<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2Mlp10_0wNO0WRf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Mlp10_0wNO0WRf00" width="1528" height="800" ><ul><li>One in five people are highly sensitive (HSP), a trait composed of high empathy and deep cognitive processing.</li><li>Solitude gives HSPs time to process their thoughts and feelings deeply, thoroughly, and intensely.</li><li>High sensitivity is a stronger predictor of needing time alone than the trait of introversion.</li></ul>Are you a highly sensitive person? It’s likely that you or someone you know is; researchers estimate that the trait shows up 1 in 5 people. Being a “highly sensitive person” (HSP) is not a disorder, but rather a normal variation in personality. It’s a trait marked by the strengths of high empathy, deep cognitive processing, and an enhanced ability to notice subtleties in the environment.However, the intensity to which HSPs experience these three characteristics often results in overstimulation, which can lead to feeling frazzled, overwhelmed, and drained after what others might consider just an ordinary day.Perhaps not surprisingly then, studies have found that HSPs crave solitude more than the rest of us. A recent study surveyed 400 people ages 18 to 89 and asked them to report over a 10-day period how often they sought alone time by choice. It turned out that people who scored higher on sensitivity sought solitude more frequently during the day, and their time alone lasted longer than it did for people who weren’t highly sensitive. In fact, this trait was a stronger predictor of wanting time alone than the trait of introversion. Why is high sensitivity so influential? It comes down to these three things:1, The need to process information deeply. Never one to take things lightly, HSPs think deeply and seriously about all aspects of life—from mulling over a recent conversation with a friend to evaluating (and re-evaluating) how well their current job provides them with meaning and purpose. This is called “depth of processing,” and it’s a cardinal facet of high sensitivity. Time in solitude allows all of us—but especially HSPs—to engage in processes such as reflecting on problems from different angles, considering situations from other people’s perspectives, and gaining insight and meaning about a particular life event.Depth of processing doesn’t have to revolve around problems. It can also manifest as simply taking time to reflect on the events of the day, or getting lost in exploring a new idea for several hours. Whatever the topic, HSPs need time to think about it “deeply, thoroughly, and intensely,” according to researchers who developed a scale to measure this trait. This makes solitude an especially appealing environment, giving them the time and cognitive space they need to process their thoughts and feelings.2. To cope with overstimulation. HSPs are highly empathetic and possess a gift for sensing subtle emotional cues, both in themselves and in others, which makes them attentive listeners and very responsive to others’ needs. In short, HSPs are very “porous,” meaning that everything they sense, feel, and experience enters their nervous system easily and lands deeply. They take everything in, and all of it is fodder for reflection and meaning-making. However, this quality of being porous also means that HSPs are bombarded with an enormous amount of information coming from multiple directions which the rest of the population is barely paying attention to. Their increased sensitivity isn’t limited to emotional cues and social interactions; bright lights, loud noises, or sudden motion can all trigger sensory overload and result in feelings of overwhelm, irritation, or exhaustion.Interviews with people who identify as HSPs have revealed that overstimulation is indeed a strong concern of theirs, and they often report feeling overwhelmed by sensory and emotional stimuli. A typical coping strategy they use is withdrawing into solitude. This makes sense, given that the space of solitude is usually characterized by reduced inputs: little to no social interaction, a quiet environment, and some measure of privacy.Many HSPs noted that if they can’t physically get away, they’ll use other evasive strategies like putting on noise-canceling headphones as a buffer. Whichever strategy they choose, HSPs are ultimately seeking a state of “understimulation,” where they can shut off the outside world, relax their nervous systems, and recenter.3. The need to de-stress. It’s common for HSPs to get frazzled when there are too many demands on their time at once. For instance, imagine trying to cook dinner with music playing in the background while your child is telling you a story about what happened at school that day…and then the phone starts ringing. In this situation, the gifts of being highly responsive and empathetic suddenly become vulnerabilities. Whereas the rest of us might be able to multitask without burning dinner, or at least ignore the phone or ask the child to pause for a moment, the HSP finds it difficult to tune anything out. As a result, their nervous system feels like it’s going to explode.This dynamic helps explain why HSPs often feel than the rest of us and are more vulnerable to stress-related problems, especially when working or living in a negative environment, whether it be quarreling with a friend or reading distressing news headlines day after day.But don’t let this give you the impression that HSPs are “weak.” This is a misconception that Elaine Aron, the psychologist who pioneered the research on high sensitivity, is quick to point out. Instead, Aron emphasizes that because HSPs are more “porous” than the rest of us, they are more susceptible to being affected by things, positive and negative.This means that HSPs care deeply and think deeply and experience happy events just as profoundly as negative events. They take personal growth opportunities and run with them, benefiting more from self-improvement workshops, for example, than people who aren’t sensitive. That’s the good news. However, if they don’t find ways to process their way through the negative, anxiety and stress are the inevitable outcome.This is where solitude comes in. When HSPs add regular doses of quality alone time to their daily or weekly schedules, they can simultaneously recover from overstimulation and plumb the depths of their sensitive nature.Wondering if you’re an HSP? Take the test. </div></body>

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3 Reasons Highly Sensitive People Need More Time Alone

One in five people are highly sensitive (HSP), a trait composed of high empathy and deep cognitive processing. Solitude gives HSPs time to process their thoughts and feelings deeply, thoroughly, and intensely. High sensitivity is a stronger predictor of needing time alone than the trait of introversion. Are you a...

3 Reasons Highly Sensitive People Need More Time Alone

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