What is a sensitive person

Highly sensitive person: Signs, strengths, and challenges

A highly sensitive person is more aware of social stimuli, such as other people’s voices and facial expressions. They may be particularly empathetic but also more prone to overstimulation.

Psychologist Elaine Aron developed the concept of highly sensitive persons (HSPs) to describe those who display notable sensitivity to various forms of stimuli. Aron estimates roughly 15–20% of the population is highly sensitive.

Researchers often use the term “sensory processing sensitivity” to characterize the experiences of HSPs. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) does not list sensory processing sensitivity as a diagnosis. It does include sensory processing disorder, which some HSPs may also experience.

Aron and other researchers treat sensory processing sensitivity not as an illness or diagnosis but as an evolved personality trait that can be adaptive in some circumstances. For example, highly sensitive people may notice signs of danger that others miss and may pick up on more subtle social cues.

Keep reading to learn more, including the signs and everyday challenges of being a highly sensitive person, as well as the benefits.

A person with sensory processing sensitivity is highly sensitive to their environment. Sights, sounds, smells, and other forms of sensory input may cause a heightened experience for HSPs. A sound that is barely perceptible to most people may be very noticeable, and possibly even painful, to an HSP.

There’s more to being a highly sensitive person than just being sensitive to stimuli. Other characteristics include:

processing environmental stimuli more deeply
being more emotionally reactive to behavioral inhibition
being more physiologically reactive to behavioral inhibition
having stronger unconscious nervous system activity in stressful situations
having stronger emotional responses (both positive and negative)
being strongly perceptive of subtle differences
having a low tolerance to high levels of sensory input
having a low pain threshold

Being a highly sensitive person can be stressful and can cause anxiety or relationship challenges. However, there are also benefits to being highly sensitive, especially in the right environment or with support. Some advantages include having a rich inner life and showing increased empathy. Being highly sensitive can also offer strengths in relationships and depth in processing information.

As noted earlier, being an HSP is not a diagnosis but a personality trait or temperamental disposition that offers both benefits and challenges.

Some signs of high sensitivity include:

Low threshold for sensory awareness: HSPs may notice and experience sensory stimuli more strongly than others. For instance, loud noises and chaotic stimuli are likely to have a greater impact on HSPs.

Overstimulation: HSPs may become easily overstimulated and overwhelmed by their surroundings.

Personality and temperament: HSPs may seem introverted or very emotionally sensitive. This may also be because their environments are stimulating, and they feel overwhelmed by it.

Empathy: An HSP may find that others’ moods strongly affect them, or they notice subtle social cues others do not.

Pain sensitivity: HSPs are often more sensitive to pain or touch.
Withdrawal: HSPs who live in an environment that is not ideal may withdraw more or need more alone time to cope.

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 study, 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.

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

Learn more about different types of therapy here.

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.

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.
Sensitivity to the environment: Highly sensitive people may notice environmental cues others do not. In the right setting, this can help them detect danger.

Being a highly sensitive person is not a diagnosis or a medical condition and does not require treatment. However, HSPs may find relief from this label for their experiences. They may receive meaningful support from therapy and resources or books about HSP.

Some key traits of HSPs include deeper processing of emotional stimuli and a lower tolerance to sensory input.

The right environment can make being highly sensitive more manageable. With less sensory input, HSPs may not feel as overwhelmed. This may empower them to work toward positive outcomes, such as by using their empathy to better understand people and foster meaningful relationships.

While the concept of the HSP is relatively new, HSPs are not. As research continues, experts may identify new ways of supporting HSPs. They may also identify the environmental, genetic, and developmental factors that contribute to high sensitivity.

Highly sensitive person: Signs, strengths, and challenges

A highly sensitive person is more aware of social stimuli, such as other people’s voices and facial expressions. They may be particularly empathetic but also more prone to overstimulation.

Keep reading to learn more, including the signs and everyday challenges of being a highly sensitive person, as well as the benefits.

