Emotional sensitivity is actually a good thing, but in some situations it can be annoying. Control your strong feelings so that they become your 'friend', not 'enemy'. Over-sensitivity can make you easily offended by 'insults' (which, in fact, only exist in your imagination) or mistakes that you accidentally make. Misinterpreting constructive everyday interactions can actually limit your ability to live a happy and healthy life. Therefore, you need to try to balance your emotional sensitivity with common sense, confidence and the ability to bounce back from adversity so that you don't have to overreact to things that happen every day.
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Part 1 of 3: Tracing Existing Feelings
Step 1. Recognize that your high sensitivity is most likely your trait
Neuroscientists have found that there is a capacity for emotional sensitivity related to genes. About 20% of the world's population is estimated to have high emotional sensitivity. This means they have a greater awareness of triggers that are not felt or are not obvious to most people, and have stronger experiences of those triggers. This increased sensitivity is related to a gene that affects the hormone norepinephrine, the 'stress' hormone that also functions as a neurotransmitter in the brain that triggers attention and response.
- Sometimes excessive emotional sensitivity is also associated with oxytocin, a hormone that functions to build feelings of affection and intimacy in one individual to another. This hormone also triggers emotional sensitivity. If you naturally have high levels of the hormone oxytocin, your social reasoning skills will improve, making you more sensitive to reading (and possibly misinterpreting) things, even small things.
- Different community groups may respond differently to people with high emotional sensitivity. In many Western cultures, people with high emotional sensitivity are generally misunderstood as weak or less resilient, and are often bullied. However, keep in mind that around the world this is not always true. In many places, people with high emotional sensitivity are considered gifted because their sensitivity allows them to read and understand other people. A person's character traits can be viewed differently, depending on the culture you follow, as well as other factors such as gender, family environment, and the school you attend.
- While you can (and need!) learn to control your emotions effectively, if you are naturally a sensitive person, you need to learn to accept your sensitivity. With practice, you can learn not to be overly reactive, but you won't really be a different person-and you shouldn't try. Try to be the best person you can be (without being someone else).
Step 2. Do a self-assessment
If you're not sure if you're really being overly sensitive, you can take a few steps to do a self-assessment. One way that can be done is to fill out questionnaires, such as the “The Emotionally Sensitive Person” questionnaire available on the PsychCentral website. Questions on such a questionnaire can help you reflect on your emotions and experiences.
- Try not to judge yourself when answering the questions. Answer the questions honestly. Once you know your level of emotional sensitivity, you can focus on managing your emotions in a better and more useful way.
- Remember that this is not done to turn you into someone you feel is 'ideal' (you feel you have to be that person). Answer honestly, whether you are a sensitive person, or someone who feels more sensitive than you really are.
Step 3. Track your emotions through journaling
Writing an 'emotion journal' can help track and identify your emotions, as well as responses to them. In addition, it also helps you identify what triggers you to evoke excessive emotional responses, as well as learn to know when is the right time to show those emotional responses.
- Write down whatever you're feeling right now and think back to what triggered that feeling. For example, are you currently feeling anxious? If so, what happened during the day that, perhaps, triggered the anxiety? As you look back, you may notice that small events can trigger you to show big emotional responses.
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For each journal entry or entry, there are a few questions you can ask yourself:
- What do I feel right now?
- What do you think triggered me to show this kind of emotional response?
- What to do when I feel like this?
- Have I ever felt like this before?
- You can also write within a certain time limit. Write down a sentence, such as “I feel sad” or “I feel angry”. After that, set a timer for two minutes and, within those two minutes, write down anything that relates to the feelings you previously wrote down. Don't stop to edit or rate your feelings. Right now, all you need to do is write down the things that relate to those feelings.
- When you're done, read what you wrote. Can you see any patterns? Is there emotion behind your responses? For example, the anxiety you feel is often caused by fear, sadness at the loss, anger at feeling attacked, and so on.
