Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHSPs and DecisionsWhy HSPs May StruggleHow Stress Make It WorseTips for Highly-Sensitive People
Table of ContentsView All
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Table of Contents
HSPs and Decisions
Why HSPs May Struggle
How Stress Make It Worse
Tips for Highly-Sensitive People
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Decision-makingcan be difficult for anyone, but for people with a high level of sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), orhighly-sensitive people (HSPs), there can be an added layer ofstress.
A highly-sensitive person has acentral nervous systemthat is sensitive to physical, social, and emotional stimuli. An HSP may startle or feel overwhelmed easily, can read people’s facial expressions well, and can absorb and feel others' emotions. They often need quiet and relaxing atmospheres to recharge after an outing or a particularly draining experience.
Because highly-sensitive people’s brains are wired differently, their processing of information and decision-making are different from those of people who don’t have high SPS. They take more time making decisions and can feel overwhelmed when asked to make a particularly tough one.
Many people find it more difficult to make decisions, even small, seemingly trivial ones, during times of stress.Decision fatigueseems more common than ever these days, and HSPs are feeling that fatigue at an even higher level.
At a GlanceHighly-sensitive people’s brains are wired differently, and they process information and make decisions differently.Decision fatigue can affect anyone, but highly-sensitive people feel that exhaustion more intensely.Highly-sensitive people can take certain steps to calm down their nervous systems and make decisions without feeling overwhelmed.
At a Glance
Highly-sensitive people’s brains are wired differently, and they process information and make decisions differently.Decision fatigue can affect anyone, but highly-sensitive people feel that exhaustion more intensely.Highly-sensitive people can take certain steps to calm down their nervous systems and make decisions without feeling overwhelmed.
How to Be Less Indecisive
How Highly-Sensitive People Make Decisions
About 20% of the population are highly-sensitive people.HSPs tend to think about everything very deeply and have higher levels of SPS, making them more sensitive to stimuli both around and inside them.
Due to their high sensory processing sensitivity levels, HSPs' brains process information differently.
Research was done to study how highly-sensitive people make decisions and how they differ from the rest of the population. The results show that HSPs like to think thoroughly about a situation before coming up with a solution or decision.
Lori L. Cangilla, PhDHSPs naturally use their depth of processing to take in large amounts of information from the environment and relate it to their internal experiences.
Lori L. Cangilla, PhD
HSPs naturally use their depth of processing to take in large amounts of information from the environment and relate it to their internal experiences.
HSPs performed better when they were able to make decisions using the deliberation method, where they could use their natural thought process to think through the problem and come to an ethical decision.
People with low SPS performed better with the implementation method, where they came up with practical, concrete solutions to the problem.
David Sacks / Getty Images
Lori L. Cangilla, PhD, a licensed psychologist who specializes in helping highly-sensitive people live and grow mindfully, explains HSPs' natural thought process when making decisions.
“HSPs naturally use their depth of processing to take in large amounts of information from the environment and relate it to their internal experiences. This decision-making process tends to be slow, methodical, and in many cases, connected to the HSP’s intuition.”
“As a result, HSPs who are making decisions this way are likely to make better decisions for themselves than if they are pushed to make decisions quickly or with little information,” she says.
They struggled with the implementation method because they were not able to make decisions based on how they thought the consequences would affect others.
Learn More About Highly-Sensitive People
Highly Sensitive Refuge: A website that helps HSPs learn about their sensitivity and find a community of other HSPs.
The Highly Sensitive Person Podcast: This podcast discusses real-life experiences of HSPs, and gives tips on how to handle difficulties you may encounter when you have high sensitivity.
How to Cope With Stress As an HSP
Why Highly-Sensitive People Struggle With Decisions
Anyone can have difficulty making decisions, but HSPs are more likely to struggle. Highly sensitive people react intensely to external and internal stimuli.
High-sensitive people tend to bring their own emotions and perceptions into every situation, and making decisions can take more time and effort.
