I recently returned from VO Atlanta, the annual voiceover conference in Atlanta, GA. It was my first time in Atlanta and my first time at such a big voiceover conference. Gotta admit I was nervous to begin with! Big crowds where I don’t already know anyone aren’t really my bag. It takes me back to Jr. High, and I don’t know anyone who wants to go back to Jr. High!

But I also had to remember that I am an HSP. A Highly Sensitive Person; being in big crowds like that tends to overwhelm my nervous system. AND that I have tools I can use in situations like this.

What is an HSP

According to Elaine Aron, the psychologist who coined the term,

“Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP’s) are a subset of the population who are high in a personality trait known as sensory-processing sensitivity, or SPS. Those with high levels of SPS display increased emotional sensitivity, stronger reactivity to both external and internal stimuli—pain, hunger, light, and noise—and a complex inner life.”

Aron stresses that HSP’s do not have a disorder. There is nothing “wrong” with us. It is a trait that 20-30% of the population have. It means that we react strongly, but it also means we think and connect deeply. It also often means we are highly empathic to those around us. In times past, this was an important trait to have access to in a society. The highly sensitive were the healers, the shamans, and the ones keeping watch for predators.

Advantages and Disadvantages

For an actor, voice actor, and writer (all of which I do), this trait can be super helpful! Strong empathy can help us to play other people – to “get in their heads.” Emotionally vulnerable scenes come easily to me. I can cry on cue. And one of my strengths as a voice actor is my warmth and connectedness.

NOTE: This doesn’t mean I’m not energetic or enthusiastic. Dance breaks are a great way for me to get back into my body!

However, this trait is not usually rewarded in our society. We live in a “go, go, go” era. Influencers on Instagram and TikTok are always yelling at me about my skin, my weight, my stress level, and how I can solve all my problems. Social Media rewards those who are loud and brash and make a lot of noise.

And Voiceover Conferences with hundreds of people also rewards those who are FUN! The cheerleaders, the self-promoters, and the big-voiced.

There is nothing wrong with that. I totally get it. I love seeing J. Michael Collins get up and tell jokes! It makes sense that extroverted and outgoing people thrive in that environment. In that environment, though, I tend to dissociate: I try to process all the energy around me, I try to be what I think everybody wants me to be. But I don’t feel like myself, and I’m not inclined to talk or connect with anyone.  I wanted to crawl away…to my little booth by the ocean.

Tools for HSP’s

Since discovering that being highly sensitive is a thing (and discovering that there is nothing wrong with me), I have harnessed a few tools that help me in situations like the voiceover conference last week.

1. I go back to my hotel room! I wasn’t able to get a room at the hotel where the conference took place, but my hotel was not far away, and I did not attend some of the big evening parties, so I could go back for some alone and quiet time. I remember there is nothing wrong with this!
2. I use Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), sometimes known as “tapping,” where I gently tap on different meridians on my body, which helps to bring down the flight or flight stress response. I find it incredibly helpful. There are lots of resources about this, but my favorite resource is Jenny Clift and her YouTube Channel.
3. I journal, every evening and every morning, writing down my feelings and my fears, and processing them deeply – something vital for HSP’s – helps me start and end my day feeling connected to myself.
4. I consciously feel my body – feeling my feet on the floor and my butt in the seat – taking slow, deep breaths – to help me stay “in the room” and understand that there is a lot happening but I can handle it. And no one else has to know what’s happening.

For more information on Highly Sensitive People, I recommend Elaine Aron’s book, The Highly Sensitive Person. It was incredibly enlightening about myself and my place in the world.

Are you highly sensitive? Or do you know someone who is? How do you (or they) deal with life in the 21st Century? I love to hear others’ tips!