HSP INFJ: The Highly Sensitive INFJ
Someone who is an HSP or highly sensitive person, experiences life in a much different way. They are naturally sensitive to the world around them, whether this be through emotions or even physical stimulus. They find themselves rather sensitive to things in ways that make them feel different from the majority of the people around them. Some HSPs will hide these traits, wanting to fit int and avoid standing out too much. Experiencing ridicule for being “too sensitive” is something which can only make those feelings harder to process. Being an HSP does not make someone an emotional mess, it does not make them weak, in a lot of ways it can be used as a strength or tool to connect with people and the world on a much deeper level. Being an HSP is not something which is naturally correlated with personality type, although some might be more commonly seen with these types of behaviors.
INFJs are a complex mix of sensitive and guarded, but the HSP INFJ can struggle with finding their balance. They are naturally in touch with the emotions of others, and so being an HSP makes this a unique challenge for the INFJ. Already being so in tune and aware of the emotions around them, can become even more draining and overwhelming for the highly sensitive INFJ. This can be a major reason why they find themselves avoiding crowds and wanting to be alone more often than not. While all INFJs are introverts who need time to themselves, for the HSP INFJ it can become even more of an issue. They struggle to avoid absorbing these emotions, and find themselves sometimes inundated with their environments sounds and smells.
Emotional Sensitivity
INFJs are already empathetic people who can easily sense the emotions of those around them. This causes them to strive for harmony and want to do what they can to help others. The HSP INFJ feels this on an even more challenging level, since all of those emotions start to weigh them down and become exhausting for them. Being already so sensitive to others and their feelings makes the INFJ want to escape oftentimes, especially when their environment is filled with conflict and stress. They might attempt to calm things down and find a way to make everyone relax, wanting to find any means necessary in order to diffuse the situation. For the HSP INFJ, dealing with this overload of emotions can really make them feel exhausted and need a lot more time to themselves. After a long day of dealing with people or having to mediate conflict, the INFJ just wants to be alone in order to recharge and feel like themselves again. It is certainly something which helps them be more caring and compassionate people, but it can also drain their energy quickly.
Physical Sensitivity
When the INFJ takes on a task which feels too monotonous or chaotic, they can find themselves feeling overwhelmed. They have so many things coming at them at once, and they are already hyper sensitive to these stimuli. The HSP INFJ struggles to process these things at a fast speed, not being they aren’t smart enough, but simply because it is overwhelming all at once for them. Since they are so sensitive to the sounds, smells and even lights around them, it makes it exhausting for the INFJ to deal with certain tasks. Sometimes working in fast food industries or any kind of service industry, can be emotionally and physically exhausted for the HSP INFJ for this very reason. They find that all of this sensory information is too much to handle, leaving them feeling dumb and upset. It is important for the INFJ to recognize that this is not the case and they are not to blame for this. They simply need time to get into the habit of things, and find a way to drown out some of the overwhelming interactions around them. While developing a habit can help, there will always be certain jobs and careers which just don’t mesh well for the HSP INFJ. They need something which allows them to work their brain and creativity in a less high stress environment, something which doesn’t overload them with chaos and mess.
How to Cope
For the HSP INFJ the first step towards coping is recognizing that there is nothing wrong with them. INFJs are naturally prone to feeling guilty over the smallest of things, blaming themselves when they shouldn’t. If they struggle in a certain work environment because of their sensitivities, they are likely to call them dumb and feel like they should have done better. The reality is that intelligence has nothing to do with why the INFJ struggles in these scenarios, it is simply because of those sensory overloads which makes it hard for them to process everything at once. This is also something which makes the INFJ compassionate and creative people, capable of seeing things that most people are completely blocked off to. Instead of dealing with jobs that don’t reward them, they truly need to find something which is meaningful. They need a career which gives them a sense of purpose, and also allows them independence so that they don’t need to constantly feel inundated with sensory information.
Knowledge can be a useful tool for the INFJ, especially when it comes to understanding themselves. Instead of taking on the blame and constantly feeling guilty over who they are, the HSP INFJ needs to understand more about what makes them this way. The more aware they are of their sensitivities and strengths, the better they can find ways to adapt to their surroundings. Being labelled as “too sensitive” or “too quiet” are not faults of the INFJ, instead they are statements which come from ignorant people who cannot see past themselves enough to realize how amazing the INFJs sense of compassion and understanding truly is.Their ability to connect with and understand people is not a weakness, it is a wonderful gift that anyone would be lucky to experience.
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