Have you ever watched a scary movie and felt unable to shake off the feeling of fear for weeks afterwards? Do you easily become overwhelmed in busy and noisy places? And does getting critical feedback at work leave you feeling stressed and on edge? If you answered ‘yes’ to all of these, chances are, you’re a highly sensitive person.

About 15 to 20 percent of the population are thought to be highly sensitive, a unique personality trait coined by psychologist Elaine Aron in the early 90s that suggests that a subset of people are built to respond to the world around them in a more emotive way.

The term has grown in popularity in recent years as more people self-identify as being highly sensitive, but it’s also garnered a bit of a bad rap too, with this demographic of people being misunderstood as overreactive to criticism, turbulent in office settings and ‘hard work’ in relationships.

Thankfully, the tide is now turning for HSPs, and a recent swathe of new books, such as ‘Sensitive: The Power of a Thoughtful Mind in an Overwhelming World’, are reframing the way we think about them. They suggest that sensitivity can be a secret superpower that makes us better able to connect with people, communicate ideas and dream up unique creative solutions from a rich inner world. Here’s what you need to know.

What exactly are highly sensitive people?

In its most basic terms, a highly sensitive person is someone who perceives and processes their environments more intensely. “It’s split into different areas,” says clinical psychologist Dr. Carolyne Keenan. “There’s a sensory processing element, which means you might be particularly sensitive to loud, noisy and busy spaces.” Highly sensitive people find these environments draining because they pick up on, and are aroused by, subtleties that other people don’t notice.

As well as finding packed gigs and rush hour commutes stressful, HSPs generally exhibit profound emotional responses to the world around them. “This could be things like crying at adverts or feeling overcome with emotion while listening to a sad song,” says Keenan. “Anything that triggers a deep emotional connection.”

Watching action movies in the cinema can be particularly difficult for highly sensitive people, as they’re hit with a double whammy of overstimulating noises and lights, along with gory and violent material. “Highly sensitive people are usually the ones covering their eyes and ears, shying away from seeing particular scenes,” says Keenan. And while others can quickly detach from the content after they leave the theatre, HSPs take these visuals on board and spend a lot of time processing them afterwards.

One of the most common characteristics of highly sensitive people is feeling deeply affected by the moods of other people around them, getting stressed or anxious when other people are upset – even if it isn’t directly caused by them.

Keenan believes that more of us are self-identifying as HSPs post-pandemic after our lifestyles dramatically changed during lockdown: “We had this unusual period where everything shut down so highly sensitive people could adjust how they were living to match their preferences. Now we’ve relaunched back into a high-volume world, highly sensitive people are the ones that are struggling to readjust. I think lots of people have started to recognize that the way we live doesn’t feel great all the time.”

What causes HSP?

From an evolutionary standpoint, theorists suggest that sensitivity may have been a useful trait that provided certain advantages in ancestral environments. Highly sensitive cavemen may have been more attuned to potential threats in their surroundings, like the noises of approaching predators for example, giving them a greater chance of survival.

HSPs are also thought to have higher levels of central nervous system sensitivity, but the exact causes of why it affects some and not others are still being explored and understood.

“It’s that classic nature vs. nurture debate, where various different factors can feed into it,” believes Keenan. “The environment you encounter as a child plays a crucial role. Some children grow up in serene, tranquil surroundings, with an emphasis on minimising sensory disruptions. As you mature, this can make it harder to tolerate loud places.

“Genetic predisposition also plays a part, along with family preferences and cultural influences shaping your worldview. And sometimes, it can just be a direct result of neurodiversity, as everyone’s brain processes information differently, leading to varying levels of sensitivity.”

What are the benefits of being highly sensitive?

Highly sensitive people make great managers, leaders and team players because they have high levels of empathy for other people’s emotions. Not only are they great listeners, they make it a priority to step in and fix issues.

“People think that being a highly sensitive person can make you work hard in terms of your expectations of other people, but actually, you’re likely to be stronger on the empathy side, meaning you care if people are struggling or upset,” affirms Keenan. “This is traditionally great for listening and caring professions, but it can also be useful in the corporate leadership world where stress, burnout and employee dissatisfaction are rising issues.”

Many highly sensitive people talk about having rich inner worlds and vivid imaginations, spending large portions of their day daydreaming and ideating. “They tend to be more creative and innovative, drawing inspiration from their intense sensory experiences and emotional depth to solve tricky problems,” says Keenan, “so they bring solutions to the table that other people don’t think of.”

Because they feed off other people’s positive emotions too, HSPs tend to find deep satisfaction in mentoring roles, encouraging and celebrating their team’s wins as strongly as if they are their own.

How can I lean into my sensitive superpowers?

High sensitivity comes with its own set of challenges, and it can be easy to tip over into overstimulation and burnout. These tips from Keenan can help:

Go for smaller meeting setups

HSPs are often the people with the best ideas, but because they get overwhelmed by big groups, boardrooms aren’t the best place for them.

Instead, opt for a smaller meeting in an informal setting, like a casual breakout chat on a sofa. The quieter and more casual the space, the more you’ll be able to ideate without the unnecessary distraction of sensory overload.

Adapt the environment

A too-tight pair of jeans. A noisy colleague. An artificial overhead light. There can be a whole laundry list of environmental factors that can trigger highly sensitive people, and no more so than in the office.

Simple changes like moving desks, commuting outside of rush hour and wearing noise-cancelling headphones can make a big difference.

Ask to put it in an email

Some people feel energised jumping from back-to-back Zoom calls, but others are so highly attuned to the thoughts, feelings and perceptions of others that they easily get burnt out in this setup.

Instead of attending endless meetings for the sake of it, take an audit of your calendar and note down which meetings could be summarised in email format instead.

Be strategic about your strengths

Because they’re so sympathetic with the world around them, highly sensitive people are at higher risk of burnout, particularly in environments like the corporate world that may not always cater to their needs.

Organisations can take steps to create a more supportive and inclusive work environment, by providing quiet spaces for focused work and opportunities for mindfulness and meditation.

But if you’re constantly feeling like you’re trying to be a square peg in a round hole, Keenan believes it might be better to rethink and re-strategize. Is there a different role, career or life path that’s more in tune with your natural abilities? Finding the spaces where you thrive will not only help you to avoid chronic stress, but also lead a more fulfilling and balanced life.