What Is a Highly Sensitive Person?

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. By definition, a Highly Sensitive Person is someone who experiences acute physical, mental, or emotional responses to stimuli.

Highly Sensitive People make up about 20% of the population born with a nervous system that’s more finely-tuned than those of others. However, new research and studies indicate this number could be closer to 30% which is GREAT news for everyone!

HSPs are deep processors (both consciously and unconsciously) and process our thoughts, feelings and experiences more deeply than others. Our emotions are supercharged and magnified in which sadness is pure sorrow and joy is pure ecstasy.

We are empathizers who care and feel deeply for other people. We can “read a room” and pick up on subtle changes, moods, body language, facial expressions and sense a shift in the way our body feels (that uncomfortable, awkward pit in the stomach feeling).

A Highly Sensitive Person notices levels of stimulation that go unobserved by others. Our brain is aroused easily and reacts differently to stimuli (loud shopping carts and restroom hand dryers anyone?). As a result, we go through more intense emotions and have higher sensitivity levels compared to others.

Because we’re constantly processing SO much information and stimuli, we overwhelm more easily! This constant state of overarousal can cause an overactive nervous system. So it’s no wonder that we turn to food, alcohol, or whatever to calm the chaos, right? Which then turns our sensitive nervous system back into overdrive because we are flooding it with toxins in food, alcohol, etc.