3 Signs You’re a Highly Sensitive Person

Throughout my life, I’ve been labeled “sensitive” by numerous people. Family, friends, boyfriends, etc.—everyone seemed to think I was a deeply-feeling, easily “affected” individual. And if you ask me, they were all right. I picked up on the slightest mood changes, became overwhelmed with the quietest of sounds, and craved solitude more than companionship. In adulthood now, not much has changed.

However, I began to love this about myself. I started to notice the positives of my sensitivity, from having a strong intuition to connecting deeply with others. 

As I explored and embraced this part of myself, I learned about the term “highly sensitive person.” Ah, yes—there was finally a name for the type of person I was! I felt, for the first time, I actually belonged somewhere. I wasn’t a black sheep, after all.

According to Psychology Today, “Highly Sensitive Person, or HSP, is a term coined by psychologist Elaine Aron. 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.”

Wondering if you’re an HSP? Mary Kate Roohan, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist, said there are usually three key signs that you have a high sensory-processing sensitivity trait.

• You become overstimulated easily by things like bright lights, loud conversations, strong smells, and other external stimuli.
• You feel emotions deeply, often seen as “overreacting” to seemingly “small” triggers.
• You require more downtime and solitude than most people, perhaps even coined an “introvert” due to your need to recharge via alone time.

HSPs might experience life a bit more intensely than others, but their sensitivity doesn’t have to feel like a nuisance or something to be ashamed of. Rather, in many cases, it can be a superpower. Many HSPs are able to form deeper relationships, are extremely creative and introspective, and view the world through a more artistic or philosophical lens. They can find complex meaning in really anything.

Really, the world needs HSPs. So while you can work on ways to calm your nervous system and better support your unique needs, don’t change who you are just to “fit in” with others.

“I surround myself with Highly Sensitive People,” said Roohan. “Do you know why? Because, in my experience as an HSP therapist, I see that they navigate the world with greater insight, compassion, and conscientiousness.”