The Highly Sensitive Person
In 1996, clinical research psychologist Elaine Aron published her book, ‘The Highly Sensitive Person’, based on her research on sensory processing sensitivity. Human personality traits have been researched since the 1930s, however the concept that people have characteristic ways of behaving, which are relatively stable across situations and time, has been around since the ancient Greeks. The classification and labelling of personality traits, together with the degree to which they are underpinned by genetics or by physical and social experiences in the environment in which a person develops, is still under research, although it is accepted that both are important factors. While research is on-going, there is a longstanding body of evidence that suggests personality traits, such as openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and emotional stability are fundamental characteristics which can be used to describe people’s ways of interacting with the world. Given that our reactions to situations are controlled by our nervous systems and hormonal states, the idea that genetics play a part in our personalities, in ways which are comparable to the influence of inheritance on mathematical or musical abilities, is unsurprising.
Personality traits are dimensional in that an individual person might lie anywhere on a naturally varying scale from highly responsible to deeply irresponsible or from very cooperative to extremely uncooperative. Elaine Aron proposed that sensitivity is a personality trait, which is an innate, largely genetic characteristic of an individual’s nervous system. Being highly sensitive is not a disorder, rather it refers to the 15% of the population who are at the far end of the sensitivity trait dimension. Aron suggests that it may have conferred an evolutionary advantage to have individuals who are more aware of and alert to small details and changes in the environment. The trait has also been observed and researched in other species.
What is sensitivity?
Sensitivity refers to the capacity of the nervous system to take in information from both the external and internal environments. We receive information in the form of stimuli through our senses, including sights, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile information from the external world, as well as sensations from our own bodies, including the position our body is in, our sense of balance, the movements of our muscles, the location of pain and the experiences of core body and skin temperature, hunger and thirst. Sensitivity is distinct from neuroticism (a tendency towards anxiety and other negative emotions), shyness, introversion or empathy.
What does it mean to be highly sensitive?
The highly sensitive person takes in more sensory information than those less sensitive around them. In practice, this means that they may notice visual details, subtle changes in verbal and non-verbal cues in others, may have greater awareness of strong tastes, smells, bright lights, loud or disturbing noises or are more sensitive to hunger, thirst, pain and textures than others. However, taking in more information, with less filtering taking place, can lead to feelings of overwhelm in situations of high stimulation due to the demands on mental processing resources.
It can also lead to strong reactions to stimuli, whether positive or negative, such as finding textured clothing uncomfortable, finding a smell unbearable, feeling drained after a period in a noisy bar, office or social situation or feeling uncomfortable with rapid changes. Emotional reactions to distressing situations may feel deeply poignant and painful, however, it can also mean heightened joyfully emotional responses to a lovely sunset, an evocative piece of music or an intimate moment. The individual is typically processing information at greater breadth and depth than those less sensitive, which can lead to difficulties in decision-making while the minutiae of a situation are examined, weighed up and integrated into the wider understanding of the scenario. The person may also find themselves reflecting back over past events to understand them better or analysing situations in a way which can tend towards overthinking. The inner world of the highly sensitive person is typically rich with details, understandings, imagination, creative thinking, emotional reactions, aesthetic appreciation and a nuanced way of looking at the world. However, this may also be experienced as having a mind which is full to overflowing together and a butterfly mind which flits from one focus of attention to another.
High sensitivity and emotionally empathetic attunement are not equivalent
High sensitivity may accompany high emotional empathy, in which case the individual will be deeply attuned to the needs of others, responding with attentiveness, care and compassion. However, in the case where sensitivity is high and emotional empathy is low, the individual may react very strongly to situations which impact them negatively, but remain unconcerned by the effect that their behaviour has on the emotions of others, unless it impacts back on them. Like sensitivity and other aspects of personality, attuned responses to the emotions of others are on a separate dimension.
High sensitivity is not Generalised Anxiety Disorder
The highly sensitive person may experience anxiety due to the demands of processing novel information in situations of rapid change, but, once they have a handle on the new situation, anxiety lowers and balance is restored. A person with Generalised Anxiety Disorder experiences anxiety at a persistently uncomfortable level, reacting disproportionately, and at times irrationally, to triggers from their daily lives and internal ruminations.
