What is HSP (highly sensitive person)?

Are you easily overwhelmed by crowds, noise, or other people's emotions? Do you need plenty of quiet to process all the impressions? Then you might recognize yourself as HSP: a highly sensitive person.

Being highly sensitive means you're more sensitive to stimuli and process them more deeply. This can be intense, but it's also a special strength.

Discover our fellow sufferers

HSP stands for highly sensitive person. It's an innate temperament trait in which your nervous system reacts more sensitively to internal and external stimuli.

Your brain processes information more thoroughly. Sounds become louder. Lights seem brighter. You sense the emotions of others more keenly. This happens because your brain notices more details and lingers longer on what you see, hear, and experience.

Highly sensitive is not a diagnosis or a disorder. It's a normal variation in how people process stimuli.

High sensitivity means that you feel deeply, think deeply and process deeply.

You notice subtle changes in atmosphere. You sense the tension in a room even before anyone speaks. You can intensely enjoy music, nature, or art. At the same time, a busy supermarket or a full school day can drain your energy.

In a highly sensitive child , you often see them react strongly to unexpected changes, struggle with loud noises, or be completely exhausted after school. This doesn't mean anything is wrong. It simply means their nervous system needs more time to recover.

The most common highly sensitive characteristics are:

• Quickly overstimulated by crowds or noise
• Strong empathy
• Sensitive to criticism
• Perfectionism
• Think deeply and analyze a lot
• Great need for rest and alone time

Perhaps you recognize that you really need to recover after a birthday. Or that you sleep poorly after an emotional conversation. That's because your brain is still processing.

When you're overstimulated, your nervous system receives more information than it can process. Your stress system remains active, keeping your body on high alert.

You can notice this by:

• Crying or getting angry more quickly
• Headache or stomach ache
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Restless or tense feeling in your body

Your body then needs safety and a moment to slow down. Without recovery time, stress can build up.

If you're highly sensitive, your body often reacts more strongly to stress. This means that relaxation isn't a luxury, but a basic need.

A consistent evening ritual helps your nervous system switch from "on" to "off." Think soft lighting, a warm shower, soothing music, or reading together.

Deep pressure stimulation can provide additional support. This technique uses even pressure to send a safe signal to your body. It helps slow your heart rate and breathing.

Also read more about better sleep with Lotgenootje !

A 2 kg weighted plush toy provides a soothing embrace through deep pressure stimulation. The gentle pressure is evenly distributed over the body.

For a highly sensitive person this can help because:

• The nervous system calms down faster
• The body produces more relaxation hormones
• You feel safer and more secure
• Falling asleep becomes easier

Many parents of a highly sensitive child notice that their child calms down more quickly after school. Adults report that they worry less in bed.

Lotgenootje is CE-certified, filled with fine glass beads, and developed with input from parents and healthcare professionals. More than 25,000 customers are already experiencing the benefits.

Want to know more? Then read how a weighted cuddle toy can help with anxiety and restlessness.

You can't change being highly sensitive, because it's part of who you are. What you can do, however, is learn how to balance your sensitivity.

By recognizing your limits, taking timely rest, and actively helping your body relax, high sensitivity often becomes a strength. Your intuition, empathy, and attention to detail are valuable qualities.

Treat yourself or your highly sensitive child to more peace, security, and a safe end to the day.

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