The Highly Sensitive Person and Career

HSPs and Work: A Tricky PropositionIt is pretty much a fact of life that most of us have to «make a living» in some capacity or another, regardless of whether we’re HSPs or not.

canada goose clearance Although most people appreciate finding a measure of happiness and satisfaction canada goose outlet new york city in the work they do, work and career tends to present a more significant challenge for the Highly Sensitive Person than for the canada goose outlet uk sale rest of the world. Not only are we more sensitive to our environments and the people in it, we also tend canada goose outlet store montreal to be idealists who view work as being about far more than «just a paycheck.» canada goose clearance

Explaining the specifics of how HSPs find work challenging is beyond the scope of this article, but if you are interested in some more in depth reading, I recommend a different article I wrote, entitled Work and the Highly Sensitive Person.

Canada Goose Jackets In this article, we’ll take a look at the most recent book on the market examining HSPs and their relationship with work and career. Canada Goose Jackets

Work Advice for HSPs can be hard to findCompared to a couple of decades ago, there are now lots of books now available about high sensitivity, but most of them tend canada goose outlet store uk to focus on the spiritual, mental health and psychological aspects of the trait.

Work, of course, is a far more tangible and functional aspect of our lives.

For many years, the only work reference for HSPs was Dr. Barrie Jaeger’s «Making Work Work for the Highly Sensitive Person,» so Dr. Cooper’s book is different from many other books on High Sensitivity in that is it a combination of university research and general career advice for HSPs.

I enjoyed it because it takes a fairly pragmatic approach, while still honoring that HSPs are attuned to many intangible factors when considering work. I also really like the many quotes from https://www.canadagooseoutlete.com the 1500+ survey takers whose feedback helped make the book possible.

«Thrive!» is divided into three parts.

Canada Goose Coats On Sale The first part, called «Setting the Stage,» basically looks at the idea of work and how it has developed in recent years. and how those developments affect the possibilities and work environments open to HSPs. Canada Goose Coats On Sale

Canada Goose Online What kind of HSP are you, anyway?Although HSPs share common traits, we are ultimately just as unique as any other group of individuals. Canada Goose Online

cheap Canada Goose Part II of the book takes a look at some of the major components of «the HSP Work Experience» Dr. Cooper identified during the research stages of the book. Individual chapters on the impact of Empathy, Childhood Influences on work perception and the importance canada goose outlet mississauga of Self Care for HSPs follow. Each of these chapters include numerous quotes from the HSP survey takers. many of which I found myself relating to. cheap Canada Goose

Part II is rounded out with chapters exploring the «inner depths» central to the HSP experience (the «Rich Inner Lives» attribute Dr. Elaine Aron speaks of), a chapter on «High Sensation Seeking» HSPs, and a chapter on the sociological contexts for sensitivity how our surrounding environment empowers canada goose outlet factory (or fails to empower) us.

canada goose uk outlet So what kind of work DO we need?Part III of the book takes on the more functional «nuts and bolts» of HSPs finding rewarding and meaningful work. Cooper is quick to point out that some will appeal to certain HSPs but not to others a reminder that we are all different. canada goose uk outlet

In short, there is no single «one kind of work» that best fits HSPs.

Care is taken to break out different styles of work: from the societal standard of «working for someone,» to virtual work, to self employment, to trade work, to working in arts and crafts. Each is presented with some of the potential upsides and pitfalls.

The final chapter in Thrive! is a collection of stories from the many HSPs who took surveys and were interviewed by Dr. Cooper. As an HSP who has been exploring the nature of the trait for some 20 years, this was my favorite part.

canada goose coats on sale In conclusion, Cooper believes that «surviving» (that is, understanding ourselves and how to work canada goose outlet with our talents. and shortcomings) is the first canada goose uk site step on the path to thriving. When we know and understand ourselves, we can make informed choices that will help us thrive at work! canada goose coats on sale

About Dr. His purpose in writing the book in part was to help guide us from merely «surviving» at work to actually Thriving.

He brings to the book his own widely varied work experience, covering time in the US Army, working for printing companies, earning his doctorate and teaching college.

canada goose factory sale He intended the book to be for all canada goose parka outlet HSPs, and brought work experiences ranging from menial repetitive labor to high level executive positions to the table. The book is equally for those just starting work, and those with decades of work experience already under their belt. canada goose factory sale

Cooper states that he was motivated to write the book after some three decades of very varied work, none of which ever lasted more than a few years. He felt as many HSPs do that something was «wrong» with him, and his work experiences had a negative effect on his confidence and self esteem.

canada goose coats These days, he owns a publishing company and teaches graduate courses at Baker University while still conducting ongoing studies into the nature of being a Highly Sensitive Person. canada goose coats

So, did I LIKE this book?On the whole, canada goose outlet las vegas I would recommend it.

As mentioned earlier, the book was based on Dr. Cooper’s graduate dissertation, which included interviews/surveys with 1500+ people.

Whereas the content is valuable, the formatting was at times a little distracting, with the extensive number of quotes from HSPs interviewed. Sometimes, it got a little too repetitive on «background information» while falling a bit short on practical advice. This is NOT a «how to» book for HSPs to choose a perfect job.