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HSP News #12 - On the Quiet
It’s been a while since our last Newsletter, not because there is nothing to report, but simply because such a lot has been going on behind the scenes, both to slow things down but also to speed us forward. So, it’s a pleasure to write a summary of some of the latest things Barbara Allen would like to share with you about our work here at the National Centre for High Sensitivity during the last year:
"Thanks firstly and as always, to Ildiko Davis, our Newsletter Editor, website editor and also facilitator of online HSP meet-ups, both for HSPs and HSP therapists. Ildiko’s work has helped us to keep you informed and also, to focus our attention on where we are going and what’s going on ‘out there’. It’s been a long, slow road, getting the NCHS on its journey and Ildiko has been such a support and strength through this process over a number of years.
 During the last twelve months, a tiny team has been forming here in Andover, made up of volunteers offering a little of their skill in helping me to bring ideas and plans forward. I would like to thank Anna Pell, Bridget Woodward, Rosanna Leigh, Claire Bailey, Andrew and Sophie Kidd and Jordan Leigh for stepping forward, offering time this and last year that I know is hard to find in this busy world, but so very much needed. There are more waiting in the wings to offer skills and ideas, I know, and it feels like this year, our little team is going to form a foundation that will be a springboard for much useful work for and on behalf of HSPs in the UK.
Our next major piece of work is around funding. So far, funding has been very small and provided mostly by a combination of donations from my private practice, Growing Unlimited, and small donations from HSPs to cover some of the costs that naturally arise. In order to progress, we need to bring in many thousands, rather than a few hundreds of pounds, so once again I have been wondering where it will come from. I have recently had an offer of some help from a fund-raiser and I am hoping over the next couple of months to meet with them for ideas and guidance in where to find funding and how to go about asking for it. I’m excited by this and profoundly grateful for this offer of help."
Read more from Barbara about our exciting plans ahead ...
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New Sensitive Movie
Exciting news for all highly sensitive people: Another film is coming in 2019 that talks to the larger public about high sensitivity, titled Sensitive and in Love.  This will be an important film not just to HSPs, but also to everyone, who suspects that their partner could be a highly sensitive person. This film potentially could save marriages and relationships, as it will increase understanding among couples about their innate differences. The film is by the same team who made the highly acclaimed documentary: Sensitive - The Untold Story. This time however, they decided to make a feature film about the topic of HSPs and love. The Sensitive and in Love film was funded by donations and fully supported by Dr. Elaine Aron. Read more... |
Merging our Meetup Groups for HSPs
We will be merging our Meetup groups to a single Meetup group for HSPs at: https://www.meetup.com/Growing-Unlimited-Hampshire-HSPs/, to simplify the administration of running our events. All our future Meetup events for HSPs will be listed here, regardless of the location of the event from now on. If you have paid to be a member one of the discontinued meetup groups, we will transfer your membership payment to the Hampshire HSP meetup group, once you sign up to be a member of that group. Alas, we are not able to transfer your membership payment, unless you sign up yourself. So, please remember to do that, if you would like to get regular information about the events we are running for HSPs. Read more... |
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Radio Interview with Barbara Allen
Really happy to share a recording of Jenny Tobias interviewing Barbara Allen about highly sensitive people on BBC Radio Guernsey on 25/1/19 (37mins). This a very enjoyable and informative talk and the presenter realised that she is a highly sensitive person herself. Barbara highlighted during the interview what researchers found about highly sensitive people, in a way that is easily digestible to anyone. She also covers a lot of important issues, like the four common characteristics of HSPs, HS children, sleep, sex and how high sensitivity differs from autism. This interview has been a real hit already on HSP related Facebook pages - hope our readers will enjoy it similarly too! Listen to the interview...
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I Don't Like to Label Myself as Sensitive
Emily Agnew writes in her insightful article to those sensitive people, who could well be HSPs, but don't like wearing the highly sensitive label. Understandably, people can have uncomfortable feelings about wearing any label that reduces them to someone with a particular trait. Especially when that label also can be so easily misunderstood. At the same time, understanding what it means to be highly sensitive and how their needs are different from the majority seem to have such a positive impact on HSPs. When we understand our needs better, we can adjust our lifestyle to suit our sensitive nature, and our lives can start to flourish. Emily argues that even if you do not want to label yourself highly sensitive, you could still benefit from understanding what it means, if you have that type of nervous system and how to bring out the best from it. Read more... |
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Staying Healthy as an HSP
Dr. Jadzia Jagiellowicz writes about the connection between highly sensitive people and chronic stress in this article, and medical conditions linked to an overactive immune system. Alas, a lot of chronic medical conditions related to the immune system are really difficult to diagnose. So, if you struggle with health conditions that have baffled you and your doctors, it is worth reading her article and to see an immunologist. I have benefited from this greatly myself, so I cannot recommend it highly enough! Another book that can be well worth reading, if you struggle with a chronic medical condition, is When the Body Says No by Dr. Gabor Mate. This excellent book writes about the cost of hidden stress and gives sound advice about things we can do to heal. Read more... |
Ups and Downs and Why it is OK
Highly sensitive people have intense emotions, which often create an emotional roller coaster ride with its ups and downs. This can easily make us wonder, if there is something wrong with us that needs fixing. Barbara Allen has written a passionate and insightful article for HSPs about this. She argues that our ever changing inner feelings are related to our increased responsiveness to our environment, which fulfils an important role for us and our society. Understanding the purpose of feelings and the challenges related to our intense emotional landscape can help HSPs make peace with their highly responsive nature. Read more... |
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Friendships for HSPs
Friendships (and relationships in general) can be a real minefield for highly sensitive people. Being an invisible (and largely unheard of) minority, we often get measured against non-HSPs and get judged as aloof, antisocial and over-sensitive. No wonder, if we often believe that there is something wrong with us and struggle with feeling worthy of love and friendships. So, probably a lot of you will resonate with this article about the power of quiet friendships, where we are accepted as we are. Although the piece is written for introverts - the issues mentioned and how we can overcome these are just as relevant for highly sensitive people. You can all benefit from reading this and reflect on whether you have enough people in your life with whom you can be as you are. Read more... |
Why HSPs Need To Forgive Their Own Past
Barbara Allen writes about this: "Often, once we realise important things about our trait and re-frame our life experiences to understand why it was hard to thrive, we can unaccountably go through a time of thinking we ‘should’ have realised things earlier, done things differently, started thriving sooner. We might berate ourselves as if we have used up all our chances in life already. That’s when we need to forgive ourselves, the way we often reach out and forgive others, over and over again." Read further her important article to remind yourself to be as forgiving with yourself, as you so compassionately are with others. Read more... |
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Hard work or Bust?