- You can also try to remember and trace back certain events. For example, when you're on the bus, someone may look at you with a 'translated' look, as if criticizing your appearance. This can actually hurt your feelings, and even make you feel sad or angry. Try to remind yourself of the following two things: 1) you don't really know what the person is thinking, and 2) other people's judgments about you are unimportant. Who knew that 'naughty stare' was a reaction to something else. Even if those stares show their judgment of you, the person doesn't know you and doesn't know about the other things that make you amazing.
- Remember to always show love for yourself in your journal writing. Don't judge yourself for your feelings. Remember that you can't control the feelings that come up first, but you can control and determine how you respond to them.
Step 4. Don't brand yourself
Unfortunately, highly sensitive people often get insults or bad nicknames, such as 'the crybaby' or 'whiner'. What's worse, these insults sometimes become a 'stamp' used by others to describe the person concerned. In the end, it will be easier for you to stick with that stamp and see yourself, not as a sensitive person who sometimes cries (not spending 99.5% of the time crying, of course). If you label yourself, you can fully focus on the one aspect (which is considered problematic) that makes you label yourself that way.
- Deny the various negative 'stamps' that exist by rebuilding the 'stamps'. This means, you have to let go of the stamp, throw it away, and look at the situation in a wider context.
- For example: There is a teenage girl who is crying because she feels disappointed, and someone nearby is muttering “You crybaby!” while away. Instead of taking the words to heart, the teenage girl can think, “I know I'm not a crybaby. Yes, I sometimes show emotional responses to certain situations. Sometimes I cry when other people who are not so sensitive don't cry. I will try to show my emotional response in a better way. After all, insulting someone who is crying is annoying. I'm too kind to do the same to other people."
Step 5. Identify triggers for perceived sensitivity
You probably know exactly what triggers (or doesn't) trigger oversensitive responses. Your brain develops a pattern of 'automatic reactions' to certain triggers, such as stressful experiences. Over time, the pattern becomes a habit until you will immediately react to something in a certain way, without thinking it through. Fortunately, you can learn to retrain your brain and form new patterns.
- If at any time you feel a certain emotion, such as panic, anxiety, or anger, immediately stop what you are doing and turn your attention to what your senses are experiencing. What happens to your five senses when these emotions arise? Don't judge or judge yourself on these sensory experiences; Instead, you need to record these experiences.
- This is known as a 'self-observation' exercise and can help you separate the various 'flows of information' that make up these sensory experiences. Often times, we feel overwhelmed and immersed in the emotions we are feeling, and cannot distinguish between emotional and sensory experiences occurring simultaneously. By calming ourselves down, focusing on one sense at a time, and separating the information pathways this, what each sense feels), you can rearrange the 'automatic' habits that are ingrained in your brain.
- For example, your brain can react to stress by increasing your heart rate, making you feel restless and nervous. By knowing how your body naturally responds to things, you can read or interpret your reactions in different ways.
- Journal writing is also useful. Whenever you think you might respond emotionally, write down what made you feel emotional, how you felt when it happened, how your body felt, what you were thinking, and the details of the situation. With this information, you can train yourself to respond to situations in different ways.
- Sometimes a sensory experience (eg being in a place or, even smelling a familiar smell or fragrance) can evoke an emotional reaction. However, this is not always considered 'oversensitivity'. For example, smelling apple pie can trigger an emotional reaction of sadness because in the past, you and your late grandmother often made apple pie together. Recognizing and acknowledging these kinds of emotional responses is healthy. Ponder the feeling for a moment, and realize why the sensory experience can have such an effect. For example, you might say or think something like, “I'm sad because I had a good time making apple pie with my grandma. I miss her." Once you've recognized and appreciated the feeling, do or think something positive, such as: "I'm going to make apple pie today in memory of my late grandmother."
