10 Signs of High Environmental Sensitivity

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Are you highly sensitive to your surroundings? Is someone you know easily affected by physical or social ambiance? High sensitivity to the environment can be defined as acute physical, mental, and emotional responses to one’s external (environmental, social) stimuli.

A friend of mine once told me how she was highly sensitive to bright light, loud sounds, crowded places, and even eye contact in social situations. These challenges not only affected her day-to-day activities, but they also negatively impacted her love life with her romantic partner.

Below are 10 signs of high environmental sensitivity, with references from my books: Are You Highly Sensitive? How to Gain Immunity, Peace, and Self-Mastery, and How to Communicate Effectively with Highly Sensitive People. While many people may experience some of these signs from time to time, a highly sensitive person will likely “feel too often” and “feel too strong.” Some individuals may be highly sensitive to just one or two stimuli, while others may be strongly affected by more on the list.

1. Feels uncomfortable when exposed to bright lights, loud sounds, or certain strong scents.
2. Startles easily by sudden noises, fast traffic, or other unpleasant surprises.
3. Feels uncomfortable in large public crowds, in a room full of people talking, or with too many things occurring simultaneously.
4. Often feels awkward in group situations (especially with casual acquaintances or relative strangers). Feels uneasy/not being able to be oneself.
5. Often feels upset when watching or reading negative news in the media. Dislikes “shock” entertainment (i.e., intensely scary or violent shows).
6. Often feels unhappy when following people’s posts on social media.
7. Often feels anger or resentment about situations in life or in society that seems unjust, aggravating, or simply annoying.
8. Frequently feels physical symptoms (i.e., stress, headache, or fatigue) when exposed to unpleasant environmental stimuli.
9. Frequently feels emotional symptoms (i.e. discomfort, apprehension, anxiousness, or avoidance) when exposed to unpleasant environmental stimuli.
10. Feels self-conscious in romantically intimate situations. Excessively worries about partner’s approval. Unreasonably afraid of being judged or rejected by a romantic partner.

Again, while some highly sensitive individuals may be acutely affected by just one or two of the traits above, others may be overstimulated by more on the list.

For many highly sensitive people, the key to managing oversensitivity is to utilize emotional immunity and sensory immunity strategies, to smartly calm and alleviate over-stimulation. For those who live or work with highly sensitive individuals, effective communication skills are a must to foster positive and constructive relationships. See references below.

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