There’s more to being a highly sensitive person than just being sensitive to stimuli. Other characteristics include:

processing environmental stimuli more deeply
being more emotionally reactive to behavioral inhibition
being more physiologically reactive to behavioral inhibition
having stronger unconscious nervous system activity in stressful situations
having stronger emotional responses (both positive and negative)
being strongly perceptive of subtle differences
having a low tolerance to high levels of sensory input
having a low pain threshold

As noted earlier, being an HSP is not a diagnosis but a personality trait or temperamental disposition that offers both benefits and challenges.

Some signs of high sensitivity include:

Low threshold for sensory awareness: HSPs may notice and experience sensory stimuli more strongly than others. For instance, loud noises and chaotic stimuli are likely to have a greater impact on HSPs.

Overstimulation: HSPs may become easily overstimulated and overwhelmed by their surroundings.

Personality and temperament: HSPs may seem introverted or very emotionally sensitive. This may also be because their environments are stimulating, and they feel overwhelmed by it.

Empathy: An HSP may find that others’ moods strongly affect them, or they notice subtle social cues others do not.

Pain sensitivity: HSPs are often more sensitive to pain or touch.
Withdrawal: HSPs who live in an environment that is not ideal may withdraw more or need more alone time to cope.

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.

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

Learn more about different types of therapy here.

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.

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.
Sensitivity to the environment: Highly sensitive people may notice environmental cues others do not. In the right setting, this can help them detect danger.

Some key traits of HSPs include deeper processing of emotional stimuli and a lower tolerance to sensory input.

how to survive for people who feel everything

It is common to think that excessive emotional reactions are something to be dealt with, as they destroy relationships, provoke conflicts and become the cause of many other rash acts. However, the author of the book “I've had enough! How to live with emotional sensitivity ”Imi Lo thinks completely differently and says that people who live in the world of feelings and perceive everything around them through them can actually see and feel what others cannot see.

To do this, you need to accept your high sensitivity and realize that this is not a weakness, but, on the contrary, a strength. We tell you who emotionally sensitive people are and what advantages they have.

Imi Lo

Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, 2020

Who are emotionally sensitive people

An emotionally sensitive person in the most general sense is a person who has a greater range of emotions than anyone else, and perceives the world and the events taking place in it sharp, bright and sensual. There are five signs of emotional sensitivity:

Depth, intensity and complexity of emotions.
Increased empathy and sensitivity
High level of susceptibility.
Rich inner world filled with feelings and vivid imagination.
Creativity and existential anxiety.

These signs can determine whether you belong to the category of emotionally sensitive people.

Depth, intensity and complexity of emotions

If you are a person with high emotional sensitivity, it is as if you exist in the world of emotions and do not think of yourself beyond it. You perceive any events acutely, and you feel truly alive only when you feel something. At the same time, emotions can be not only bright, but also changeable: here you are at the peak of euphoria, and the next second you experience deep sadness.

Perhaps you approach everything with passion and can love strongly, grandiosely and without a trace, therefore, strive to create strong bonds with people, things and places, which makes it difficult to say goodbye to them, even if it is necessary.

Increased empathy and sensitivity

Probably from an early age you were interested in the lives of others, you were worried even about people who had nothing to do with you. You may also feel a stronger connection with animals and nature, the other person's inner world and their physical sensations. Surely it will not be difficult for you to understand what your interlocutor feels and why he feels this way - and you feel it so clearly that sometimes other people's experiences are perceived as your own.

You tend to be empathetic towards people, and in close relationships you can romanticize and idealize your friend or partner, forgiving him many shortcomings simply because you deeply feel his inner world. Moreover, some highly sensitive people have a low pain threshold, suffer from misophonia (intolerance to certain sounds), hyperacusis (sensitivity to certain frequencies and strengths of sound), and allergies.