We often get the messages that it takes only hard work to succeed in life. It is often hard work however, which disregards the individual limitations, that burns people out or ruins their health. Angie Wigman's thoughtful article is reminding highly sensitive people to make peace with what feels possible without hurting themselves, and to work for their dreams at their own pace. HSPs do so much caring for others and the world - and inner processing of what they encounter. This often goes unnoticed and unacknowledged as hard work. On top of that, when we have a less then ideal start in life, there is a lot of healing to do for us, as well. So, please give yourself credit for all the hidden and precious work that you do inwardly and forgive yourself for not having as much energy left for external work at times, as you would like. Read more.. |
Book about HSP Children
I recently came across this little book that many of you may find priceless. Here is Elaine Aron's foreword about it: “As the author of this truly brilliant little book, Jamie Williamson explains that he is not an academic or a psychologist. "I am simply a man who feels very passionately about the subject." He is highly sensitive and so is one of his daughters, and he writes about sensitivity with both simplicity and depth. His sensitivity also shows in his book’s briefness. Caregivers of children need an author to get to the point so they can go get groceries, pick up the kids etc. Jamie’s book can be read in an hour, yet it has charming examples as well as great suggestions and a full, scientifically accurate description of the trait. Jamie is reaching out to all parents, carers and teachers of sensitive children, through this book or on his website, he is a wonderful resource.” Read more..
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HSP Meetups
If you would like information on Sensory Processing Sensitivity and meet other HSPs, do come along to our gently facilitated Meetups supported by the National Centre for High Sensitivity (NCHS).
Andover, Hampshire
- 23rd May 6:30-8:30pm
- 22nd June 10:30-12:30pm
Join and RSVP (£5) on Meetup.com
Leeds, Yorkshire - New
- 9th Nov 10:30am-12:30pm
Join and RSVP (£10) on Meetup.com
Online HSP Meetup via Zoom
- 16th May 7:00-8:30pm
- 9th July 7:00-8:30pm
HSP Meetups by Others
The HSP meetups listed below are independent of the NCHS.
Cookham Rise, Berkshire
- 12th May 2:00-3:30pm
Join and RSVP (£12) on Meetup.com
This Meetup group also organises other kind of events for HSPs.
Lewes, East Sussex - New
- 16th May 7:00-9:00pm
- 20th June 7:00-9:00pm
- 18th July 7:00-9:00pm
Monthly HSP Meetups on every 3rd Thursday of the month in The House of Friendship in Lewes. Contact Heather Hicks for more information and to book your place for attending at hsplewes@gmail.com
London HSP Psychology and Social Group
- 4th May 16:00-18:00pm
This Meetup group also organises events for the personal development of HSPs.
Join and RSVP (£10) on Meetup.com |
HSP Events
RSVP and see further details about the events at the links below.
Nurturing the Numinous - Mentoring and Support Day
11th May, Andover, Hampshire
Links to Details & RSVP (£12.50)
Updated HSP training for Professionals - CPD
25th May, Andover, Hampshire
Links to Details & RSVP (£70)
Workplace Know-How for HSPs - New
26th May, Andover, Hampshire
Links to Details & RSVP (£40)
Online HSP Meetup for HSP Support Professionals
13th June, Online via Zoom
Links to Details & RSVP (£10)
Art for HSPs - New
14th June, Andover, Hampshire
Links to Details & RSVP (£15)
HSP Insight Retreat Weekend - New
29h -30th June, Andover, Hampshire
Link to Details and RSVP (£175)
Loss and Renewal Session
12th July, Andover, Hampshire
Links to Details & RSVP (£15)
Art for HSPs
18th Oct, Andover, Hampshire
Links to Details & RSVP (£15)
Loss and Renewal Session
15th Nov, Andover, Hampshire
Links to Details & RSVP (£15)
National HSP Conference - Planned
April 2020, Venue TBC.
Details will follow on our Meetup site
Events further ahead or announced after this newsletter issue are listed at the NCHS website. |
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Subscribe to our HSP News
If you would like to continue to receive free updates about HSP related articles and events, please subscribe to this newsletter. I hope the few simple steps this requires will be well worth it for you. We take your privacy very seriously and will not share your details with anyone. Also, our newsletters will be about 6 monthly, to save time for both of us :) Subscribe here... |
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding our newsletter, HSP events / meetups, or the work of the National Centre for High Sensitivity (NCHS) feel free to contact our team below. Click on the name to send us an e-mail.
Barbara Allen
Founder & Director of NCHS
HSP Meetup Facilitator in Hampshire & Berkshire
NCHS Workshop Facilitator / Trainer
(top photo on right)
Ildiko Davis
NCHS Newsletter Editor
NCHS Website Coordinator
HSP Meetup Facilitator
(bottom photo on right ) |
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