I got the email in the summer of 2019. It was Sunny Sea Gold @sunnyseagold, a health writer, asking whether I would have time for an interview about how highly sensitive people respond to noise. Sunny was writing a story for Oprah magazine, @oprahmagazine. Of course, I would! I do academic research on sensory-processing sensitivity, called high sensitivity in information for the general public. I’ve been doing this research for almost 20 years and have been contacted by other magazines in the past. But nothing as high-profile as Oprah! I also provide mentoring services clients all over the world who are HSPs (Highly Sensitive Persons), so I am thrilled that Oprah is spreading the word about high sensitivity.

The story is in the August print issue of Oprah magazine, on newsstands everywhere. I will also publish an excerpt from it on my website (www.highlysensitivesociety.com).

High sensitivity is a personality trait which is present from birth, and makes people more open to influences from their environment. People with the trait are called Highly Sensitive Persons, or HSPs. They think and feel more deeply, and are often sensitive to noise, light, chaotic environments, caffeine, drugs, sleep loss, and other people’s emotions.
Highly sensitive persons are almost invariably very sensitive to noise.

This noise sensitivity is actually related to the sensitivity of the nerves in their brain. The nerve cells fire at a lower level of arousal, causing highly sensitive people to process noise as much louder than do less-sensitive people. I’m really glad Oprah magazine is highlighting this issue, and certainly never thought that I’d see my name in print on one of its pages.

Please feel free to contact me for a free consultation or just if you have any questions about high sensitivity. www.highlysensitivesociety.com/contact