If you’ve ever been called “too sensitive,” chances are you’ve dealt with that bit of unhelpful criticism in the workplace, too. Highly sensitive people work differently than their less sensitive counterparts, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t of value. Both personality traits (you may want to think of sensitivity, like introversion, as a spectrum rather than “is sensitive” or “is not”) come with qualities that can be harnessed to make a positive difference at work.
But while you may be seeing more content on the benefits of being a highly sensitive person (or HSP) than ever before, our society and its systems were mostly designed by + for the non-HSP. If you’re new to exploring your experience as a highly sensitive person, I recommend Elaine Aron’s book The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When The World Overwhelms You, it is truly life changing.
Over the last five or so years of learning about the characteristics of highly sensitive people and my own sensitivity, I’ve begun connecting the dots of so many past experiences, including lots of those regarding how I work and interact with others. Consider this post just an introduction to the many facets of being/knowing a HSP, and just a few ways it (positively) impacts our work!
5 ways your sensitivity is a strength at work
YOU ANTICIPATE THE NEEDS OF OTHERS
Do you know what your boss, co-workers, and clients want before they tell you—and sometimes before they know themselves? Honestly, I didn’t really consider this something I did until I started to reflect on the high standards I place on others. I’ve been told that I can sometimes expect others to anticipate my needs or emotions before I articulate them, and I realized it’s because I often pick up on that in others.
While HSPs can be very compassionate and nurturing people, the reason behind this isn’t as ~ fluffy ~ as it sounds. Sensitive people are just that—sensitive—to their surroundings. That means they pick up on subtle social cues that others may not detect (or even know they’re doing). But sensitives, you can actually use this hyper-awareness to support your colleagues and clients, and even communicate those needs to others who might not understand.
YOU’RE A GOOD LISTENER
A common trait of sensitive people is their ability to listen, as they often take a bit longer to process what they’ve heard before responding. Also, that sensitivity to social cues often means that sensitive people know when someone wants/needs to be truly heard, and their empathetic nature leads them to engage with curiosity and compassion. If you find that people at work love to come to you for advice, or even people that others consider anti-social or closed off are comfortable sharing with you, it’s probably because if your sensitivity.
YOU PICK UP ON RED FLAGS
Learning to trust your intuition is a journey, but once you begin to explore and get to know those gut feelings, you will start to recognize when something is not quite right. Over time, you’ll realize that those uneasy feels don’t just represent uncertainty or indecision, but are signs that a situation may not be safe/right/good for you. (I’ll talk another time about how those of us with anxiety can learn to tell the difference—I know it’s hard!)
Being highly sensitive can also mean that you “read between the lines” and pick up on bad intentions even when they look good at first glance. At this point in my career, I pretty much can tell from the first or second email whether I want to work with a client or not. I just know whether we’ll make good partners. Of course, I’m not right 100% of the time, but I always learn something new.
YOU’RE CREATIVE WHEN IT COMES TO PROBLEM SOLVING
You don’t necessarily have to be a highly sensitive person to be creative (everyone can be creative in their own way) but sensitive people often solve problems a little differently than non-HSPs. Our work process is often a little different than our co-workers and while that can be challenging, sometimes it’s the unconventional idea that leads to new ways of thinking.
Would you like to see more posts for highly sensitive people? Let us know if you are an HSP, below! I welcome you to also follow along with our (underused but hopefully not for long) Instagram account created by and for the sensitive creative @thecreativehsp.
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