Step 6. Find out if you are co-dependent (dependent or attached to something or someone)
A codependent relationship occurs when you feel that your self-worth and identity depend on the actions and responses of others. You may feel that your purpose in life is to give and sacrifice yourself for the sake of your partner. You may also feel hurt when your partner disapproves of or underestimates what you do or feel. In romantic relationships, this kind of dependence is very common, although in other relationships this dependence is possible. There are several signs that indicate that the relationship is being codependent, such as:
- You feel that satisfaction in your life is fixated or dependent on someone
- You know the unhealthy behaviors shown by your partner, but you are still in a relationship with him
- You try hard to support your partner, even when you have to sacrifice your own needs and health
- You constantly feel anxious about the status of your relationship
- You don't have personal boundaries either
- You often feel uncomfortable when you have to say “no” to other people (or any offer)
- You show reactions to other people's thoughts and feelings, either by agreeing to them or immediately getting defensive
- Dependencies or codependencies can be handled. One of the best options that can be done is to seek counseling with a mental health professional. However, programs run by support groups (eg in the United States, there is a Co-Dependents Anonymous support group) can also help you deal with your addiction.
Step 7. Go through the exercises and changes slowly
Tracing emotions, especially for sensitive matters, requires a great deal of effort. Do not immediately force yourself to take big steps. Psychology shows that a person needs to step outside the safety zone for the sake of development. However, rushing through the process (or doing too much or going through the process) can actually lead to setbacks.
- Make an appointment with yourself to test your sensitivity. Say you want to track that sensitivity for 30 minutes a day. After you've done that, do something relaxing or enjoyable to refresh your mind.
- Take note of when you don't feel like thinking about your sensitivity because it makes you feel uncomfortable or painful. Procrastination like this is usually driven by fear-we fear that something will feel unpleasant so we don't do it. All you have to do is tell yourself that you are strong enough to do it, then overcome that fear by doing it.
- If you're really having a hard time building the initiative to deal with your emotions, try setting the most achievable goals for yourself. If you want, start by facing him for 30 seconds. All you have to do is face the sensitivity for 30 seconds. Believe that you can do it. Once you are successful, extend the duration by 30 minutes from the initial duration. If you are successful, you will eventually realize that these small achievements help build your courage and willpower.
Step 8. Allow yourself to feel the emotions
By staying away from emotional oversensitivity, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't feel any more emotions. In reality, trying to suppress or deny emotions is dangerous. Instead, your goal is to recognize unpleasant emotions such as anger, hurt, fear, and sadness as important to your emotional health, as well as positive emotions such as joy and pleasure. Just make sure that these unpleasant emotions don't overwhelm you. Find a balance between the two types of emotions.
Set up or provide a 'safe' space to show whatever you're feeling. For example, if you're feeling sad about the loss of someone, take a little time each day to share your emotions. Set a time, then write down how you feel in a journal, cry, talk to yourself about how you feel, or do whatever needs to be done. After the time is up, return to your usual daily activities. After reminiscing and appreciating those feelings, you will feel better. Plus, you won't be spending all day just drowning in the same feelings (eg sadness) that are not good for your emotional health. Having a specific time to let go of whatever you're feeling can make it easier for you to get back to your daily activities, without having to be overwhelmed by negative feelings
Part 2 of 3: Examining Existing Thoughts
Step 1. Learn to recognize the cognitive distortions that make you overly sensitive
Cognitive distortions are bad habits of thinking or responding, and have been learned or remembered by the brain over time. Fortunately, you can learn to recognize and fight these distortions when they arise.
- Cognitive distortions usually do not occur or appear on their own. When you examine your mindset, you may find that you experience some distortion in response to a particular feeling or event. By taking the time to fully examine the emotional responses you display, you can learn about which thinking patterns are effective and which are not.
- There are many types of cognitive distortion, but some of the most common types of distortion associated with emotional oversensitivity are personalization, tasting, imperative statements, emotional reasoning, and direct (without any other considerations) drawing conclusions.
