely overwhelmed and relieved and a whole bunch of emotions!!
Thank you so much for this information 😅
Hi Chelle, thank you for sharing; so glad you found this site helpful! 🙂
Love this! Thanks for the laugh…all too relatable. I’m glad I found your blog and podcast-they completely describe me. After 33 years on this planet and being misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder in college, the lightbulb finally went on!
So glad you like it!! :))
I find caffeine calms me down in a way, but sugar does what coffee does to HSPs, I love bright lights and loud, heavy music. I’m thinking I could be a high sensation seeking HSP.