‘Don’t be so sensitive’, ‘You’re overthinking it’, and ‘You care too much’ are phrases I’ve heard a lot throughout my life. I have often found myself easily overwhelmed by stress, replaying a scenario in my head for days, and feeling both my own and other people’s emotions deeply. I thought there must be something wrong with me, as I just couldn’t understand how other people could be so unbothered by situations that I found so overwhelming. Then, a few years ago, I came across the book The Highly Sensitive Person (HarperCollins, £14.99) by Dr Elaine Aron, and each page I read felt like another light-bulb moment – this was me.
If you process information deeply, are sensitive to your environment, and have heightened emotions, then