High susceptibility

You do not tend to be satisfied with superficial knowledge, because thanks to empathy and sensuality, you can penetrate the very essence of things, see relationships and important details that many miss. Sometimes you can predict the occurrence of a certain event in advance, understand the state of a person long before he explains it himself, and also recognize true intentions.

True, the ability to anticipate something does not always play into your hands, since some images and possible scenarios influence you so strongly that you cannot get rid of obsessive thoughts and emotions.

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Rich inner world and vivid imagination

A wide range of emotions gives rise to various images and associations that can be combined into metaphors, ideas, fantasies and whole worlds. You are probably very inquisitive, prone to constant reflection and searching for answers to questions, therefore you are attentive to the information that you study and to the people with whom you communicate. You may suffer from perfectionism, prone to excessive self-criticism.

When you read a book, watch a movie or a theatrical performance, then most likely the rest of the world ceases to exist for you - now there is only a fictional universe that you sensually explore and to which you vividly react.

Creativity and an existential crisis

Through insight, you may have often thought about the meaninglessness of existence, experienced fear of loneliness, and also annoyance that other people do not want to think about what is really important .

You often get hung up on thoughts about the transience of time and the finiteness of everything that exists, because of this you try to use every moment of life to the maximum, reach creative and career heights. Perhaps you have several hobbies, and you are absolutely not satisfied with the idea of a meaningless life without any goals, aspirations and global desires.

Problems of highly sensitive people

A person who perceives the world vividly through feelings is often considered an emotionally immature person, since his reactions to various events seem excessive and inadequate to the situation. This really happens - for example, when it is necessary to resolve a conflict, and instead a person who is overwhelmed by emotions swears even more and does not want to find a way out of the situation.

But why is this happening? By and large, only because until the end of the 20th century, IQ was the only indicator of intelligence and giftedness. However, this coefficient took into account only the abilities of the mind, but did not at all reflect the ability of a person to perceive the world differently - through empathy, the ability to take the place of another, feel the mood of the interlocutor, see his intentions and potential hidden from the eyes of others. Therefore, in society, it was intelligence, analytical and linguistic abilities that became important, and not emotions and creativity.

It was only in the 1980s that scientists began to develop new models of giftedness, and this is how emotional intelligence appeared. Canadian psychologist François Gagne was the first to separate the concepts of giftedness and talent in his book The Differential Model of Giftedness and Talent. In his opinion, talent is something that develops over time through training and education, and giftedness is an innate ability, a predisposition to a certain activity. He divided abilities into five categories: intellectual, creative, socio-emotional, sensorimotor and others (psychic abilities are included here, but there may be many questions about them). Only along with this division came the understanding that giftedness is not only intellectual, and a person who does not have sufficient analytical abilities should not be considered stupid or mediocre.

Around the same time as Gagne, the American psychologist Howard Gardner developed the concept of multiple intelligences, which included, for example, social intelligence - how we build relationships with others - and intrapersonal intelligence - how we perceive ourselves and how inclined to self-reflection.

Despite all the advances in psychology and the active popularization of emotional intelligence, not everyone realizes how important emotions are. It is customary to develop intellect in children, but no one tells them how to perceive the world through the "wisdom of the heart." That is why especially sensitive, gifted children do not receive proper support, stop showing their emotions and, as a result, face a huge number of problems in adult life that result in conflicts, impulsive decisions and the inability to understand themselves and others.

How to deal with it

Truth Time Exercise

If you realize that you are experiencing a lot of emotions and cannot manage them, you are very likely to be trapped in prejudices, old traumas and beliefs that do not allow you to realize all your potential. The purpose of the exercise is to refer to unpleasant past events—for example, family experiences or embarrassing situations in society, among friends, or at work—in which you came to the conclusion that your emotions are wrong, and to understand why you think that sensitivity only bothers you. Here's what you need to do:

Take a diary and remember as many painful past events as you can. Do you have a tendency to minimize negative feelings? Or, for example, try to separate from your experiences, as if you do not want them to be yours?
Be honest with yourself and remember your childhood. How did your parents react to your sensitivity? Did they support her or, on the contrary, tried to suppress her? Did you receive support when you were sad, and if so, from whom? Could you experience your emotions with loved ones, or did you have to do it alone?
As you remember, pay attention to how your body reacts. Does your heart rate increase when you think about certain situations? Maybe your jaw or shoulders are tense? Emotions tend to show up outwardly, so pay attention to your body's signals.

