How Do You Live With A Hypersensitive Person? Here’s Our Advice!

Putting yourself in the hypersensitive person’s shoes

“Hypersensitivity isn’t a flaw, it’s a difference.” - Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D., psychologist and researcher.

According to Elaine N. Aron, hypersensitivity is a characteristic that affects approximately 15 to 20% of the population. We’re not talking about an illness or a diagnosis, but rather a character trait. So how do we go about detecting hypersensitivity 🤔? It’s simple, we’re affected if we feel we experience things more intensely than others and have strong emotional reactions (like crying at a commercial 😅).

It’s not easy every day, and it can be even more complicated for the person you live with. However, if you live with someone who’s hypersensitive, you need to show empathy. You need to put yourself in their shoes, to realize that their experience of the world is different from yours. Find out here if you are an empath.

You may be interested in this article: Techniques on how to manage hypersensitivity 💪

Putting communication at the center

However, for this empathy to take place, it’s important to communicate openly and honestly. On both sides, of course! The hypersensitive person needs to describe what’s going on inside and the other person needs to share their feelings for there to be a balance.

What’s more, as psychologist Rollo May explains, good communication leads to mutual fulfillment. Everyone feels better about saying openly what’s going on. It’s important to remember that hypersensitive people are very intuitive. We have a real radar for detecting unspoken or repressed emotions.

👩‍👦 This is all the more important if you have a hypersensitive child. That way, they’ll learn to express themselves transparently and conflicts will be avoided more.

Creating a reassuring environment

It’s also beneficial to create a safe and comfortable environment when living with a hypersensitive person. So what does this involve 🧐? Here are a few suggestions based on my personal experience:

• 👉 Minimize excessive sensory stimuli: As I said, loud noises, bright lights, or even crowds are extremely difficult to cope with. So avoid putting a hypersensitive person in a noisy or chaotic environment. For example: my father loves playing music very loudly, I explained to him that it was too difficult for me to put up with it and since then he’s been careful or wears headphones.
• 👉 Respect boundaries: We’re big introverts, and we need time alone to recharge our batteries. The worst thing is forcing ourselves into social activities, especially if we don’t know other people. Also, we should see people in small groups of 2/3 than at a party with 25 people.
• 👉 Create a routine: In my case, it’s a bit ambiguous, because I hate routine and at the same time I love it. However, on the whole, hypersensitive people need a routine to feel secure. That’s why I like it, even if I like to break it from time to time to take my mind off things.
• 👉 Encourage calming activities: When I’m going through a stressful period and can’t manage my emotions, I’m happy when someone suggests a walk in the woods or a yoga class. Of course, you can think about it yourself, but sometimes you’re so overwhelmed that it’s good to have someone else to suggest it. Then doing it together is so comforting, you feel understood 🥺!

Each person is unique, and it’s important to remember that it’s always a good idea to talk things over to see what might suit you. However, I’m also talking to hypersensitive people, so it’s not just up to others to adapt! You also need to be able to question yourself and take a step back.

Be sure to check out these articles too;

• 7 Things hypersensitive people are great at
• How to turn hypersensitivity into a strength