12 Ways High Sensitivity Is Your Greatest Strength in the Workplace
Thinking and feeling deeply are just part of your career superpowers as an HSP.
When you’re a highly sensitive person (HSP), navigating your career can be challenging.
Common workplace situations that may be moderately stressful to others — like speaking in meetings or getting feedback (even over Zoom these days) — can quickly overstimulate you. In fact, studies show that workers with sensory processing sensitivity (the trait’s scientific name) tend to experience more stress than their less sensitive peers.
In addition to being more sensitive to stimuli, HSPs process information more deeply and thoroughly. So it’s not uncommon to overthink decisions, beat yourself up for working more slowly than others, or judge yourself for not being gregarious and outspoken.
High Sensitivity in the Workplace
As a coach to highly sensitive professionals, I frequently see clients struggle with self-doubt and imposter syndrome that result from being in the minority. Only about 20 percent or so of the population is highly sensitive (meaning they have a more responsive nervous system), so it’s no wonder you feel different — because you are.
But “different” is not bad; thinking and feeling deeply isn’t a defect. You see, your sensitive qualities, when channeled productively, can be your career superpowers. The research proves it: managers consistently rate people with higher sensitivity as their top contributors. That’s because HSPs are thoughtful, conscientious, empathetic, and dedicated, all of which make them ideal employees and leaders.
The key to using your high sensitivity as a strength in the workplace comes down to self-acceptance and confidence. Stepping into your power requires you to recognize that your innate qualities are both rare and valuable, particularly in today’s business world where incivility seems to reign.
Plus, as work becomes more automated, the need for professionals like you — ones with natural intuition and creativity — has never been more crucial. Your abilities can never be replicated by technology.
It’s time that your highly sensitive self fully leverages your unique gifts and brings a refreshing set of contributions to the table. Here’s how.
12 Superpowers HSPs Bring to the Workplace
Stepping into your power as an HSP requires you to recognize that your innate qualities are rare and in demand — and to know the value that gives you.
1. You’re diplomatic when it matters most.
As a highly sensitive person, you think longer and more deliberately before speaking. This tendency to pause before acting is a hallmark of sensory-processing sensitivity, according to psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron, who first discovered the high sensitivity trait.
That means you’re thoughtful with your words. And in the workplace, this translates into being able to balance different people’s perspectives and tactfully communicate, even when the pressure is on.
2. You’re a brilliant critical thinker.
Studies have shown that sensitive people have more active brain circuitry and neurochemicals in areas related to mental processing. So the HSP brain not only takes in more information, but also processes that information in a more complex way.
Work-wise, you are likely heralded for the way you explore various angles and paths, whether it’s a proposal for a new business plan or trying to solve a team challenge.
3. Your self-awareness is unmatched.
As an HSP, you have a vibrant inner life and are likely well-acquainted with your emotional landscape. One reason for this is because high sensitivity is linked to a gene that increases the vividness of inner experiences.
While this level of self-awareness may be second-nature to you, it’s an indisputable asset in terms of your career. For example, people with a more accurate self-perception tend to perform better in the workplace and are better able to tailor their leadership style to the situation at hand.
4. You’re skilled at spotting opportunities for innovation.
Evolutionarily speaking, picking up on environmental cues and recognizing things that less sensitive people missed helped HSPs make wiser decisions and come out ahead in threatening situations.
In the modern world, for example, this vigilance means you’re constantly scanning for ways to make improvements in the workplace and offering novel suggestions. You probably also find that you’re the person who highlights gaps before they become problems, which can save your company valuable time and money.
In essence, your attention to subtleties makes you a creative, inventive problem-solver.
5. You’re capable of integrating and managing large amounts of information.
A large majority of my coaching clients are Product Managers or Project Managers.
This may sound strange, but it makes complete sense when you think about it: HSPs’ depth of processing and conscientiousness are the perfect combination for roles that require organization, collaboration, strategy, and information management as core skills.
