I have been reading today about highly sensitive people (HSP's) and I really think I fall into this category. If you think you might too, or if you just want to educate yourself on what the heck an HSP is, then this is a pretty good place to start. Why do I like to read stuff like this? I find it fascinating, just like personality tests, because it actually helps me to know that there are other people like me out there in the world. When I read this, it all made so much sense to me and explains a LOT about how I view the world and the affect that certain situations have on me. I don't have all the traits, but I definitely relate to most of them.
I often wonder how much of our natural personality we should try to overcome and how much we should just embrace. In order to function in the world I have to push against certain parts of my personality which I think is what I find exhausting. Is it possible to live your life completely true to your personality, or does everyone have to compromise something about themselves to fit into the world? What would that even look like for me?
I was talking about all this with my youngest daughter today. Amity is 10 and finds school overwhelming at times and came up with a fantastic idea to create a school geared for introverted, sensitive kids who need down time. She struggles with the level of noise in her classroom and often feels anxious and overwhelmed at school. She has thought it all out and has dreamed up a school with small sensory rooms where children can go to get away from the noise of the classroom if they need to have a break. You can control the lighting and the music and there's soft furniture you can snuggle down into. There are books and art supplies as well so you can work through how you're feeling. Her suggestion was that you can use these spaces at lunch time and break times instead of being forced to play loud games on the playground. She has dreamed up some great outdoor spaces too with similar ideas but in nature. I thought this was an amazing idea and I quite fancy going there as an adult. It's great that she understands intuitively what she needs at her age and she will often have a long bath with candles to relax and unwind at the end of the day.
I know people who don't fall into this category probably couldn’t care less about why I feel it necessary to explore what it means to be highly sensitive. But it's been surprisingly encouraging to find out that this is an actual thing. It's also given me some great insights into organising and decluttering as highly sensitive people are drastically affected by their environment so having calm spaces is even more important for them than other people.
My quote for today is, "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken". ― Oscar Wilde
My photo for today is of some sheep in a beautiful field. This is about 10 minutes away from where we live and is a place I love to go as it's good for my soul.