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Understandably, you might think that being a “highly sensitive” person is just some quirky personality trait—perhaps a silly, relatable trend that’s inspiring countless TikTok videos of people crying at movies or sobbing along to songs. But as it turns out, there’s more to it than just feeling your feels deeply. It can actually have real implications for your mental health.
The term highly sensitive person (HSP) was coined in 1997 by psychologist Elaine Aron, PhD. Essentially, it’s not simply about being “overly emotional” or overreactive: It describes someone with high sensory processing sensitivity (SPS)—meaning their nervous system is more affected by and reacts more strongly to changes in their environment. This can include things like bright lights and loud noises, but also subtle shifts in people’s moods or body language.
According to new research, however, this common personality trait can also make you more susceptible to mental health issues. In a recent meta-analysis of 33 studies published this week, researchers found that individuals with higher environmental sensitivity were more likely to experience anxiety and depression compared to less sensitive ones—partly because their heightened responsiveness and tendency to overthink may make them more susceptible to feeling overwhelmed and ruminating on stressful experiences.
To be clear, being an HSP isn’t an official mental health diagnosis, and it’s important to note that not all psychologists subscribe to this label. It is, however, a very real experience for around 20% of people, according to a 2014 study coauthored by Dr. Aron. So how can you tell if you’re a highly sensitive person? Here’s what to look out for.
How to know if you’re a highly sensitive person
High sensitivity can be challenging to identify, Jadzia Jagiellowicz, PhD, a psychologist who researches high sensitivity and a contributing author to The Highly Sensitive Brain: Research, Assessment, and Treatment of Sensory Processing Sensitivity, tells SELF—partly because it shares similarities with some mental health disorders.
Anxiety, for example, can also cause people to have strong emotional reactions or need downtime to recover from a particularly social weekend. Trauma, too, can cause high emotional arousal and make people hyperaware of their environment. And people with ADHD or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may also notice signs of sensory sensitivity. (However, unlike clinical anxiety, ADHD, ASD, and post-traumatic stress disorder, you can’t be diagnosed with high sensitivity.)
But if you consider yourself an HSP, there are some general criteria to look for. (Dr. Aron’s self-test is one place to start.) Here are a few signs to consider.
1. You’re very aware of what’s happening in and around you.
You don’t just notice whatever’s going on around you: It easily overwhelms you. For example, you might immediately clock harsh lighting when you walk into a room and have trouble focusing on anything else because of it. Or a noisy and crowded morning commute may put you on high alert from the second you leave your house until you arrive at work, making you want to crawl back under your covers.
If this sounds familiar, Dr. Jagiellowicz says it’s a good idea to keep track of what makes you feel on edge—either make a mental note or write it down—so you can try to minimize its impact going forward. If you find it nearly unbearable to start your morning with cars honking or people crowding onto your subway car, for instance, plan your commute a little earlier than normal so there’s less traffic. Or maybe you get a lamp for your office desk to shut off the fluorescent overhead lights, or invest in noise-canceling earbuds to block out distracting sounds.
2. You think deeply about…everything.
As a highly sensitive adult, you might prefer having deep philosophical conversations about the meaning of life to talking about your 401K, Dr. Jagiellowicz says. You also might be the kind of person who puts a ton of thought into vacation planning, researching the hell out of your destination, and creating a packing list weeks in advance to make sure you’re prepared for every scenario on the trip, she adds.
Clearly, deep thinking has its benefits, but the tendency to mull things over and search for meaning can be overwhelming for HSPs, too, Elizabeth Fedrick, PhD, LPC, owner of Evolve Counseling & Behavioral Health Services in Phoenix and professor of psychology at Grand Canyon University, tells SELF. For example, they might grapple with decision paralysis because they’re bogged down by too many what-if scenarios, or struggle to find a satisfying career since a sense of deep meaning and purpose in their work is critical to them.
3. You feel others’ emotions intensely.
“Highly sensitive people tend to be extremely empathic—and often at their own expense,” Dr. Jagiellowicz says. For example, people might take advantage of your thoughtfulness, whether it’s intentional or not; they might call you at 2 a.m. knowing that you’ll pick up the phone, or automatically assume that you’d be happy to help with a project at work.
Along with being empathic, HSPs tend to be hyperaware of shifts in other people’s moods or energies, Dr. Fedrick says. You might notice that a friend’s demeanor changes in subtle ways after reading a text message—maybe they’re avoiding eye contact or seem less talkative than usual. Likewise, hearing someone talk about their personal grief is enough to make your eyes well up with tears. While most people can empathize with someone else’s suffering, they wouldn’t necessarily feel the same level of distress that you experience as an HSP, Dr. Fedrick explains.
4. You’re constantly trying to make other people feel comfortable.
One possible reason HSPs are so attentive to their surroundings is that “it’s how they create safety for themselves,” Dr. Fedrick says. They may be trying to control their environment to make it less stimulating and overwhelming, she explains. And according to a 2018 research review, this desire for harmony can manifest in HSPs’ tendency to try to make the people around them feel more comfortable. (In other words, they’re trying to keep the peace to protect their own.)
It’s perfectly normal to want to make others feel safe, of course, but constant pressure to “ensure that people around you have their needs met and are happy” can also lead to harmful people-pleasing behaviors, Dr. Fedrick explains. For instance, you might put other people’s needs ahead of your own or avoid expressing your feelings for fear of upsetting someone else.
As with the other HSP signs on this list, awareness of this tendency is an important step in managing it. You don’t necessarily need to do something about it unless it’s preventing you from living a fulfilling life (you’re isolating yourself, say, or avoiding activities you love). In that case, Dr. Fedrick recommends looking for a therapist who can rule out any underlying mental health conditions and teach you tools for managing it.
Even if it isn’t debilitating, however, being easily overstimulated can still make daily life challenging, which is why it’s worth pinpointing what triggers your overwhelming feelings. That way, you can work on minimizing your distress. At the same time, you can also focus on embracing the strengths of your sensitivity, like the ability to find deep joy in the little things we often take for granted—and that make our lives feel richer, deeper, and more meaningful.
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