Ah, I see. In those kinds of situations, shielding may help. I summon up a "cloak of invisibility" sometimes. Or you can also do a bubble with a mirror on the outside, though that has the effect of bouncing any bad vibes back to the sender, which doesn't help them feel any better and may make their vibes even worse. A bubble where the bad vibes hit and fall to the ground and are absorbed is probably best.  This all sounds very woo-woo but if you practice it, it works.Â
 I've been in crowded lines at delis and such where I put up a cloak of invisibility to deal with the mass influx of "people vibes"-- then got up to the front of the line and had the counter person totally ignore me. This happened more than once until I figured out I needed to remove the cloak of invisibility once I wanted to be seen.Â
  I don't do a lot of this anymore. (Well-- sometimes I do the cloak of invisibility when I just want alone time in a busy place.)  Instead I often try to *see* people, notice them as fellow beings, and send them good vibes. It took a while to get to the point where I could do that with some degree of comfort, though.Â
I have chastised myself for more years than not for being sensitive. Others described me as a downer and a sad sack. Depression is a spin off. I am learning to view and appreciate my own self. I am really not too much of anything. As the expression goes I am perfectly imperfect. I will say that I have often felt constrained in sharing who and how I am with others. > it is a trust issue.
Reading all these posts, makes me realise how we all share similar issues. It is nice to see that I am not alone, but also sad that people have had to deal with this issue as well. But maybe we should reframe it as not being an issue, but rather a badge of honour instead?
@ana what you have said is really great advice, but forgive me seeing the funny side to it as well - I kept thinking of Harry Potter and his "cloak of invisibility" 🤣Â
Perhaps  this book The Highly Sensitive Person, should be the next book club book for our forum.  We’ve been discussing the ministry for the future book. It really helps to deep in our conversation on a topic by reading a book together. I’m going to order it. Thanks for bringing it up.
again here’s a link to the book https://hsperson.com/books/the-highly-sensitive-person/
I've never read the book "The Highly Sensitive Person," but another book that has helped me over the years is "The Empath's Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People," by Judith Orloff, M.D. Orloff, a psychiatrist and intuitive empath, includes self-assessments and some excellent life coping strategies to guide you in setting healthy boundaries to remain strong and grounded, so you can fully embrace the power of your empathic gifts. She also has a website with a test you can take, and has written a few other books on the topic, including a 365-day date book on compassionate self care.Â
@ana, I love your cloak of invisibility! Â
@jeanne-mayell There's a Highly Sensitive Person self-test that goes with the book. Therapists who offer it to clients sometimes find they have an "aha" moment with it. Although a highly sensitive person may not need a test to tell them they are highly sensitive!
https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/
 Although a highly sensitive person may not need a test to tell them they are highly sensitive!
I read "The Highly Sensitive Person" 10 or 15 years ago. I already knew I was highly sensitive so all the descriptions weren't much of a revelation to me, and I'd already learned how to deal with a lot of it, but it was kind of nice to know that I wasn't alone.  And I felt it gave me permission to ask for "down time" when I needed it.
Reading all these posts, makes me realise how we all share similar issues. It is nice to see that I am not alone, but also sad that people have had to deal with this issue as well. But maybe we should reframe it as not being an issue, but rather a badge of honour instead?
@ana what you have said is really great advice, but forgive me seeing the funny side to it as well - I kept thinking of Harry Potter and his "cloak of invisibility" 🤣Â
I learned the technique before Harry Potter was written-- and I started thinking of it as the "cloak of invisibility" after I read the book. 🙂Â
(It's all a matter of visualization, focus, and practice, FYI)Â
Therapists who offer it to clients sometimes find they have an "aha"
funny that you should say that- my therapist lent me his copy of the book, back when it first came out. And like @ana said, it didn't really tell me much new about myself, but it did help me understand my therapist better, as he was even more highly sensitive than anyone i had ever met. We became great friends, and he would have so loved this community (he died suddenly, while walking down Market St. in SF).