Generally, the word “sensitivity” is used to describe how you respond to the environment around you, whether that’s physically or emotionally. You could physically be sensitive to the cold, or emotionally, you’re able to pick up the feelings of others easily. To some extent, we’re all sensitive about something in our lives.
Image sourced from https://psychcentral.com/health/why-am-i-so-sensitive
However, you might also fit the description of a highly sensitive person (HSP), a personality trait that psychologists first used in the 1990s to refer to someone who has a keen awareness of their environment’s physical, emotional, or social circumstances.
There are pros and cons to being an HSP, which can also be known as sensory processing sensitivity (SPS). For example, you may avoid violent movies or TV shows, but you may also have deep, close relationships with others.
And it’s important to know that being a highly sensitive person isn’t considered a mental health disorder — and that there’s no official way to diagnose someone as HSP and there’s no official highly sensitive person test (though there’s this quiz from the doctor who coined the term “highly sensitive person.”)
“Know that it’s OK to be you. Being HSP comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses,” encourages psychologist Chivonna Childs, PhD. “If you’re a highly sensitive person, you can lead a rich life.”
Dr. Childs explains what it means to be a highly sensitive person, what traits you might have and how to cope with any stress that comes from being an HSP.
What is a highly sensitive person?
If you’re a highly sensitive person, you have a heightened awareness of the stimuli around you, which can be good or bad. HSPs tend to be bothered by violence and can easily be overwhelmed, which leads them to avoid certain situations. Highly sensitive people can also be very creative and have a deep level of empathy.
“Highly sensitive people are built more deeply, emotionally and mentally than most people,” notes Dr. Childs. “It’s more than their emotions. It can also be sensitivity to textures and sounds. You might not like big crowds or bright lights.”
And while we all tend to have sensitivities, with HSPs, they tend to experience these sensitivities on a higher level.
Highly sensitive people traits
There are some characteristics and traits of a highly sensitive person that seem to be common, like:
- Avoiding TV shows or movies that are violent.
- Finding the beauty in almost anything, whether it’s art or something in nature.
- Feeling overwhelmed by noises, bright lights and uncomfortable clothes.
- Feeling anxious.
- Feeling the need for downtime.
- Having a rich inner life.
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“We have to be careful about diagnosing people,” says Dr. Childs. “Some people just like their quiet time or some people just admire art where the rest of us don’t.”
When it comes to how they think and feel, HSPs tend to think through situations and reflect on their lives.
“They can be with themselves and have inner conversations and deep thoughts,” she says. “They can think for hours on end and be OK with that.”
If you’re an HSP, you may struggle with multitasking or feel overwhelmed rather quickly. And that tends to stem from the ability to feel empathy for others.
“HSPs can pick up on the needs of others, which can be a good thing because you want somebody who’s empathetic,” says Dr. Childs. “But the other side of empathy is compassion fatigue. If we’re always picking up on others’ feelings and others’ emotions, what does that do for us? What does that do for the highly sensitive person?”
When you’re an HSP, sometimes “little things” are too much. Elaine Aron, a psychologist, coined the term “Highly Sensitive Person” (HSP). According to Aron’s theory, HSPs are a subset of the population who are high in a personality trait known as sensory-processing sensitivity, or SPS. Those with high levels of SPS display increased emotional sensitivity, stronger reactivity to both external and internal stimuli—pain, hunger, light, and noise—and a complex inner life.
The concept of high-sensitivity has gained traction in the years since Aron conceived of it, particularly as more and more people began to self-identify as highly sensitive. Overall, about 15 to 20 percent of the population are thought to be highly sensitive.
HSPs are thought to be more disturbed than others by violence, tension, or feelings of being overwhelmed. They may, as a result, make concerted efforts to avoid situations in which such things are likely to occur. On the more positive end of the trait, high sensitivity is thought to be linked to higher levels of creativity, richer personal relationships, and a greater appreciation for beauty
Wall get overwhelmed sometimes, because, as 17-year-old Augustus Waters points out in The Fault in Our Stars, “The world is not a wish-granting factory.”
But if you’re a highly sensitive person (HSP), life can feel like it’s spinning out of control — fast. Seemingly “little” things that don’t bother other people sometimes completely overtake you. What may be a minor irritation to some might make your palms sweat, upset your stomach, or quickly zap your energy.
Why? Because HSPs process all forms of stimulation deeply due to a biological difference in their nervous systems; this includes what they see, touch, taste, think, and experience. As a result of that deep processing, they get mentally overloaded quicker than non-HSPs.
Although it comes with challenges, being an HSP isn’t a malfunction or disorder. In fact, it’s perfectly normal and healthy — and in some cases, advantageous. According to Dr. Elaine Aron, author of The Highly Sensitive Person, about 15-20 percent of the population are highly sensitive. Meaning, there are too many of us for high sensitivity to be considered “wrong”!
Are you a highly sensitive person? If so, you will relate on some level to these problems.
Highly Sensitive Person Problems
1. Loud noises (even the ones that other people love)
Concerts, movie theatres, and even the music in your own headphones can be loud. While no one likes having their ear drums blasted, for highly sensitive people, loud noises can feel like a full-on assault on their senses. The problem is made worse when you have no way to control the volume — and when other people don’t seem bothered by it at all, you feel like the “difficult” one.
2. Little sleep = hell
HSP or not, life can be tiring, and we all feel worn out from time to time. However, due to their depth of processing, HSPs may need more sleep than others. When they don’t get that sleep, they miss an important opportunity to rest and reset their ramped-up senses. For the HSP, running on little shut-eye can feel like the very definition of hell — every minor irritation and inconvenience is ratcheted up exponentially.
