Emotional Sensitivity

I don't remember a lot of details about my childhood, but I do remember that other kids used to call me a "baby." Unfortunately, those experiences affected me a lot, to the point that when I was 12 years old I decided that the best way to keep moving with the world would be to become emotionless. Unaware of what kind of consequences I would be bringing onto myself, I prayed for lack of emotion.

Now I understand emotion a little better. While I may have looked like a baby to some, I was really just emotionally sensitive and without the tools I needed to deal with it. What does that mean, emotional sensitivity? I'm finding it difficult to find an actual definition, but as I see it emotional sensitivity involves how strongly your emotions feel to you. Everyone's experience of emotion is different which can make this concept a little harder to understand. If an emotion is a reaction to a thought, one person's reaction may be very strong and another person's reaction less so. Emotional reactions are probably a factor of physiology (differences from brain to brain), as well as psychology and environment (life experiences change the way we experience emotion), and even energetic (everyone's sensitivity to energy is different).

So what does emotional sensitivity look like? Some people may cry over what seems like nothing to those who are less sensitive, others may use anger to compensate, and there are any number of other possible reactions. Some emotionally sensitive people not only react strongly to their own emotions but are strongly affected by the emotions of others. It may be more difficult for sensitive people to handle criticism. Sometimes emotional sensitivity comes along with other types of sensitivity: sensitivity to loud noise, to crowds, to strong tastes and smells, to physical textures, etc.

An adult equivalent to calling someone a baby is calling them oversensitive. It's not easy (or perhaps even advisable) to try to reduce your level of emotional sensitivity. In my opinion, it's more realistic to learn to appreciate and deal with your particular emotional sensitivity. Take note of all the ways that you are sensitive to things. Then you might be able to find ways to cope with each sensitivity in a unique and creative way. Visualization techniques, flower essences, journal-writing, prayer and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) are just a few of the tools emotionally sensitive people can use.

Though it may be hard for some people to believe, emotional sensitivity can be a gift. Used wisely it can help you learn about your environment and even help you help other people. The key is learning how to accept and deal with your emotions appropriately. Do you think you are emotionally sensitive?

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