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

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First if you aren’t sure what a highly sensitive person (HSP) is, check out my previous post What is a Sensitive Nomad to get an overview, but to refresh a little, a highly sensitive person is someone who is more sensitive in every sense of the word. This is someone whose physical senses are stronger or more easily stimulated, who feels their emotions deeply, and also someone who may be more in touch with their intuition and psychic senses.

In a world where we all want to feel like we belong and are understood, I didn’t really pay much attention to the term ‘highly sensitive person’ until a few years ago because it was yet another thing that would separate me from the majority. On top of that, too often sensitivity is perceived as weakness, airy fairy, or just some modern psychology bullshit, but it’s not any of that. It’s estimated that 15-30% of the human population is highly sensitive, and this possibly genetic trait is also present in another species. There are true gifts that come with high sensitivity that enrich life, as well as burdens that can make the everyday difficult.

Travel as an HSP

As a highly sensitive person, daily life can already be overstimulating if we haven’t yet figured out how to live in a way that supports how we operate, and when we add travel into the mix, we can easily get overwhelmed physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Let’s look at some ways high sensitivity comes to the forefront as struggles when we’re traveling and how to turn those situations around.

Physical sensitivity for the HSP

The most obvious way high sensitivity in travel can affect us is through our physical senses. Some scenarios that might upset you more than the average person for example are too much noise, heat, cold, sunlight, air pollution, commuting, and activities in one day and too little rest and personal space.

Travel at a relaxed pace, make time for rest, and prioritize comfortability

As a HSP traveling the world for a few years now, I feel like I’ve mostly figured out how to keep my stress and overwhelm low and enjoy taking my time in a location. One of the most important things you can do is to make room to travel at a relaxed pace with time set aside for rest and solitude.

You’re not someone who does well having a jam-packed day of activities from dawn to dusk to feel like you’ve checked off all the boxes of things to do in a city and made the most of your time. That is actually exhausting, and can often result in headaches, migraines, fatigue, or sickness. There have been many instances where I had a full-on day from early morning, took various forms of public transportation, and saw multiple sites in one day, and then by the end I had a migraine and needed to rest in bed for a few days. Or there are many instances where I went to go see one of the top 10 city attractions and thought to myself afterwards that I could’ve skipped that since it wasn’t actually something interesting to me, on top of the overwhelm of being around so many people, so much noise, too much heat and sun, waiting in line, etc.

Not pictured is the headache I got after too much time in the sun and heat while walking the walls of Dubrovnik. Amazing views and architecture, but bad timing with too much at once.

If you have the time and money, allow for more time in a location or narrow down what you do to just the few things you are really interested in. Life is so much more peaceful and comfortable that way, and you can enjoy your trip at your leisure.

If you’ve got a long flight to go somewhere, how can you make it most comfortable for you? If you’re a night owl, maybe avoid any morning flights. Go to the airport with hours to spare, so you’re never rushed. Get a seat away from the flight attendants, bathrooms, and aisles, so your space is not constantly invaded. Get some earplugs or noise-canceling headphones and an eye mask to cut down on sensory overload.

If you’re trying to figure out where to stay, what do you need in an Airbnb, hotel, or other accommodation to feel most comfortable? It’s your temporary home, and the longer you’re staying somewhere, the more important it is for it to feel like an actual home. If it’s summer and you struggle with heat, make sure it has AC or fans. Maybe you don’t have access to public transport, so stay somewhere near the center, but find a place off a side street that is more quiet. Pick a place with a view of greenery outside or near a park, so you can appreciate nature nearby. Check out where the grocery stores are to make sure you’re staying close enough to one, so you’re not walking an hour a couple times a week with a heavy backpack (this one keeps happening to me too often). Read the reviews to see if there is any mention of noise from traffic, clubs, or the neighbors.

If you’ve only got a few days or a week somewhere, what are the activities or attractions you’re most interested in, and where you can set aside time for rest? The top 5 must-see things for the masses aren’t the same for everyone, so think about why you’re going on your trip and what you really want. Especially if you want to relax on a vacation, don’t do more than a few activities in one day, and assume everything will take longer than you think because either they will or it at least gives you some time to pause. Look at what the crowds are doing, and do it your own way. Instead of large group tours on big buses starting at ass o’ clock (8am), find a smaller group that goes at an off-peak hour. And that restaurant with that famous local food you want to try that’s always crowded for dinner, you can see on their Google listing that it’s pretty empty in the midafternoon on Wednesdays. Go then when it’s quiet, and you can have the place to yourself.

