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Are You a Highly Sensitive Person? It Pays to Know.
One in three people are highly sensitive. If you’re one of them, self-awareness and acceptance are the keys to unlocking its greatest gift: self-compassion.
I arrived at my one-on-one Zoom session with Anisha to discuss why, after a year and half of participating in our online Authentic Communication Group, I still felt awkward and vaguely anxious during our group sessions much of the time.
“I am so distracted by negative self beliefs that it’s hard to stay focused and present,” I told her. “I feel like there’s something wrong with me.” She listened attentively as I went on. “Things also move too fast for me. I need more time to process certain interactions, and then by the time I’m ready to share, it’s too late.” I paused a few beats to let those words sink in for both of us. Finally, I added, “I just feel like I don’t belong.”
Anisha pushed gently against my inner confusion. “Your experience is not unfolding in isolation, my dear, but rather, in session with the others. My sense is that you’re picking up on something in the group that triggers these thoughts, and then you blame yourself for what you don’t understand.” We had talked previously about my habit of collapsing into self-criticism at moments…