3. Having a strong, unexplainable reaction to both violence and beauty
No one loves violence and cruelty, but HSPs absolutely abhor it. Watching a scary or gory movie may make them feel physically sick. Similarly, they may not be able to watch or read shows or books about certain triggering topics (like animal cruelty or other similar brutal acts).
But the opposite is true as well. HSPs often have very strong positive reactions to art. It may move them to tears and leave them thinking about the work for days. If you’re an HSP, you may wonder why other people don’t react to art and beauty like you do. You may want to talk about your reactions, but you don’t, because you know others won’t see it the same way you do — and this feels isolating.
4. Emotional exhaustion — which often comes from other people
Is your spouse stressed? Suddenly, you feel stressed, too. Is your best friend sad? You feel sad, too — even though your day was going fine. Many highly sensitive people absorb the emotions of others. Rather than just sensing what someone is feeling, they actually feel it themselves. And what’s more emotionally exhausting than carrying your own feelings, plus those of others?
5. Overanalyzing every little word and gesture
Highly sensitive people notice little things that others miss. A lot of little things, especially when it comes to other people. They notice when someone’s tone of voice doesn’t match their words. They notice when someone won’t meet their eyes when answering a question. And they may find themselves agonizing over the interaction afterward, especially if they suspect the other person wasn’t being completely honest, or worse, is upset with them.
6. Not socializing the way most people do
For many people, going to a bar, party, or hanging out with a large group of people is just what you do for fun. But for HSPs, spending a prolonged period of time in a noisy, crowded environment can simply be too much. Especially in your younger years, this can severely limit your options for socializing — and make you feel like the odd one out.
7. You can’t easily brush things off
Someone makes a disturbing or crude joke, and everyone laughs but you. Even though it’s “just a joke,” you may have a hard time brushing it off. For HSPs, injustice and cruelty are no laughing matters.
8. Vacations can be anything but relaxing
Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, right? For many people, they are, but for HSPs, sometimes “little” things — like sleeping in a different bed and navigating a new environment — make them wish they were home.
9. Getting really hangry
We all get “hangry” from time to time (hungry + angry), but for HSPs, this feeling of irritability can be even more extreme. According to Dr. Aron, HSPs tend to be more sensitive than non-HSPs to dips and spikes in blood sugar levels.
10. When someone raises their voice at you
For highly sensitive people, words really matter. Tone of voice matters. And for them, there’s little worse than knowing someone is mad at them. If you’re an HSP, someone raising their voice at you — especially someone close to you — can feel like a punch to the gut. Similarly, as a child, you may have cried the moment a parent or teacher scolded you. (Or in the classroom, you felt guilty when the teacher scolded other students, even though you had nothing to do with the problem!)
11. Time pressure causes serious distress
Nobody likes rushing around; it makes us sloppy and creates stress. But for highly sensitive people, time pressure can cause serious anxiety. Having to do something quickly, like checking off a thousand things on a to-do list, or simply running late to an appointment, can leave HSPs quite flustered. According to Dr. Aron, all types of stimulation, including time pressure, affect HSPs more.
12. Saying yes when you want to say no
Highly empathetic and aware of the feelings of others, HSPs don’t want to let anyone down. Although this is admirable, sensitive people may fall into the trap of people-pleasing, compromising too quickly, or saying yes to a request even when it comes at a great cost to them.
13. Even positive changes have their downside
Change can be hard for anyone, but it can be especially challenging for HSPs who find great comfort in routine (routine is far less stimulating than something new). So even good changes, like a job promotion or new relationship, can cause them stress. This may confuse their friends and family, who don’t understand why they aren’t riding the “high” of their newfound luck or success. But for HSPs, those feelings of excitement can be overstimulating in and of themselves! Highly sensitive people usually need extra time to adjust to changes — even positive ones.Are people generally more sensitive now than in the past?
Popular media and anecdotal sources often focus on claims that people are more sensitive now than in the past. These claims typically revolve around the notion that the term HSP is a new concept, and people have only recently become interested in supporting those who are notably sensitive.
Aron and other researchers argue that sensory processing sensitivity is not a new trait. Instead, they found a heritable trait that may have evolutionary advantages.
There is no scientific evidence that people are more sensitive today than they were in the past. Instead, institutions and individuals may be more willing to acknowledge and make accommodations for those with different needs, including high sensitivity.
In a 2014 studyTrusted Source, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans to measure the brain activity of HSPs. The study found increased brain activation in regions associated with awareness, empathy, attention, and action planning.
Coping strategies and tips
To cope with being an HSP, it is important for a person to first identify their major areas of sensitivity. For example, some people are more sensitive to sensory input, while others find certain kinds of social interactions overwhelming.
Some strategies that may help include:
- using personal devices, such as sunglasses, earplugs, and noise-canceling headphones, to minimize sensory input
- considering how clothing might contribute to sensory overload, then choosing items without tags, seams, or other types of sensory input
- setting up at least one area of the house to be low stimulation, such as a dark, quiet room
- advocating for accommodations at work or school and building them into daily life as needed
- seeking psychotherapy
Benefits and strengths of being highly sensitive
Highly sensitive people tend to be conscientious and empathetic and may notice subtle changes in their interactions and environment.
Some benefits include:
- Social skills: HSPs tend to notice things others do not. Picking up on body language and other subtle cues may help them develop strong social skills.
Sensitivity to the environment: Highly sensitive people may notice environmental cues others do not. In the right setting, this can help them detect danger.
Empathy: Highly sensitive people tend to be more sensitive to others’ emotions and moods. This may offer them more insight into other people. It can also help them detect others’ motives and inclinations, potentially making them good managers, negotiators, and leaders.
Sources
https://highlysensitiverefuge.com
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com
https://health.clevelandclinic.org
Want to reduce stress and thrive as a highly sensitive person? Contact us at Positive Psychology and Educational Consult.