In the Survival Guide for Highly Sensitive, Introverted & Shy Writers Part 3, we talked about how writers who find themselves sharing some of these traits can protect themselves and take care of themselves emotionally.
Dr. Aron, who brought these highly sensitive traits to light in her book, The Highly Sensitive Person, talks about the sensory sensitivity that can sometimes plague the HSP. Sensitiviy in this case refers to a highly tuned nervous system.
Stress and overwhelm are definite concerns for the HSP. Many are thought to suffer from such physical difficulties as high blood pressure, attention deficit disorder, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
For people who react this way (and Dr. Aron posits it’s around 20% of the population) it’s recommended that they develop a personalized care routine.
For example, while watching a movie, loud noises or even chase scenes, shootouts, or crashes in a movie can cause physical reactions in the HSP. They may actually feel the pain of the character in violent scenes.
At times, the movie experience may involve an extremely moving character arc or scene. People who share these traits may find themselves feeling overwhelmed and may break out in tears, in the theater.
Not all HSPs notice all their five senses are heightened. However, speaking for myself, I have definitely felt pain, when a character hit a cement wall, or was trapped inside a small area, or when a plane crashed in a film.
If they’re aware of the potential for sensory overload, highly sensitive people would be well advised to pay more attention to their environments. For example, what if there’s a drummer in the next apartment, or a train running by the house every few hours? Many HSPs use noise-reducing headsets to protect themselves from being overwhelmed.
People, who are overwhelmed by busy, or overly lit, or loud department stores, restaurants, shopping malls, or airports, are advised to prepare for such trips, by choosing times of the day when the sensory input is more low key.
Some people who share these traits find they need to avoid crowds, because they generate so much sensory output. If they react this way, they might want to time their errands so they avoid crowded freeways, streets, parking lots, or the crowds inside the stores.
Depending on their sensitivities, HSPs might want to have a quite room they can use as an office, where they can dim the lights, play relaxing music, or for example, have a big picture window overlooking the ocean.
Some are more sensitive to clutter, so they may have a minimalist approach to decorating their work space.
They may want to hang beautiful nature photos on their walls, or impressionist paintings or posters. They’ll want to be able to control the temperature of the room, and keep a small refrigerator with ice tea and snacks, to keep them from getting too hungry or thirsty.
I know many writers who like to have their dog lying around nearby in their office while working. Pets of all kinds (although, maybe not parrots) are generally quiet, and have a soothing influence on their owners.
In many cases the mere presence of a favorite pet curled up at their feet can help to center a highly sensitive person while they focus on their work. Animals are very intuitive and sensitive to their owner’s moods, and will react accordingly.
Many people (especially creative people) find it calming to walk in the woods, or on the beach.
No matter how sensitive one is, it always seems like a good idea for creative people to discover and keep track of the places that seem to nourish their soul. For some it’s actual places, like lakes, mountains, gardens, or spots with unbelievable views.
For others (and this works for me) it may be seeing a live performance, in my case its music. It could be dance, theater, a trip to a museum, sailing on a boat, or looking for shells on the shore.
It’s also recommended that highly sensitive people pay attention to whatever conditions help them feel comfortable, even the clothes they wear, or the time of day they enjoy most, or people they feel comfortable.
For some, and this is often true of many writers, there are just too many distractions at home, including the TV, video games, playing games with family members, or surfing the net, or checking Facebook every ten minutes.
It seems kind of counterintuitive, but for some writers, there’s just something about working in a coffee shop, or a quiet café that makes them feel comfortable.
For the writers who feel high sensitivity to sensory input, finding out which environments, and circumstances help them feel calm, centered, and focused will go a long way to preventing them from becoming overwhelmed.
If you’re struggling with sensitivity, or issues like rejection, self-doubt, anxiety or depression, call for a free phone consult from a veteran screenwriter and Stanford University Psychotherapist.
Image credit: Creative Commons Quad¥ [Explored] 2008 by BrendanRice1/2 is licensed under CC By 2.0