Truly try to let go of that feeling that you need to make the most of your time somewhere by doing everything you possibly can on your trip. Have a day for just nothing even, so you can do whatever you feel like without any pressure. It may take some time for that mental adjustment (especially for Americans who barely get vacation time, if any), but it helps you slow down in life and appreciate the small moments. I know for myself it has taken a long time to reach that mental shift, but I have become much more at ease with myself and how I travel. You don’t have to do it all, and you’re not missing out if you are enjoying your trip.

Taking my time by treating myself to an eclair in Gdańsk in the comfort of my Airbnb

Mental and emotional sensitivity for the HSP

The next way high sensitivity in travel can affect us is through our emotions and our mental state. Some scenarios that might become overwhelming are too much socialization, large crowds of people, the potential stress of traveling with others, and your own personal emotional wounds.

Know your social limits and set aside time for solitude and self-care

Highly sensitive people tend to be introverts, and too much socialization and large crowds can be draining. As we value meaningful and deep connections, it might feel like we have to be constantly ‘on’ as we give our full attention to others, observing their body language for cues, and even possibly unintentionally absorbing their emotions through empathy. If someone is upset, it can feel unsettling to be around, or we end up taking on and trying to process emotions that are not ours. Double or triple all that if we’re in crowds, absorbing even more emotions and using more energy to sense the mood of the room. We might also be people pleasers and struggle to say no or communicate our needs and limits to others. Others might not understand our high sensitivity and even think we have a problem we should fix or that it’s just all in our heads. There can be a lot of social pressure to do what everyone else is doing, but then you are not taking care of yourself and feeling emotionally drained and maybe even resentful.

It’s also possible to have a social hangover from too much socialization, leaving you fatigued and needing to rest in solitude for some time. Your social battery hits zero, and you feel cranky and have no patience or energy to talk to anyone. It’s a bit like an alcoholic hangover, but is mainly more mental than physical although I have even gotten a migraine from overdoing it in socializing.

How can you embrace your high sensitivity and communicate it to others? Figure out what your needs and limits are. Don’t be afraid to express and honor them. Set aside time just for you to rest and have solitude. Get comfortable saying no or leaving an event early before your social battery hits zero. You’re not missing out if you’re taking care of yourself. This can definitely be a process of learning to accept and appreciate who you are.

Another aspect to consider is your emotional makeup and wounds. Travel has a special way of activating all sorts of shit for us to face and deal with that we buried away long ago or thought we already moved on from. Nope, hello, it’s back. Old issues around worthiness or visibility for example might creep up and kind of derail your whole trip. Personally, visibility has been a major issue that I’m still working through. Take me from the states to another country, and all of a sudden I am highly anxious about sticking out as a tourist and being seen. This goes back to childhood, or even past lives if you believe in those too, and this adds another layer to the travel experience. If something like this comes up for you, it is a great opportunity to go within, be introspective, and grow as a person. It’s not easy, so for your mental and emotional wellbeing, it’s important to focus on self-care, so you can find some peace and calm each day. How that might look depends on you.

What routines do you have that are grounding and calming? If you do meditation or journaling most days when you’re home, keep doing that while you travel. Start your day with a nice cup of tea or coffee and sit in the sun with your feet in the grass. Move your body a little each day with a walk or yoga. Have a quiet, cozy corner to read or just do nothing. Take your time. It doesn’t take much, and it helps you set the tone of your day with something familiar and safe.

A dog in Montenegro whose social battery has hit zero and now recovering from a social hangover

Spiritual sensitivity for the HSP

The last way I want to discuss how high sensitivity can affect us is spiritually. This is a bit more open ended, but as mentioned in the previous sections, highly sensitive people can be overwhelmed by too much-ness in general.

Build and maintain energetic boundaries

One significant way to be able to better handle this is through creating your own energetic barriers. This may sound a little crazy to some, but we all have energy radiating from us. Many of us can walk into a room and feel if something’s off. We’ve got that extra sense. Whether we want to increase our tolerance for large crowds or to repel certain types of people and situations, you can build and maintain energetic boundaries. This can be as simple as a thoughtful intention, or you can sit down, close your eyes, and take a few minutes to visualize an impenetrable barrier of light around you that keeps you safe. You can do it however works for you that feels right and makes you feel protected. When you’re out and about or find yourself in a large crowd, practice and strengthen that barrier, and eventually it will be second nature or just automatic without any thought. I have found this really helpful when I’m on public transport or speaking with someone emotionally upset so that I do not absorb everything around me and feel overwhelmed. Even if it’s all in your head, you are altering your reality in a positive way for you.

A cat in Italy with very good boundaries practicing self-care

So traveling as a highly sensitive person is maybe not the easiest and has a few unique struggles involved, but if you can take one thing away from this, it's that embracing and honoring your sensitivity is what makes all the difference. Next time we’ll talk about all the gifts of travel as a highly sensitive person!

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