Step 2. Recognize and counter the personalization that pops up
Personalization is a very common type of cognitive distortion and can trigger emotional oversensitivity. When you personalize, you feel that you are the cause of things that have nothing to do with you (or you feel that you are the cause of things that are out of your control). You may also take someone's words or actions to heart, even though those words or actions were not actually sent to you.
- For example, if your child gets negative comments from his teacher about his behavior, you personalize it by criticizing you, as if the teacher is criticizing you: “The teacher who taught Reyhan in class thinks I'm a bad father! How dare he criticize the way I raised my children!” This kind of interpretation may prompt you to overreact because you are interpreting the criticism as an accusation of wrongdoing.
- Instead of thinking like that, try to look at the situation logically (this takes practice so you do need to be patient). Find out what happened and what you learned from the situation. If your child's teacher gives a message that your child should pay more attention to class, for example, the message is not an accusation of wrongdoing because you can't be a good parent. The message is given to provide information so that you can help your child to improve his performance in school. This is an opportunity for him to develop more, not a reproach.
Step 3. Identify and counter the taste
Labeling is a kind of all-or-nothing mindset. This mindset often comes with personalization. When you brand yourself, you create a general view of yourself based on a single action or event. You just do not think that what you do is not the same as who you really are.
- For example, if you get negative comments on the back page of an essay you're writing, you may label yourself as a failure or a 'loser'. This kind of tasting shows that you feel like you'll never do anything better, so you're reluctant to try. This can trigger feelings of guilt and shame, and make it very difficult for you to accept constructive criticism because you view any criticism as a sign of 'failure'.
- Try to recognize and accept mistakes and challenges for what they are; this means, you perceive these two things as a particular situation that helps you to learn and develop in the future. Instead of labeling yourself as a failure when you get bad grades, admit and accept your mistakes and think about what you can learn from those experiences or mistakes: “Okay, I didn't get good grades on this essay. It's disappointing, but it's not the end. I will talk to my professor about what I can improve in the future.”
Step 4. Identify and counter the imperative statements that come to your mind
Statements like this are dangerous because they can confine you (and others) to often unreasonable standards. These statements often appear based on outside assumptions, not on things that actually mean more to you. When you violate what the statement states, you may be punishing yourself and less motivation to change further. These assumptions can lead to feelings of guilt, resentment, and anger.
- For example, you might say to yourself, “I have to go on a diet. I can't be lazy like this." Basically, you invoke guilt in yourself to get you to do something, even though that kind of guilt isn't a good source of encouragement.
- You can counter these imperative statements by examining what really happened or the reasons behind the statements. For example, think about whether you feel the need to go on a diet just because someone else told you to, or because you feel pressured by social standards to have a certain appearance. These reasons are not healthy and useful reasons to encourage you to do something.
- If you feel the need to go on a diet after you've spoken to your doctor and he or she agrees that dieting will be good for your health, turn the imperative statement into a more constructive one: “I want to take care of my health so I'm going to take some important steps like eating more fresh food. to respect myself." This way, you are less critical of yourself; You actually use positive motivation, and it is judged to be more effective in the long term.
- Statements of necessity can also trigger emotional oversensitivity when you pass them on to other people. For example, you might get annoyed when you talk to someone who doesn't show the reaction you want. If you tell yourself, "He must be interested in what I have to say," you will feel irritated and-possibly-offended if the person doesn't show you what you think he 'should'. Remember that you cannot control other people's feelings or responses. Therefore, try not to expect the other person to show a certain action or reaction (that you want).
Step 5. Recognize and stop emotional reasoning
When you use emotional reasoning, you assume that your feelings are facts. This type of cognitive distortion is very common, but with a little effort, you can learn to recognize and combat these distortions.
- For example, you might feel offended that your boss pointed out some mistakes in a big project you just finished. With emotional reasoning, you may assume that your boss is being unfair because you have negative feelings. You may also assume that, because you feel like a 'loser', you are a useless worker or employee. Remember that assumptions like these have no logical proof.
