Books, vids, articles & tips to enlighten & inform
If you would like to test out the idea that you may be a member of the highly sensitive clan, I invite you to take the Are you Highly Sensitive? self-test devised by Elaine N. Aron phD.
Books: – General info for the Highly Sensitive Person
As a starting point for learning and reference, I highly recommend reading her book The Highly Sensitive Person – How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You.
Elaine Aron, a psychologist and psychotherapist, has also written The Highly Sensitive Person in Love, The Highly Sensitive Child and Psychotherapy and the Highly Sensitive Person.
The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide
by Ted Zeff – is another established point of reference, with a foreword by Elaine Aron. Look out also Raising an Emotionally Healthy Boy.
The HSP and Work/Career
Making Work Work for the Highly Sensitive Person
by Barrie Jaeger
Thrive! The Highly Sensitive Person and Career
by Tracy M. Cooper
Both publications include a foreword from Elaine Aron
For HSPs, Introverts and anyone seeking more Courage
The Undervalued Self
by Elaine Aron
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a world that can’t stop talking
by Susan Cain
Daring Greatly
by Brene Brown
Co-dependency, Boundaries & People Pleasing
Codependent No More
by Melody Beattie
Breaking Free of the Co-dependency Trap
by Barry K. & Janae B. Weinhold
Understanding and Working with Trauma
Waking the Tiger
by Peter Levine
8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery
by Babette Rothschild
I haven’t read every book listed here, but I have read most of them and have the others on my To Do … I have no affiliate links and do not make any money if you purchase them – nor do I always endorse every single point they make – and I sense they may be helpful and informative.
Video and TED Talks of Interest to HSPs
TED Talks
The Gentle Power of Highly Sensitive People
by Elena Herdieckerhoff (Entreprincess)
The Power of Introverts
by Susan Cain
The Power of Vulnerability
By Brene Brown
Listening to Shame
by Brene Brown
Understanding Trauma (How Trauma Works in the Brain) –
by Robert Scaer (Neurologist specialist in relieving chronic pain)
If you Google Elaine Aron and video you will find additional links to youtube uploads.
Articles – other writings
Elaine Aron – lots of material and links on her website
Ted Zeff – google for video and audio clips and blog posts
Janine Ramsey on Highly Sensitive People in the Workplace – from Shame to FameFrom Mind Tools on Managing the HSP at Work
Tips on Community Building – Finding your Tribe
To find other HSPs it can be worth searching local meetup groups, facebook groups and pages – take your pick of whatever feels good in integrity with you.
It may take a while to find the folks who seem the right fit but it’s definitely worth a bit of physical and digital legwork to find a supportive HSP community, ‘family’, tribe.
A tip from me is to acknowledge and celebrate our diversity, and idiosyncratic quirks along with all we have in common – and not expect a ‘one-size-fits-all’ fix. Invest time in finding solutions that work for you – and, if you can, in seeing how you might work towards creating systemic changes in society and culture that will benefit HSPs and the wider world.
- Read, watch, learn, educate yourself on the road to self-belief and self-acceptance.
- Be compassionate with yourself as you would with others.
- Love yourself even if you jump like a startled rabbit when confronted with a sudden noise or long to escape to a calm oasis after a manic, frantic busy day.
- And understand that whether you hate the city altogether or you love time the city and time in the country – with equal measure, you are OK!
- Likewise regarding time with people and time alone. It is all OK – YOU are OK. Totally normal. Simply sensitive and that is fine.
Good luck!