In the process of this exercise, if you dig deep, it may become clear why you cannot accept and acknowledge your high sensitivity and, as a result, make it work for you.

Feel the events of the past

Some traumas from early childhood or just in the past can still cause negative feelings in us, such as sadness, anger, sadness or disappointment. It's okay to experience them, but if the events still seem painful, then you haven't let them go yet. So allow yourself to relive all the emotions, even though it may be unpleasant.

Think of all the situations that make you feel sad, toxic envy, anger or any other negative emotion. Try to feel it all over again, allow yourself to react exactly as you would react if you didn’t forbid yourself to freely express your feelings, even the most unpleasant and negative ones. As in the previous exercise, pay attention to the reaction of the body: is there a lump in your throat, are your cheekbones tense, do you feel like crying? And if so, then allow yourself to feel it all. Re-living emotions is like a way of healing and clearing out what has been bothering you for a long time. When you fully experience everything, it will be easier for you to let go of events and move on.

Exercise "Mental rehearsal"

When we are nervous, anticipating not the most pleasant or just exciting event, we begin to activate our defense mechanisms in advance so that the situation does not turn into a disaster for us. However, by winding ourselves up, we only make things worse, while the event may well turn out to be not as terrible as it seemed at first. To avoid misreactions, do the following:

Imagine an event that triggers your anxiety. Consider it in detail, but not from the point of view of a passive observer, but as an active participant.
Imagine all the possible scenarios in which this event could develop. Will people say things that will make you sad? Or maybe pissed off? Imagine everything that can provoke a strong emotional reaction in you - from the smallest troubles to the biggest.
Develop a plan for each option. What do you say if your relative gives unsolicited advice? What “mantra” will help you maintain your composure and not take it out on your loved ones?
Choose the most successful of all the strategies and imagine how you apply them in a particular situation.
Imagine all scenarios and solutions. Then you will be more prepared, and emotions will no longer control you, but you will use them for their intended purpose.

Building Your Own Altar Exercise

To feel confident alone with your emotions or in company, build a secure base of things, events, and objects that give you confidence and joy. This should include everything that seems stable and comfortable to you. To discover these things, ask yourself a few questions:

Analyze past events. What helped you to return to balance when shocking, traumatic events occurred?
What morning and evening rituals do you have that give you a sense of stability?
What brings you joy?
What can you control?
What kind of people support you in difficult times? In what ways do you feel confident?

When you collect all the answers to the questions, you will notice that you do not really face the world alone, and there are things, people and internal mechanisms that allow you to stay afloat and not be at the mercy of emotions so that they it was impossible to control.

Close to the heart: what is high sensitivity and how to live with it

Health

Author Varya Borodina

February 04, 2020

Noise intolerance, fear of crowds, acute feeling of any failure, and heightened emotionality can all be experienced by highly sensitive people. We understand why they are like that and what science knows about them.

"You take everything too close to your heart" - these words have been heard by everyone whom nature has endowed with high sensitivity. Science has long ignored the anxieties and concerns of vulnerable people, but in the last ten years the doctrine of sensitivity has become a trend, and at the end of the 2010s it moved into the mainstream. One of the first books on this topic is “Supersensitive nature. How to Succeed in a Mad World” by psychologist Elaine Ayron has become almost a classic of popular psychology literature today.

The abbreviations HSP and SPS can often be found in the Western press. The first is called Highly Sensitive Persons, and the second refers to the reason that makes them so fragile. The central nervous system of some people is literally more sensitive—it responds more strongly and processes physical, emotional, and social stimuli more deeply. This phenomenon is called Sensory Processing Sensitivity.

