High sensitivity and burnout: how to calm your body and mind as an HSP
🌿 High Sensitivity in an Overstimulated World: Why Your Body Needs Better Tools
📊 High sensitivity in numbers
High sensitivity, also known as HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), is an innate characteristic in which the nervous system reacts more sensitively to stimuli. According to research by Elaine Aron, approximately 15-20% of the population is highly sensitive. In the Netherlands, a study among 1500 HSP respondents showed that 57% of them have (had) a burnout
🌪️ The modern stimulus society
Our ancestors lived in a world with significantly fewer stimuli. Today, we are exposed to an abundance of information, sounds and visual stimuli on a daily basis.
This constant stream of stimuli can lead to an overload of the nervous system, especially in highly sensitive people.
Research shows that modern society produces an unprecedented level of stress, which can lead to burnout. The constant pressure to perform and the overload of stimuli make it difficult for HSPs to relax.
🧠 The connection between burnout and high sensitivity
Why HSPs burn out faster – and what you can do about it
For many women, it feels like they “shouldn’t care so much about things” . But if you are highly sensitive (HSP), you process stimuli on a deeper level. You notice more, feel more intensely and think longer. That is wonderful – but in our hectic society it is also a recipe for exhaustion.
🧬 HSPs process information more deeply
Highly sensitive people have a more sensitive nervous system and brain structures that respond differently to stimuli. They filter less quickly and perceive more details – sounds, moods, light, emotions, smells, expectations. According to neuroscientific research (Aron & Aron, 2017), activity in the insula – a brain area involved in empathy and stimulus processing – is increased in HSPs.
In a society that constantly demands performance, switching and continuing , highly sensitive systems become overloaded more quickly. And that leads – often insidiously – to:
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❌ Overstimulation and sleep problems
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❌ Fatigue that doesn't go away with "taking a rest"
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❌ Loss of focus and overview
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❌ Emotional exhaustion
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❌ Feelings of failure or misunderstanding
🔥 Why burnout is more common among HSPs
Did you know that HSPs are up to twice as likely to develop burnout ?
Dutch research (hoogsensitief.nl, 2023) shows that 57% of the HSPs surveyed have (had) a burnout. This is because:
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They often ignore their body's signals for too long (they don't want to bother anyone)
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They have an extremely good sense of what others need, but forget themselves
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They adapt to a system that structurally overstimulates them
Burnout in HSPs is therefore not only about “doing too much” – but about a mismatch between who you are and what your environment demands of you .
🌿 The solution? Back to your rhythm and natural regulation
You don't have to get harder. You can live softer.
The way out of burnout for HSPs requires recovery of the nervous system, rest for the brain and support of the body at the cellular level . Small, natural steps make the difference:
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💧 Essential oils such as Lavender, Vetiver and Cedarwood have a calming effect and help you get out of your head
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🧬 Minerals & phytonutrients restore your cells and reduce energy loss
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🍃 Lifestyle at your own pace : more nature, less screen, more feeling - less having to
And perhaps most importantly, recognition . You are not weak. You are sensitive. And that is a superpower – if you take care of yourself.
By integrating these natural methods into daily life, HSPs can better cope with the challenges of modern society and experience more peace and balance.
Want to learn more about how you as an HSP can improve your well-being with natural remedies? Contact us for a measurement and your personal plan! At Suzanne Shares we offer guidance and products that fit your needs.
Are you ready to take back control of your health?
📍 At Suzanne Shares, with more than 6 years of experience, we are happy to guide you with a holistic view of your well-being.
Read more: What the biomarker scan reveals within a few minutes. 🚀💖
