What is a Sensitive Nomad?

A sensitive nomad is someone who is basically a highly sensitive digital nomad, but let's go into the details...

Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

"Sensitive" comes from the term highly sensitive person or HSP. This is a minority (somewhere between 15% to 30%) of the population that is less understood, and highly sensitive people experience the world more deeply through their senses. It is thought to be genetic (and also is present in other species), but early childhood may also play a role. Highly sensitive people might experience any of the following...

Movies at the theater are so loud that it can hurt, so we carry earplugs in our purse or always plug our ears when ambulances drive by.
Our eyes notice details right away that others don't such as the little bug that just came through your window (and now we have to burn the place down).
We can taste all the flavors of that glass of wine or that bar of chocolate.
We can smell when it's going to rain or the flu you're sick with.
Touch can be too much, overstimulating, or even painful, and that itchy sweater really pisses us off.
We might easily cry at the simple beautiful and sad moments in life, and the feelings are deep and can be a full body experience.
We can get anxious in crowds or go through a "social hangover" after we spend a lot of time with others.
We can walk into a room and sense the feelings or mood of the people inside.
Friends and family might say we are too sensitive or emotional.
We might be loners and feel like we never quite belong in a group.

As a result of the sometimes overwhelm of everyday life, we may tend to seclude, hide, and stay quiet. We need more downtime than the average person. High sensitivity can feel like it is negatively running our lives, but on the other side, these burdens can also be seen as gifts. If you can hear, see, smell, taste, feel more than the average person, you experience life in a deeper way that others cannot. You might experience things more powerfully like beauty, love, and joy and have a rich inner life. You might excel in emotional intelligence, empathy, and creativity. High sensitivity also tends to coincide with introversion, so you might also enjoy a lot of alone time or need to recharge by yourself after visiting a friend or your partner.

Just hiding out in my little introvert cave

It's also important to know that high sensitivity is not something that is diagnosable or requires any treatment but is a way to understand yourself better. It can be an important part of your self-development and accepting and nurturing who you are. If you are just now finding out that you might be highly sensitive, you might like to read the book by the psychologist who coined the term: The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Survive and Thrive When The World Overwhelms You by Elaine Aron. This book was the first I read about high sensitivity, and it was a validating read. I've had friends or partners look at me funny when I whip out earplugs at the theater, get annoyed that I have yet another migraine from being in a loud or hot place for too long, or get offended when I'm not ready to hang out so soon again. It can feel like there is something wrong with you, but you just operate physically, emotionally, and mentally different than most. Getting to learn and appreciate you are highly sensitive can be a big step in the lifelong journey of embracing who you are.

One more thing about sensitivity, but not necessarily high sensitivity. Sensitivity can also refer to extrasensory, as in intuitive or psychic senses. This could be getting a sudden knowing or gut feeling about a situation or person or sensing things that others do not with their five senses. Maybe you always know when your sister is about to call before the phone rings, or you ignore that nagging feeling to not go through with renting an apartment and then have the worst roommate experience you've had. People can refer to this as sensitivity and believe that some people are just born with it, which is actually not true. We all have the capability of being psychic or sensitive in this way, and it is a skill that can be developed. This sensitivity is different from the usual meaning of high sensitivity, but I'm going to play with both here at Sensitive Nomad!

Is it really high sensitivity?

I'm no psychologist or psychiatrist, but it's also worth mentioning that sometimes high sensitivity can be confused with mental conditions, such as autism or PTSD. There is some overlap, but there are differences. For example, HSPs and autistic people both may experience sensory overstimulation. However, the sensitivity for HSPs allows them to excel in emotional intelligence and social interactions (when they are comfortable), while those who are autistic may struggle with understanding social cues and communication. As for those with PTSD, for example war veterans might be very sensitive to any loud noise, but that particular sensitivity is due to a traumatic experience and not genetics or childhood upbringing. However, all of these things can happen together too.

If you find that you are highly sensitive, it might be worth looking into if there are other things going on as part of the journey of better understanding yourself. Are your parents or siblings also highly sensitive? If daily life overwhelms you sometimes, why do you think that is? Have you always felt this way, or did it start after a certain point?

Digital Nomad

So the other part of the name here is the "nomad." You might already know this part refers to being a digital nomad or a remote worker, someone who works online from their laptop and travels at the same time. They may live and work somewhere a few days or a few years and enjoy the flexibility of exploring the world while maintaining an online income. Being a digital nomad is its own lifestyle with pros and cons, and it is a beautiful lifestyle if you feel called to it. I can tell you right now it is definitely NOT endless vacation as some might think. The digital nomad lifestyle is however an endless journey of learning about others, the world, and yourself.

Living and traveling as a sensitive nomad is the core of this blog, and if you are also a more sensitive soul, I hope you find each post as a conversation with a kindred spirit on this worldly adventure of self-discovery.

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Holiday Gift Guide for the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

Hygge for the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

The Struggles of Traveling the World as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)