To understand how sensitive you are, you can take a test that measures four parameters: the depth of information processing, a tendency to nervousness, emotional reactivity and the ability to read between the lines (catch the nuances of phenomena, situations, characters).

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Highly sensitive people are more likely to indulge in reflection, worry more about other people, themselves, the future and the whole world, it is difficult for them to make decisions, accept criticism, and they can also suffer in a loud and fussy environment. Therefore, they are even called “new introverts”, but do not confuse the concepts - sensitive people may well be extroverts, they just react more sharply to everything that happens in the world. It does not follow from this that high sensitivity is a disadvantage. This is just a personality trait that can be made into an advantage.

From anxiety to vivid emotions

Emotional reactivity indicates the ability to respond more sharply to external stimuli. It may manifest itself in different ways. On the one hand, a person deeply experiences failures and reacts sharply to gross physical stimuli (unpleasant music, pushing, screaming, etc.). But this same reactivity helps to experience positive emotions more vividly and makes even the most everyday life more intense. Concerts, festivals, fireworks and colorful shows, travel and outdoor activities, spiritual conversations with loved ones, spiritual practices, simple joys like delicious food and strong hugs - all this a highly sensitive person lives brightly, from the bottom of his heart.

From indecisiveness to balance

According to Elaine Ayron and her colleagues, highly sensitive people have a harder time making decisions. Excessive attention to details interferes with making a decision: a person digs into the nuances, makes endless lists of pros and cons, and eventually slides into painful rumination (scrolling the same thoughts with negative overtones). Considering that many sensitive people have a hard time with criticism, they are especially afraid of making the wrong decision.

However, the ability and desire to analyze is a useful skill in life and at work. Such a person is a valuable member of the team, because it is he who will be able to painstakingly study all aspects of an important issue, calculate risks and notice nuances that are invisible to others. Because of their attention to detail, highly sensitive people are the first to notice changes in a friend's or partner's behavior, work environment, and market situation.

From fragility to empathy

There are many introverts among highly sensitive people who prefer cozy loneliness or a chamber society of two or three close people to group activities and noisy parties. They often choose solo sports, try to protect themselves from the informational noise (especially from the negative). Many of them dislike horror and psychological thrillers, have a hard time dealing with stories of violence, and try to avoid toxic people in real life. This is because highly sensitive people are, for the most part, amazing empaths. Usually they have high emotional intelligence, they are able to empathize, understand and feel the emotions of another person with amazing accuracy.

They are the same friends and partners who understand perfectly, find the best words of support, share grief and sincerely rejoice in the success of loved ones. If only for this reason, high sensitivity should not be considered a weakness - after all, it helps to build close and trusting relationships. And this, as numerous studies prove, is one of the main components of a healthy and happy life.

Things to take care of highly sensitive people (and everyone else)

In order to live in harmony with sensitivity and feel only its positive aspects, it makes sense to adjust the lifestyle in accordance with the needs of the body.

First, get enough sleep. In order not to loosen the already fragile nervous system, sensitive people should follow the routine and sleep hygiene. It is known that poor-quality sleep can lead to irritability, depression and melancholy - you should not provoke a fragile body.

Secondly, fast carbohydrates and caffeine should be limited. Sweets cause spikes in blood sugar and with them bursts of energy with sharp drops. Such an energetic rollercoaster can lead to severe mood swings. And caffeine and other stimulants can provoke hyper-emotionality and agitation.

Thirdly, you need to learn how to find time for yourself. People with hypersensitivity should plan in advance for "relaxing activities" - the time during which they can restore emotional strength and reboot. It can be a weekly hot bath, quiet evening walks, morning yoga, or seasonal trips to country hotels. Separately, it is worth taking care of rest after noisy holidays - birthdays, corporate parties, New Year's and so on.

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