Ever since I remember, I have been told by people in my life that I think too much or feel too much. That I am too sensitive to everything happening around me.  I have been told to ignore and detach. I have also been frequently told that I am overreacting to things.

I have always taken it as a personality flaw, and though I made many attempts to change, I could not change or control how much I thought and felt.

Throughout my life, I have been bothered by loud sounds, itchy clothing, and bright lights. The moods of the people around me affect me; I can sense hatred and hostility even when no apparent gesture is made. Catastrophic events, natural disasters, murder, abuse, riots, anything that happens out in the world affects me more than it should.

Has it made me a more understanding and empathic person? Yes. But it is also a heavy cross I have carried on my shoulders.

Remember TOO? That has been the operative word.

 It was only a few years ago that I came across a personality test for HSP. That is the first time that I heard the term HSP-Highly Sensitive Person.

In layman language, HSP is a person who reacts more to any physical, emotional or social stimuli because they have a deeper central nervous system.

To simplify it further, I will convert the word TOO into More. HSP are people who react more to external stimuli like sound and light. They react more to emotional stimuli and also are more empathetic. They process information more quickly. They are more aware of the subtleties of their surroundings.

It is believed that around 15 to 20 per cent of the world is HSP. And NO, it is not a condition; it is not a disease and definitely not a mental disorder. It is simply a personality trait that perhaps 20 per cent of the world has.

  I am not a Psychologist and am not giving any medical advice. If you are genuinely interested in learning more about HSP, you can read books on the subject, research online or even talk to a counsellor. This article is purely about creating awareness amongst people. To hopefully, someday, make HSP part of regular conversation. And to guide you a bit for the next time you come across an HSP so that you don’t brush them off as “too sensitive”.

But the principal reason for this article is that everyone in the world is perhaps going through the same experience as an HSP currently. The events of the last 15 odd months have been tough on everyone.

We all are struggling with the overload of information, the bad news that just keeps coming. People everywhere are facing too many things together and feeling too many emotions at the same time.

It has reached a point of emotional exhaustion, where you feel you will collapse if you have to deal with one more, unhappy event or hear about one more tale of suffering. Again I am not going to talk about any medical terms like anxiety and depression. Mental health and our lack of awareness about it is perhaps a topic for another blog. For now, let us just talk about feelings.

We all have been struggling with feeling too much, seeing too much, experiencing too much, and processing too much.

And sadly it is difficult to talk about, as everyone you are close to is also going through the same.

So how we deal with this? The situation is certainly not in our hands; the stay positive and grateful mantra works only so much. Work can only distract you for a few hours, and entertainment from ott platforms and social media has reached saturation.

 Since April, I have come across so many people who are struggling with this emotional overwhelm.

It is affecting our work, our relationship and our capacity to remain happy.

Now more than ever, it has become necessary to be attentive towards your near and dear ones. Be aware of what they are thinking and feeling. We must keep talking to each other, motivating each other and understanding each other.

 At this time, we have all become HIGHLY SENSITIVE. And the only way to get through this is being SENSITIVE towards each other.