When it comes to crying during movies, Toy Story 3 is a double whammy. The tears begin when Andy leaves the toys for college. Then we see all the toys holding hands when they are about to be incinerated.
Or how about when Mufasa dies in Lion King and his young cub son tells his dad he can’t die? I cried during the capture of the horse in Warhorse; Lone Survivor deeply affected me; Braveheart, The Patriot…and especially, The Passion, led me to tears and deep emotions.
Are you highly sensitive?
If you cry during movies, you could be a highly sensitive person – and you are not alone! You might be one of about 20% of people who are considered to be highly sensitive. Now, not everyone who cries during movies is highly sensitive. But if you feel deeply when negative and positive emotions are presented, you could be!
Sensitivity is a personality trait and can be a good thing as long as you don’t allow emotions to overwhelm you.The down side to high sensitivity is that you may become easily overwhelmed by your emotions, so you have to learn to handle intense feelings because of the way this could impact your relationships.
How do you overcome?
When you feel you need to get control of sensitivity, a good strategy is to distract yourself with something completely off the topic for a few moments. For example, count to 10 in Spanish, or name four cities that begin with A. Doing this will engage a part of your brain that counters the deep emotional feeling. Or take a time-out when emotions overwhelm you so that you can calm down and think better. Having a highly sensitive nervous system is not a disorder!
The up side is to embrace your deep feelings, as you are probably empathetic and can read the cues of others better than most people. Highly sensitive people are often creative as well. Use that emotional intelligence to pick up on the feeling of others when working in teams. And allow those deep feelings to be expressed in love and compassion for others.
So go ahead and cry at movies! Don’t be afraid to admit you are highly sensitive. The world is a better place with people like you.
