Being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) comes with unique gifts—and unique challenges. If you find yourself easily overwhelmed by emotions, deeply affected by others’ moods, or highly attuned to subtle stimuli, you may often feel misunderstood or out of step with the world around you. You might think: “Why am I so affected by what others say?” or “Why can’t I handle stress like everyone else?”
Many HSPs report:
- Feeling emotionally drained after social interactions or busy environments
- Experiencing heightened empathy, making them deeply aware of others’ pain
- Struggling with self-doubt or feeling “too sensitive” or “too much”
- Difficulty setting boundaries or saying no
- Feeling misunderstood by family, friends, or coworkers
These experiences can be amplified for individuals who are also neurodivergent, such as those with autism, ADHD, OCD, giftedness, or other neurodivergent traits. Neurodivergence can make highly sensitive individuals more reactive to sensory input, more prone to overthinking, or more vulnerable to feeling overstimulated, anxious, or misunderstood. It can also intensify challenges with organization, focus, and managing daily life stressors.