Example scenario
Rachel sends two office juniors into the lunchtime company celebration for reaching the productivity target. When they are both back at their desks for the afternoon, she stops by to ask each of them how the lunch party went. Mia says, ‘Meh, it was a bit of a nothing really, we had a few snacks and I spoke to Noah about something, then had a laugh with Cara.’ When Rachel speaks to Luna, she responds, ‘I left early, the sandwiches were stale, the sun was streaming into my eyes, the music they had on was weird and Noah was trying to hit on both Mia and Cara at the same time. Everyone was talking, but no-one was listening and in any case, I had the report I needed to produce weighing on my mind and needed to contact my mother.’ At a first glance, it looks as if Luna complains more than Mia, but in fact, Mia has filtered out details which Luna has been all too uncomfortably aware of.
What are the drawbacks of heightened sensitivity?
When life is busy and overstimulating, the individual is trying to process more than feels comfortable. There may be a tendency to get caught up in details and head down rabbit holes. This can lead to overwhelm, anxiety, over-thinking, difficulties prioritising tasks, decision paralysis and ultimately towards momentary shut-down or longer term burnout.
Additionally, others around may regard sensitivity in a negative light, labelling it as ‘oversensitivity’. This can lead to the individual believing, ‘There’s something wrong with me’. If the more pronounced emotional reactions of the person are repeatedly pointed out, especially in childhood, they may become associated with shame. As males tend to be socialised to behave more stoically and express less distress than females, highly sensitive males may feel themselves out of alignment with societal expectations and experience shame due to their more reactive nature. While there are as many highly sensitive males as females, males tend to downplay or deny their sensitivity. A reaction to the expectations and criticisms of others may be for the highly sensitive person to mask emotions on an on-going basis, which leads to unprocessed, unresolved feelings and heightened stress.
Self-caring practices recommended to maximise capabilities and minimise vulnerabilities
- Set limits on unnecessary stimulation, e.g. from screen-based activities or time spent in busy, chaotic environments outside of work.
- Consider the need to prepare an ‘escape plan’ to allow yourself to withdraw from situations when they become too uncomfortable.
- Set healthy boundaries with others to prevent overcommitment and to leave yourself time for reflection, processing and rest.
- Be aware of your reaction to aggression and consider how to mitigate it.
- Accept that change may have you temporarily feeling out of your comfort zone, but you will return to a balanced state.
- Be cautious with caffeine and other stimulants.
- Address tasks sequentially, by breaking them down into small, manageable steps rather than taking on large tasks in one go. Avoid multi-tasking to allow focus on one task at a time.
- Schedule restorative downtime in your day for time alone, time in nature, gentle exercise, relaxing ‘flow activities’ and quiet time with loved ones or pets.
- Ensure that you plan your life around getting adequate sleep to recharge.
- Structure your environment around your need for reduced stimulation, by spending time in calm, quiet, uncluttered, well-organised, softly lit, comfortable locations, where you are able to focus without distractions.
- Take care of your need for emotional regulation through acknowledging difficult thoughts and emotions and breathing exercises, journaling and mindful meditative practices.
- Work through situations with mind maps, lists, creative brainstorming and planning.
- Be aware that others may not understand your sensitivity and you may need to explain that you become overstimulated more easily than most others, through filtering less and processing more.
- Recognise your need for deeper conversations and connections and that you may feel impatient with superficial interactions.
- Adopt a positive view of your capacity to observe yourself and everything around you in such fine detail and respond with joy to the wonderful moments in life. You are experiencing life to the full in the way you relate to sounds, colours, scents, tastes, social and intimate interactions and depths and extremes of emotions. Your nervous system is highly attuned to observe and take in details which have the potential to add deeper subtleties and understandings to your life. You are able to bring a detail-oriented approach to tasks and to make links and associations between different aspects and factors of situations.
Further information and self-tests for high sensitivity are available at:
Locus of Solace 