- To counter or counteract emotional reasoning, try writing down some situations in which you experienced negative emotional reactions. After that, write down the thoughts that come to your mind. Also write down the feelings you felt after these thoughts occurred. Finally, examine the real consequences of the situation. Are the consequences consistent with what your emotions refer to as 'reality' or 'facts'? Often you will eventually realize that these feelings are not true evidence.
Step 6. Recognize and break the habit of drawing immediate conclusions
This type of distortion is quite similar to emotional reasoning. When you jump to conclusions, you are making a negative interpretation of a situation, with no other facts to support that interpretation. In some of the more extreme cases, you may let your thoughts spiral out of control until you imagine the worst of the situation at hand.
- Mind reading is an example of direct inference behavior that leads to excessive emotional sensitivity. When you read other people's minds, you assume that people react negatively to you, even when you have no evidence at all.
- For example, if your partner doesn't text back when you ask him what he'd like to have for dinner, you may assume that he's ignoring you. Although there is no evidence for this assumption, your brief interpretation may offend or even anger you.
- Fortune-telling is also one example of the behavior of drawing direct conclusions. This is when you predict that things will end badly, regardless of what evidence you have. For example, you may not want to propose a new project at work because you think your boss will hate it.
- Examples or extreme forms of behavior drawing immediate conclusions can be seen when you imagine something very bad will happen, even though in reality it is not (in English, this is known as catastrophizing). For example, when you don't get a reply from your partner, you may assume that he or she is angry with you. After that, you assume that he doesn't want to talk to you because he has something to hide, like his feelings for you have changed (he doesn't love you anymore). You can also assume that the relationship is doomed and eventually, you will return to live with your parents. This is an extreme example, but it demonstrates the logical leap that may occur if you allow yourself to jump to conclusions without any other considerations.
- Fight and stop mind-reading behavior by speaking openly and honestly with others. Don't approach others using accusations, but ask what really happened. For example, you could text your partner, "Hey, is there something you want to tell me?" If your partner refuses, respect the decision and don't push it.
- Fight and stop bad predictions or images by examining the logical evidence for each step in your thought process. Have you previously had evidence for your assumption? Do you observe any concrete evidence for your assumptions or views in the situation at hand? Often, when you try to examine your responses individually at each stage of the thinking pattern, you will realize that you have been making logical leaps that do not match reality. With practice, you can stop making those logical jumps.
Part 3 of 3: Taking Action
Step 1. Try meditating
Meditation, especially mindfulness meditation, can help you manage or regulate your responses to the emotions that arise. Meditation can also help increase the brain's reactivity to sources of stress. Meanwhile, mindfulness meditation focuses on helping you recognize and accept the emotions that arise, without having to judge them negatively. This meditation is very useful for dealing with excessive emotional sensitivity. You can take a meditation class, use a meditation guide available on the internet, or learn to do mindfulness meditation yourself.
- Find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed or distracted. Sit up straight, either on the floor or in a chair with an upright back. Don't slouch (or lean back lazily) so you don't have a hard time breathing properly.
- Start by focusing on one element of your breath, such as the sensation of your chest pushing back into its original position, or the sound of your breathing out. Focus on this element for a few minutes while taking deep breaths (and at a steady rhythm).
- Expand your focus so that more senses are at work. For example, start focusing on what you hear, smell, or touch. It's also a good idea to close your eyes because we tend to be easily distracted or distracted with our eyes open.
- Accept your thoughts and sensations, but don't judge anything as 'good' or 'bad'. This can help you to recognize the thought or sensation consciously when it occurs (especially when it first appears): “I feel my toes are cold. I feel like my mind is being diverted.”
- If you start to get distracted, try to focus back on your breathing. Take about 15 minutes to meditate every day.
- On the internet, you can access mindfulness meditation guides from the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center website and on the BuddhaNet website.
