Sensory Overload
HSPs have more sensitive nervous systems so sensory information can feel more intense to them than to others. They have a harder time filtering out stimuli. This means that noise, bright lights, strong smells and bustling activity can often feel overpowering.

Constant Social/Work Engagement
Being part of a large family or loud smaller one! Spending 8+ hours a day in a highly-social work environment. These situations easily drain the energy of an HSP.

Groups & Crowds
HSP’s have great empathy and can easily sense and feel other peoples’ emotional states, but this also makes them vulnerable. Especially in crowds their lack of strong emotional/energetic boundaries means they are less protected against and more sensitive to the lack of personal space and any crowd hysteria. The end result is often a feeling of being overwhelmed and drained of energy.

Highly-Charged Settings
If you are an HSP and work in any emergency services, psychological and social welfare services, human resources, the health industry in general, etc. (or you are a parent!!!) you can easily become a ‘psychic sponge’, too easily soaking up all the negativity, panic and distress.

Lack of Processing Time (especially in novel situations)
HSP’s need time and space to process their experiences as they go through life, otherwise they get overwhelmed and soon become exhausted. Highly sensitive people also often question themselves as to whether their need is legitimate. “Is there something wrong with me because others don’t seem to need it? Why do I need to take so many breaks? Or, should I just ‘harden up’ and not give myself permission to take these breaks?