Do you ever feel as if you are too ‘sensitive’? You cannot understand how friends and family handle busy environments with ease. Or, how they appear to seamlessly manage work, socialising, personal projects and more without needing a significant period of rest. If anything, it seems as if they gain their energy from these environments.
Unlike them, you often feel drained after navigating a busy day and need alone time to reset. You would find it too tiring to meet up after work for a meal. You might feel abnormal because of how quickly you become overwhelmed or, how frequently you require downtime in order to function at your best.
However, this ‘sensitivity’ might not be so abnormal after all. You might just be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)! You are not alone either. According to Dr Elaine Aron, the HSP is an individual with a ‘Sensory-Processing Sensitivity’ personality trait. This neutral trait is innate and occurs in 15–20% of the population. Simply put, a HSP is someone who processes information more deeply than others. This could be external stimuli such as other’s emotions, social injustice in the media, art, or their current environment. But this could also be internal stimuli including hunger, stimulants such as caffeine, or emotions like joy or pain.
Taken at face value, it might seem as if there are limited benefits to being a HSP. You process everything more than everyone else and often feel drained or overwhelmed because of it. However, this capacity means we are attentive, empathetic individuals who are able to pick on subtleties that others miss. We are able to see the bigger picture easily, both in our personal lives or projects at work. Our increased awareness is a source of great strength when we accept ourselves and learn how to cope with being overwhelmed.
The first step to acceptance is knowledge. Dr Elaine Aron proposed the D.O.E.S framework to describe four interrelated facets of the HSP. Below, we will discuss these facets using our fictional HSP called Charli.
D is for Depth of Processing
Charli is a reflective person, who often contemplates situations or decisions in depth. This occurs consciously when Charli is faced with new or complex situations. The need to take a step back, reflect and observe the situation means Charli can be slow to act. However, such situations are important learning experiences for HSPs like Charli. HSPs are often processing deeply without conscious effort and are quick to act when a situation or decision feels intuitively right. Charli is quick to relate current events to past experiences and form deep connections between a variety of information and experiences.
O is for Overstimulation
Consequently, Charli becomes overstimulated, stressed, or tired faster than others. Especially when dealing with situations that are intense, occur over a long period of time or require a lot of socialising. Charli finds it difficult to meet with friends or enjoy family time after work, without getting rest first. For Charli, getting enough sleep or downtime is essential to function effectively in the day. Charli often wonders how friends can handle work, socialising and more with limited downtime or rest.
E is for Emotional Reactivity/Empathy
However, when well-rested, Charli is an empathetic friend and family member. The ability to understand others on an emotional level comes naturally to Charli. Unsurprisingly, Charli not only feels the emotions of others intensely but also their own emotions. HSP often have stronger emotional responses to both positive and negative stimuli. Charli often cries out of happiness but equally, feels overwhelmed by violent movies or tv shows.
S is for Sensing the Subtle
Finally, the HSP is able to detect subtle cues or changes in their environment. Through deep processing, we are more likely to notice the things that go undetected by others. In this way, Charli is often described as attentive, picking up on small details about their environment and the people in it. This might be why Charli has a rich inner life, enjoys works of art, and the finer details of life. However, because of this, Charli can become uncomfortable due to loud sounds, strong smells, or busy environments.
If these characteristics resonate with you or you are curious, you can take the HSP self-test here. It is important to note that the SPS trait that characterises the HSP is not a condition, diagnosis, or disorder but simply a neutral personality trait. There is a rich research base into the trait that confirms it does exist, and that it varies between individuals. Another key misconception is that HSPs are introverts, but 30% of HSPs are actually extroverts.
Understanding the HSP at Work
Based on what we know about the HSP, it is unsurprising that the work environment can be a source of stress. HSPs are more likely to experience overwhelm and burn out from their work environment. You might have experienced feeling drained at the end of the day, no matter the workload. Most work environments are not suited to the typical HSP’s needs and are a source of pressure. This could be for a few reasons, some unrelated to the job demands of your workplace. You might feel overwhelmed by:
- Strong smells (i.e. a colleague’s perfume), bright lights in the office or noise levels.
- Absorbing the stress of others unintentionally.
- Time pressure in a fast-paced environment, especially if you are overworked or presented with sudden deadlines.
- Having to deal with an intense boss or work colleagues.
- Being unappreciated for the soft skills you bring to work, such as being a quick problem solver or managing conflict between others.
- Working from home where it is difficult to separate the demands of life and work. This is even more difficult if you live with others or have kids to take care of.
However, the same characteristics that cause overwhelm can be an advantage at work. The HSP’s ability to learn deeply and see the ‘bigger’ picture can actually be the reason they thrive at work. Likewise, HSPs are very resilient when able to take control of their strengths and put them to use.
Research has shown that the HSP’s characteristics can act as both a vulnerability factor and a personal resource that improves job performance. For example, Bhavini Shrivastava found that the HSP viewed themselves as being stressed or overwhelmed in their work environment. Yet, they were perceived as the most productive employee by their managers. This highlights that with the right coping strategies to manage their stress, HSPs are incredible assets to the workplace with their attentive, creative nature.
Moreover, it is rare that the HSPs characteristics impact their work, it is more likely that it impacts their personal wellbeing because they manage their burnout in private. This is why it is important for HSPs to understand how their work environment might cause them distress in order to take better care of themselves. In a recent study, it was found that employees with higher levels of SPS — the trait that characterises the HSP — were more vulnerable to experiencing emotional exhaustion caused by job demands.
In particular, HSPs who experience overwhelm when processing internal and external stimuli, or unpleasant feelings from sensory stimuli such as bright lights were more likely to experience this exhaustion. However, the HSPs ability to sense the subtle was also a personal resource. In work environments with adequate job resources, the HSP was more likely to be a proactive member at work and engage in helping behaviour. This highlights the HSP can thrive with appropriate resources that give them a sense of competence.
To conclude…
If you identify as a Highly Sensitive Person, you might have only noticed the difficult aspects of your deep processing abilities. However, the characteristics that contribute to being a HSP are very valuable, both in our personal and work lives. It is important to accept your needs for rest or alone time. If you can engage in self-care that enables you to reset, you will be able to thrive.
Written by Amirah Khan
Amirah is a Psychology graduate with a keen interest in researching, and writing about topics that promote psychological well-being. She is an empathetic idealist, passionate about improving perceptions of mental health issues. She volunteers as a tutor for disadvantaged pupils and content developer for a peer support service.