Step 2. Learn to communicate assertively
Sometimes, a person becomes overly sensitive because he cannot clearly convey his needs or feelings to others. If you are too passive when communicating, you will have a hard time saying 'no' and not be able to convey your thoughts and feelings clearly and honestly. By learning to communicate assertively, you can communicate your needs and feelings to others so that you feel heard and valued.
- Begin your statement or sentence with the word “I” to convey your feelings. For example, you could say, "I feel hurt that you're late for our date" or "I prefer to leave early when I have an appointment because I'm afraid I'll be late." Statements like these prevent you from sounding like you're blaming someone else, but they allow you to stay focused on your own emotions.
- Ask follow-up questions while chatting. In conversation, especially emotional ones, asking questions to clarify understanding can prevent you from overreacting. For example, after the other person has finished speaking, ask: “I took what you said as _. Is that true?" After that, give the other person a chance to clarify what he said.
- Avoid using unconditional command words. Words of command, such as 'must' or 'must', can give a moral judgment to the behavior of others, as well as give the impression that you are blaming or demanding others. Try replacing the commanding words with phrases like "I prefer" or "I want you." For example, instead of saying "You have to remember to take out the trash," say "I want you to remember to take out the trash because I've always felt responsible when you forgot to do it."
- Throw away the assumptions you make. Don't assume that you fully know what's going on. Let others share their thoughts and experiences. Use phrases like “What do you think about that?” or “Do you have any suggestions?”
- Be aware that other people may have different experiences or opinions. Arguing who is 'right' in a situation or chat will only provoke and anger you. Emotions are subjective; keep in mind that there is usually no 'right' answer to emotion-related questions or matters. In chats, use phrases like “My experience is different” while respecting the other person's emotions so that everyone can share their experiences or opinions.
Step 3. Before acting, wait for your anger to subside
Emotions that arise can affect how you respond to a situation. Taking action when you are angry can trigger you to do things that you may regret later. Take a moment to calm yourself (even if it's only for a few minutes) before you respond to a situation that triggers a big emotional response.
- Ask the question “If… then?” on yourself. Ask questions like “If I did it now, then what would happen?” Consider as many consequences (both positive and negative) as possible for the action you want to take. After that, compare those consequences with your actions.
- For example, you and your partner are having a really big fight. You are so angry and hurt that you feel like divorcing him. At that point, calm down for a moment and ask yourself the “If…then” question. If you want a divorce, what will happen then? Your partner may feel hurt and unloved. He may remember it when he and you have calmed down enough and take it as a sign that he can't trust you when you're angry. When he's angry, who knows, he may agree to your divorce. Do you want to take consequences like this?
Step 4. Approach yourself and others with compassion
You may notice that you avoid situations that make you depressed or uncomfortable because of your oversensitivity. You may also think that the mistakes in the relationship can destroy the relationship so that you avoid any relationship, or only live in 'superficial' relationships. Approach others (and yourself) with compassion. Make the best of other people, especially people who know you. If you feel hurt, don't immediately assume that the person who hurt you did it on purpose. Show your understanding and understand that anyone, including your friends and loved ones, can make mistakes.
- If you feel hurt, communicate assertively to convey how you feel to the person you care about. He may not be aware that he has hurt you, and if he loves you, he should know how not to hurt you again in the future.
- Don't criticize others. For example, if your friend forgets that she has an appointment to have lunch with you and you feel offended, don't tell her "You forgot about me and it hurts my feelings." Instead, say, “I feel offended that you forgot your appointment to lunch with me. For me, spending time together is important.” After that, continue by giving him the opportunity to share his experience or story: “Is there something wrong? You want to tell me?"
- Remember that other people don't always want to share their emotions or experiences, especially if they're new to you. Don't take it personally if the person you care about doesn't want to talk about their problems or feelings right away. It doesn't mean that you made a mistake; he just needs time to regulate or control his feelings.
- Approach yourself as you would a friend you care about and care about. If you don't want to say something hurtful or insulting to a friend, why should you say that to yourself?
