People often call another person “sensitive” as if it’s a bad thing, but the truth is that being sensitive can work for you. That’s right. Being sensitive is something that shouldn’t be marking you as different and unable to function normally in society. In fact, research shows that sensitivity can make you a person who is more compassionate, motivated and accepting of those around you.
So it’s time to stop worrying about being so sensitive and start harnessing that trait to make your life better while also making the world a better place. Use these lessons on a daily basis and pretty soon you’ll be so thankful that you are sensitive when so many others are not.
Learn To Control Your Emotions
While being sensitive can be an extremely good thing, people who are sensitive tend to react quickly and strongly. Experts encourage sensitive people to use logic and emotions before they jump into a situation.
This way you ensure that your talents and abilities are used to the best of your ability without interfering in a negative way. So often, sensitive people want to help everyone and save the world so they act impulsively only to find out that they probably didn’t do the right thing.
For example, instead of rushing in to solve someone’s problem, you may realize that they would prefer that you just listen to them instead of trying to fix things. Your emotions are the perfect tool for knowing when help is needed, but it’s best to assess the situation and determine how you can best intervene (or not) before you enter the situation.
This lesson allows you to use your sensitivity for the good of others without upsetting anyone or making the issue worse. People around you will appreciate this ability, and practicing it can help you really foster that talent.
Tune In To Your Intuition
According to Douglas Eby, M.A., sensitive people are more in tune with themselves and this can be a real benefit to you and the people you come into contact with over the course of a day. While your sensitivity does allow you to tune into what’s going on around you to a greater degree than the average person, you may ignore that gut reaction much of the time.
You’re not alone, because research shows that this is common among sensitive people. However, the experts say that you should most definitely be tuning in to this gut instinct. If your gut is telling you something, it pays to listen. This is because sensitive people are often more trusting than they should be.
Prevent yourself from being taken advantage of by following your instincts about people. If a person or situation feels bad, avoid it. Your gut is telling you something for a reason and you should be listening. In fact, most people will say that when they follow their gut instinct, things turn out the way they want them to.
Don’t Let Your Focus Wander
Experts say that sensitive people often take on the troubles of the people around them. Your compassion and intuition make you more aware of what’s going on around you and that means you can spend a lot of time on other people’s problems.
Researchers caution against this because it can keep you from focusing on your own life and what matters to you. You’ve got to resist the urge to say “yes” to everyone else and make sure you devote your time and energy to yourself and what you need. It’s fine to help other people, but it can make you feel resentful and angry if you do so at the expense of your own priorities.
So make sure you carve out the time to concentrate on what you care about the most, be that work, your family or your favorite hobby. Only when you feed your own needs and wants can you use your sensitive nature to help other people.
Don’t feel bad about making time for yourself at the expense of people who are hanging on to you because you make them feel better and take on their problems as your own.
Don’t Ever Call Yourself Weak
Being sensitive can sometimes be perceived as weakness, but you’ve got to get out of that frame of mind and stop letting yourself feel that way. In fact, it takes strength to have the caring nature and compassion it takes to be so sensitive to those around you.
Once you realize that your sensitivity doesn’t make you weak, you can harness it and use it for good things while also boosting your self-confidence at the same time. In addition, Eby says that sensitive people also strive for perfection most of the time.
So you have to learn to balance your sensitivity with your need to be the best for everyone and everything. Only when that happens can you use your sensitive nature for your own good and the good of those you choose to help and interact with. With this will come the feeling of being strong, and you’ll stop listening when people call you weak.
Don’t Let Others Influence You
One of the biggest lessons that sensitive people can learn is to be true to oneself. Being sensitive means that you let people influence you more than you should. Once you know that you shouldn’t be doing this, you can avoid doing so in the future.
Instead of letting those around you judge you for your sensitive nature, keep in mind that you have a gift that others can benefit from. It’s not easy to ignore what others think and say about you, but once you can let go of that kind of judgement, you can use your sensitivity for the good of others, but most importantly, for the good of yourself.
Remind yourself that sensitivity isn’t a hindrance. In fact, more people could benefit from the trait, and that should make you feel good.
Being sensitive can make life hard from time to time, but more often than not, it can make your life better. According to Eby, sensitive folk are more creative than the average person
, giving you the opportunity to use your gifts and share them with the world.
In addition, because you are more in tune with emotions and nuances, you have the gift of working with people and helping them in a way that the average person might not be able to. There are many things that are more open to a sensitive person, and the worst mistake you can make is to avoid those things because you fail to see that your sensitivity is a gift and not a social hindrance that you should be embarrassed about and try to hide.
Learning these simple lessons can make you happier and help others see that being sensitive is something that more people could benefit from being.
