The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You

Aron explains the special needs of HSPs through a metaphor comparing the body to an infant. Like an infant, the body has immediate needs. The quality of parenting a sensitive child receives will shape how he or she cares for their infant/body in the future. Two problems in caretaking—underprotective and overprotective—correspond with two problems for HSPs in dealing with their world around them: being out too much (overstimulating oneself) and in too much (overprotecting oneself from outside stimulus). The HSP needs to find a good balance between being in the world and being out of it, a balance that will be different for each individual and may change with time.

For example, HSPs need plenty of rest: sleep, downtime from work, and “transcendence” in the form of “meditation, contemplation, or prayer” (56). Diet and caffeine use also play a role, and caffeine in particular is a double-edged sword—heightening HSPs’ unique perceptiveness but also contributing to overarousal. Psychological methods for handling overarousal include reframing the situation, repeating a phrase or mantra conducive to inner calm, and “witnessing” and “loving” the situation and oneself. Music, exercise, water, nature, adjusting one’s posture, and smiling are all activities that can lead to calm.