About 20 percent of people are highly sensitive. This means that they are more tuned in to themselves and others. They are also more affected by their environment. As a result, they can get stressed more easily. So, is being highly sensitive a bad thing? Is it something that can be changed?

Paula's Story

Paula is a community outreach worker who excels at her job. She understands her clients' needs well. She is kind, caring, and a good listener. She seems to know just how to help people reach their goals. Though she loves her work, she finds it exhausting. "There are too many meetings and social events. There is too much pressure," Paula sighs. She describes her work environment as stressful also. It is cluttered, chaotic, and too noisy. The bright lights are harsh. The gray walls make her feel sad. She also feels affected by her co-worker's moods. Their moods seem contagious.

What It Means to Be Highly Sensitive

Paula is a person with unusual sensitivity. Her keen awareness is both a strength and a challenge. High sensitivity by itself is not a psychological diagnosis. It is a trait found in humans and other species. Some scientists think that it plays a role in survival. Extra sensitivity can make us careful and sense other's needs. This can help people be healthy and safe.

Traits that tend to be common in highly sensitive people are:

• High levels of awareness and cautiousness
• Strong connection to emotions—their own and others'
• Being very focused
• Love of beauty, creativity, and time alone
• Low tolerance of strong lights and odors, noise, disorganization, and clutter
• Being more affected by certain foods and stimulants
• Sensitivity to change, and sometimes being prone to insomnia, anxiety, and depression
• Problems thinking, speaking, or performing when someone is watching

Advice for the Highly Sensitive