Zishan Khan, MD, a psychiatrist withMindpath Health, says that HSPs tend to put more weight on decisions than others do.
“Because HSPs process various stimuli in much greater detail than others, any decision, regardless of whether it is big or small, ultimately becomes more heightened in importance due to the impact such choices have on the HSP’s overall state of being,” he says.
Flooding is very similar tosensory overload, when one or more of the five senses get overstimulated. Flooding can be emotional or mental, and overwhelming stimuli can include strong scents, loud noises, bright lights, intense emotions, and important or tough decisions.
Zishan Khan, MDBecause HSPs process various stimuli in much greater detail than others, any decision, regardless of whether it is big or small, ultimately becomes more heightened in importance due to the impact such choices have on the HSP’s overall state of being.
Zishan Khan, MD
Because HSPs process various stimuli in much greater detail than others, any decision, regardless of whether it is big or small, ultimately becomes more heightened in importance due to the impact such choices have on the HSP’s overall state of being.
When dealing with a particularly difficult decision, an highly-sensitive person can experience flooding and it can feel like their brain is “shutting down.”
Processing information can become difficult, and an HSP might withdraw mentally. Their brain seems to go into overdrive, and it can be hard for them to focus on a specific situation or access their decision-making abilities.
Cangilla calls that feeling of shutting down “analysis paralysis,” and notes how overstimulation can interfere with making any decision.
“Noticing subtleties can be helpful when making a decision, but if the HSP isn’t able to filter out some stimuli, they may struggle to make sense of the sheer volume of information and emotion they’re encountering.”
9 Little Habits That Make You a Better Decision Maker
Stressful World Events Complicate Decisions
Decision-making is about assessing the balance between risk and reward. Our brains consider consequences, rewards, and any potential risks.
We usually think through these elements quickly, but when it comes to an HSP’s brain, things may take a bit more time.
On top of that, recent world events have made that balance between risk and reward harder to determine. The pandemic, for example, complicated our decision making and risk analysis. Things that weren’t considered “risky” before suddenly are, and the stakes are higher.
According to the American Psychological Association, 55% of people said that they experienced more difficulty making daily decisions since the start of the pandemic, and 54% said they experienced more difficulty with major decisions.Even as the crisis waned, people continue to find it challenging to weigh their choice and make decisions.
“It’s hard to know how to weigh the various aspects of a decision when so much is new and unknown. In the pandemic, we’ve also been swamped with information, opinions, and emotions. This flood of stimulation can overwhelm anyone, but HSPs may be especially vulnerable,” Cangilla says.
With the added stressors of a pandemic, decisions have new consequences for people to consider. Is your health at risk? Are others’ health at risk? How do we go about making daily decisions with limitations?
Decision-Making Tips for Highly-Sensitive People
Assembly / Getty Images
Take Your Time
Thinking slowly and carefully about a decision can be helpful for an HSP. A decision made in haste may lead to moreregret.
Take the time to write up a list of the possible consequences, the pros and cons of a decision, or any risks involved.
If a decision has to be made in a limited amount of time, try not topressureor rush yourself, because the stress of a deadline may make it even more difficult to come to a decision.
You can even try asking for some extra time to think on a decision.
“Requesting time to deliberate before announcing a decision can help HSPs feel less pressured and promote calm thinking,” Cangilla says.
Press Play for Advice On How to Make Wise Decisions
Know Your Needs and Values
Highly-sensitive people often consider how their decisions affect others' emotions and lives. Though empathy is a strength, it is also important to remember that you are making decisions for yourself, too.
Self-compassionis important for highly-sensitive people, and it can be helpful to talk to yourself like you would talk to a close friend.
Cangilla says that knowing what matters most to you and putting yourself first can help make that decision-making process easier on your nervous system.
“Having a strong sense of your values, boundaries, and resources can help HSPs through the decision-making process. For example, knowing that you will only buy organic products can greatly reduce decision fatigue at the grocery store.”