Step 5. Seek professional help if necessary
Sometimes, you try your best to manage your emotional sensitivity, but you still feel overwhelmed by that sensitivity. Working with a licensed mental health professional in dealing with these sensitivities can help you track your feelings and emotional responses in a safe and supportive environment. A trained counselor or therapist can help you identify unhealthy ways of thinking and teach you new skills to manage your feelings in a healthy way.
- Sensitive people need additional help learning to manage negative emotions, as well as the ability to handle emotional situations. When you need additional help, it does not mean that the person concerned has a mental illness; this is done to help you gain useful skills in 'negotiating' with situations that may come your way.
- Ordinary people sometimes get help from mental health professionals. You don't have to be mentally ill or in very serious trouble to get help from a counselor, psychologist, therapist, or similar. They are health professionals, just like dental hygienists, ophthalmologists, general health practitioners, or physical therapists. Although mental health care is sometimes considered a taboo subject (unlike treating illnesses such as arthritis, cavities, or sprains), it can provide many benefits for those who are undergoing it.
- Some people believe that other people should 'just accept' or 'swallow' what is happening to them and try to be tough on their own. This myth is actually very dangerous. While you may have to do what you can to manage or deal with the emotions you're feeling, you can actually benefit from the help of others. Some disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder, do not allow the sufferer to physically handle their own emotions. Seeking or attending counseling is not a weakness. It just shows that you care about yourself.
- Most counselors and therapists cannot prescribe medication. However, a trained mental health professional will know when it is appropriate to refer you to a specialist or medical doctor who can diagnose and provide treatment for disorders such as depression or anxiety disorders.
Step 6. High sensitivity may be a sign of depression or other problems
Some people are born sensitive, and this has been shown since they were babies. It is not a disorder, mental illness, or something 'wrong' – it is simply the nature or character of the person. However, if a person becomes very sensitive (previously didn't have that kind of sensitivity), is more easily touched, cries more, gets irritated more easily or something like that, it could be a sign that something is wrong.
- Sometimes high sensitivity arises because of depression, and causes the person experiencing it to be overwhelmed by the emotions they feel (both negative and, sometimes, positive emotions).
- Chemical imbalances can cause high emotional sensitivity. For example, a pregnant woman can show a very emotional reaction to something. The same can happen to a boy who is going through puberty, or someone who has thyroid problems. Certain types of medication or medical treatment can also cause emotional changes.
- A trained medical practitioner can help protect you from depression. While depression is easy to self-diagnose, it may ultimately be better if you cooperate with or seek the help of a professional who can identify whether you are depressed or if you are overly sensitive due to other factors.
Step 7. Be patient
Emotional development is similar to physical development; this development takes time, and may make you uncomfortable. You will learn from the mistakes that are bound to be made. In addition, setbacks or challenges are also important aspects that must be passed in the process of emotional development.
- Highly sensitive individuals may experience more difficulties in their teens than they do in adulthood. However, as you get older, you will learn to manage your feelings more effectively, and gain useful problem-solving skills.
- Remember that you must know something well before you take action. Otherwise, it's as if you're going to a new place after a quick glance at the map, without understanding it first. You will not have sufficient understanding to travel to the place and, most likely, will get lost. Therefore, go through your mind map first so that you have a better understanding of the emotional sensitivities you feel and how to manage them.
Tips
- The care and compassion you show yourself (despite your flaws) can dissipate shyness and increase empathy for others.
- Don't feel as though you have to always explain the anxiety you feel in other people as an excuse or for the actions or emotions you show. It doesn't matter if you have to keep it to yourself.
- Fight negative thoughts that arise. Negative internal dialogue can harm you. When you're feeling overly critical of yourself, think: "How would other people feel if I told them this?"
- Basically, emotional triggers will differ from one individual to another. Even if someone you know has an emotional trigger for the same problem, the way that trigger affects you and affects you is not always the same. The similarities are coincidental, not common.