6. You have a pulse on team morale.
Research shows that HSPs have more active mirror neurons (which helps them empathize and understand other people’s behavior). This is why you may find that you can sense people’s moods long before they say a word, as well as absorb their emotions as if they were your own.
Many of my coaching clients find they have a talent for anticipating people’s emotional needs in the workplace — whether sensing when their team is burned out, knowing if a certain individual needs more support, or reading between the lines to suss out when their client or boss is unsatisfied.
So, once again, HSPs in the workplace can be a big asset.
7. You have strong intuition.
Have you ever had the experience of knowing a situation feels off? Or how about the opposite — feeling in your gut that a certain direction or decision is absolutely right?
That’s your intuition speaking loud and clear (or as I call it, your “sensitive sixth sense”).
As an HSP, you have a great capacity to recognize patterns and synthesize different inputs, which can be a secret weapon in decision-making. Your intuition is more highly developed than that of non-HSPs because you’re constantly adding new data to your bank of knowledge about the world and yourself.
And according to a survey of top executives, the majority of leaders leverage feelings and experience when handling crises.
8. You impress with your thoroughness.
As an HSP, you are the one who shows up to a presentation with comprehensive data. Or you might be the coworker who spends extra time preparing to dazzle an important client.
Whatever the case may be, your dedication and commitment wows others and oozes professionalism. You’re looked to to drive excellence and uphold standards.
These attributes position you to advance, as long as you don’t let perfectionism or negative thinking get in your way.
9. You focus on the big picture.
HSPs don’t dabble in the mundane. In the workplace, you are likely after the bigger “why” behind strategies and actions your team is taking.
Driving towards a larger purpose helps keep people grounded and focused, particularly in the face of uncertainty. As a leader, you are effective at helping others find meaning and fulfillment in their work, qualities anyone would want in a great boss.
Like what you’re reading? Get our newsletter just for HSPs. One email, every Friday. Click here to subscribe!
10. You create a harmonious work environment.
Your experience as an outsider has probably made you passionate about inclusion.
Due to your ultra awareness and empathy, you value different working styles. As a result, you give people the space to be independent and create working conditions where they can thrive.
11. You’re a pillar of integrity.
HSPs deeply value fairness. In fact, research shows that HSPs tend to score higher on ratings of justice and ethics in studies.
In your career, that means you uphold your promises and stick to your word. You can always be counted on to follow through (even if it sometimes comes at the cost of your own well-being).
And now more than ever, your voice can make a difference in the workplace, especially when it involves speaking up in the face of inequity or mistreatment of others.
12. You’re constantly learning and growing.
Every client I’ve worked with has an insatiable thirst for knowledge. These highly sensitive professionals have a high drive for growth and are frequently immersed in personal and professional enrichment outside of work that may include coaching, courses, certifications, books, and additional training.
This is the best career insurance there is, because it always ensures you’re evolving and advancing, regardless of the conditions around you.
As a highly sensitive person who experiences strong emotions, you might feel like you’re carrying a heavy load at times, especially at work. But the truth is, you likely have a huge amount of untapped value to share with your coworkers, clients, and in your career as a whole.
Need to Calm Your Sensitive Nervous System?
HSPs often live with high levels of anxiety, sensory overload and stress — and negative emotions can overwhelm us. But what if you could finally feel calm instead?
That’s what you’ll find in this powerful online course by Julie Bjelland, one of the top HSP therapists in the world. You’ll learn to turn off the racing thoughts, end emotional flooding, eliminate sensory overload, and finally make space for your sensitive gifts to shine.
Stop feeling held back and start to feel confident you can handle anything. Check out this “HSP Toolbox” and start making a change today. Click here to learn more.
You might like:
- 7 Workplace Problems Only Highly Sensitive People Will Understand
- How to Be Happy at Work as a Highly Sensitive Person
- 9 Signs of Chronic Overstimulation
This article contains affiliate links. We only recommend products we truly believe in.