Sacrificing your own needs can lead to unhappiness, and balancing your needs with others' needs is key. Try not to feelguiltyfor your decisions, and trust that you have thought them through and are willing to commit to them.
Remember That It’s Not All-or-Nothing
For highly-sensitive people, deciding can sometimes feel like a be-all and end-all situation. The good thing is, for the most part, that isn’t true.
HSPs should try to remind themselves of that fact, advises Khan.
“HSPs must remind themselves, or have someone they trust available to remind them, that they are not making a life or death decision in most instances, and the results of their choices do not actually alter the world or their own lives in the ways HSPs tend to believe they will.”
If you’re stuck between two choices, you can try to think of a compromise between choices or come up with a backup plan to put yourself at ease.
Keep in mind that most decisions aren’t forever, and you have thestrengthto deal with any consequences that come with a decision.
Talk It Out
Carrying the burden of making a tough decision can be heavy and tiring. Highly-sensitive people canoverthinkthings, so it can be helpful to get another perspective.
What This Means For YouWhether you’re making a decision about what to wear to a party or where you want to settle down and live, it’s important to understand how your brain makes decisions, and allow yourself breathing room.As an HSP, it’s helpful to consider your own needs, take your time, and remember that oftentimes, one decision will not make or break anything.
What This Means For You
Whether you’re making a decision about what to wear to a party or where you want to settle down and live, it’s important to understand how your brain makes decisions, and allow yourself breathing room.As an HSP, it’s helpful to consider your own needs, take your time, and remember that oftentimes, one decision will not make or break anything.
Whether you’re making a decision about what to wear to a party or where you want to settle down and live, it’s important to understand how your brain makes decisions, and allow yourself breathing room.
As an HSP, it’s helpful to consider your own needs, take your time, and remember that oftentimes, one decision will not make or break anything.
Is There Really Anything Wrong With Being a Highly Sensitive Person?
3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Acevedo BP, Aron EN, Aron A, Sangster M, Collins N, Brown LL.The highly sensitive brain: An fMRI study of sensory processing sensitivity and response to others’ emotions.Brain Behav. 2014;4(4):580-594. doi:10.1002/brb3.242Stenmark CK, Redfearn R.The role of sensory processing sensitivity and analytic mind-set in ethical decision-making.Ethics & Behavior. 2022;32(4):344-358. doi:10.1080/10508422.2021.1906247American Psychological Association.Stress and decision-making during the pandemic.
3 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Acevedo BP, Aron EN, Aron A, Sangster M, Collins N, Brown LL.The highly sensitive brain: An fMRI study of sensory processing sensitivity and response to others’ emotions.Brain Behav. 2014;4(4):580-594. doi:10.1002/brb3.242Stenmark CK, Redfearn R.The role of sensory processing sensitivity and analytic mind-set in ethical decision-making.Ethics & Behavior. 2022;32(4):344-358. doi:10.1080/10508422.2021.1906247American Psychological Association.Stress and decision-making during the pandemic.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Acevedo BP, Aron EN, Aron A, Sangster M, Collins N, Brown LL.The highly sensitive brain: An fMRI study of sensory processing sensitivity and response to others’ emotions.Brain Behav. 2014;4(4):580-594. doi:10.1002/brb3.242Stenmark CK, Redfearn R.The role of sensory processing sensitivity and analytic mind-set in ethical decision-making.Ethics & Behavior. 2022;32(4):344-358. doi:10.1080/10508422.2021.1906247American Psychological Association.Stress and decision-making during the pandemic.
Acevedo BP, Aron EN, Aron A, Sangster M, Collins N, Brown LL.The highly sensitive brain: An fMRI study of sensory processing sensitivity and response to others’ emotions.Brain Behav. 2014;4(4):580-594. doi:10.1002/brb3.242
Stenmark CK, Redfearn R.The role of sensory processing sensitivity and analytic mind-set in ethical decision-making.Ethics & Behavior. 2022;32(4):344-358. doi:10.1080/10508422.2021.1906247
American Psychological Association.Stress and decision-making during the pandemic.
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