Have you ever considered yourself a ‘highly sensitive person’? Maybe not. Instead, think: have you ever been in a crowded room and found the loud noises of their voices meshing together, or the scents of so many people in one space, or the bright lights above you too much to handle? Have you ever been listening to a friend talk about something and shared in their emotions so deeply that it feels as though the situation has happened to you? Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that it’s manifesting itself physically in your body, from headaches and tense jaws to an inability to sleep?
If any of this sounds familiar, then you might just be a highly sensitive person (HSP). That’s not just to say that you’re just easily offended or upset. “Highly sensitive people can often feel too sensitive for the world around them,” says Charlotte Lewis, a holistic psychology expert – also known as @MyPsychologyCoach on Instagram – and in-house wellbeing expert at Channel 4. “They become overwhelmed in crowded spaces or loud environments and are easily affected by other people’s moods, sometimes feeling like they are experiencing other people’s emotions within their own body.”
Many celebrities and public figures are also said to have been HSP, from Katharine Hepburn to Martin Luther King Jr, Albert Einstein and Nicole Kidman – so if any of these traits sound familiar, then you’re in good company.
Now, thanks to ongoing scientific research, ‘high sensitivity’ (HS) is becoming more well-known and recognised. It’s made its way onto social media, too, with #highlysensitiveperson receiving 133 million views on TikTok alone. But what exactly does it mean to be HS, and how can you manage the impact it has on your everyday life? Expert Lewis has the answer.
What exactly is high sensitivity?
High sensitivity is a personality trait present from birth – rather than a disorder or diagnosis – that affects around 15–20% of the population, according to psychologists. It means that a person’s “sensory experience is heightened, it’s a neurobiological difference,” says Lewis. “Their brain processes their environment, emotions, sensory experiences and feelings at a deeper level than the rest of the population.”
As a result, HSP often feel overwhelmed more easily than others. According to Lewis, the brain of a HSP has a stronger depth of processing and “more active mirror neuron systems, which relates to how we process social and emotional situations. They help us understand what someone is doing or experiencing, allowing humans to feel empathy and compassion for others.” The result: HSP are highly empathic, intuitive people who are able to accurately read those around them. “So, if you seem to feel things more strongly than other people, you are probably right,” says Lewis.
What are the signs that you could be a highly sensitive person?
If the concept of high sensitivity has struck a chord with you, then take a look at this list created by Lewis, highlighting some of the traits that are common among those who are Highly Sensitive:
- Other people's moods affect you deeply
- You get easily overwhelmed by strong sensory input or when there is a lot going on at once
- You are sensitive to others’ discomfort
- You have a rich inner world and deep thoughts
- You get startled easily
- You consider yourself conscientious
- You are easily able to accurately get a good sense of other people
- You know how people are feeling without them having to tell you
- You naturally empathise with others
- You have a deep appreciation for nature, music, the arts and beauty
- You’re naturally intuitive and perhaps even spiritual
- You have a high EQ (emotional intelligence)
- You are a deep thinker, enjoying time in meditation and contemplation
What’s the difference between being an emotionally intelligent person and being highly sensitive?
“Lots of people are kind and high in empathy, but it’s the neurobiology that defines someone as being highly sensitive,” explains Lewis. “At least three sets of genes distinguish a highly sensitive Person’s brain. These genes are responsible for serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.
HSPs also have more active mirror neurons, which explains their gigantic capacity for empathy – HSP absorb emotions from people around them. Often, they’re not even aware they’re doing so.”
How can being a HSP affect your daily life?
“People with the HS trait are incredibly responsive to what’s going on in their environment. They notice almost everything and process it all deeply. They’re extremely perceptive and can over-think and over-feel too,” explains Lewis.
Being HS can make itself known in everyday life due to its tendency to make a person feel overwhelmed, or even anxious, due to the level at which they process information. This can stem from an emotional reaction to a situation (due to their capacity for empathy) or due to sensory overload – a HSP is often sensitive to strong smells and tastes, noise, light and touch.
“Research shows that there is an increased risk of burnout in people who are particularly sensitive or highly empathic. This is due to their depth of processing of social, environmental and emotional stimulus which leads to over-processing more readily,” says Lewis.
According to the psychologist, burnout can make itself known in HSPs in the following ways:
- Increased alertness and anxiety
- Erratic sleep patterns
- Emotional exhaustion (feeling easily overwhelmed by people and situations
- Tense body (sore muscles in the neck and shoulders, headaches, tense jaw, back pain)
- Brain fog
- Irritability, and a reduced connection and empathy with loved ones
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How can a HSP manage these symptoms?
In order to avoid burnout, it is important to look after yourself in all of the usual ways, from eating nourishing foods and exercising regularly to avoiding too much screen time. Lewis also recommends prioritising rest, not just in getting a full eight hours’ sleep, but also taking the time to meditate and “guilt-free rest”, setting boundaries for yourself and avoiding stressful situations as much as possible – something that’s not exactly easy to do in 2023, but we should all try to do as much as we can.
Lewis maintains that being a HSP is an asset – it’s about harnessing the qualities that make you highly sensitive and realise their positive potential. “Please don’t push to be tougher,” she says. “Accept your sensitivity as a superpower and listen to your intuition, it’s your gift.”
