Individuals who are highly sensitive are best suited for jobs that call for absorbing and simplifying sensory information. It is generally ideal for Highly Sensitive People (HSP) to avoid fast-paced, hectic jobs that do not allow sufficient time for reflection.
If you are someone who cares too much about the feelings and needs of other people—you have probably been lauded for being “sensitive.” However, if you often feel hurt, overstimulated or overwhelmed easily, you might have faced criticism for being “over-sensitive.”
People with tuned nervous systems are highly sensitive, and it can sometimes be their greatest strength—enabling them to be compassionate toward others, detect softness in their environment, and identify subtle cues that often other people miss. If you are a highly sensitive person who is very creative, intuitive, reflective and kind, here are five suitable career options for you.
Highly sensitive individuals are ideally suited to work and contribute in the domain of mental health. They are brilliant at offering therapy and counselling sessions, owing to their empathy and patience—which can guide people to face their struggles and challenges. There are many options to choose from—you can become a family therapist and guide people to help navigate complicated relationships or become a grief counsellor to assist people in dealing with intense grief induced by loss. You may even become a career counsellor and guide people to help find a suitable professional path.
If you are highly sensitive and are also gifted with excellent literary skills, you may consider pursuing a career as a professional writer. A thoughtful mind and a fine ability to creatively interpret circumstances through other people’s perspectives are the assets you need to be a novelist or creative writer. You may navigate a career path in nonfiction writing or journalism, especially if you are someone who enjoys examining complex topics and sharing the findings with others.
Typically—highly sensitive folks can become incredible artists because they are finely tuned in examining the sensory world and their imagination. They generally possess a powerfully developed sense of aesthetic beauty and a strong yearning to share their fantastic vision with the world—through their artwork.
Whether you create graphic designs on a computer, paint on canvas, design garments, decorate apartments or have any other way of expressing your artistry through aesthetic creation—your sensitivity can add an advantage. As a professional artist or designer, you can enjoy the freedom of setting up a manageable work pace while enjoying a certain degree of control over your work environment.
Such career options will enable you to work in a calm and quiet environment while sharing your admiration for literature, art, or history. As a museum curator or librarian, you could spend your working hours interacting with visitors—in a quiet and easy-going setting. This professional path will enable you to put your gifts into good use by engaging people—simultaneously allowing you to spend your time working alone, fulfilling your need for reflection, quiet and solitude.
An accountant needs to pay acute attention to detail and should be very focused on their job. This career path is an incredible option for highly sensitive individuals who like numbers, are good at calculation and are looking for a job that can offer a way to distract (for a while) their minds from continually processing an inflow of sensory information from others.
Highly Sensitive People typically suffer more than the average person in the workplace. However, by finding a career path that makes good use of your strengths while accommodating your unique needs, you can put your talents to good use—to deliver a meaningful difference.
