Overstimulation can derail HSP productivity, but these HSP-specific work habits set you up for success.
As Highly Sensitive People (HSPs), it can be difficult for us to filter out distractions—especially when an environment with many stimuli. There are many factors competing for our attention at once, which can overstimulate us more than usual and make it difficult to focus. Still, work and productivity can be challenging.
I have struggled with concentration most of my life. Only in recent years have I finally figured out what the best habits are and my HSP brain. This is how I learned to work – and be productive – as a highly sensitive person.
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7 Work and Productivity Tips for HSPs
1. Make your to-do list as specific as possible – specificity is your friend.
When I was studying for my Spanish medical qualification test a few years ago, some of my specific tasks were: “Write 10 practice sentences using Spanish medical terminology”; “Record an interpretation”; “Make a list of words you don’t know and then look up the definitions.”
These have proven significantly more effective than the more generic and non-descript previous list items such as “Work on Spanish” (Specifically from what point of view?); “Write” (Write how much? what should you write?); or “Editing a psychic entry” (What will you pay particular attention to during editing?).
As I’ve come to realize, being specific doesn’t have to be overwhelming; you can always switch from one task to another if you get stuck—although Single-tasking works very well for HSPs. And with a concrete measure, concreteness even makes it possible more easily to do this. You are less likely to be left with a vague feeling of dissatisfaction (during which you may constantly ask yourself: “Did I do enough?”)
Even though I once thought the ritual of making a to-do list too tedious and regular, after repeating it a few times, I felt that it helped – even empowered – me. Since HSPs are more prone to distraction and overwhelm than your average person, a specific to-do list can help reduce that overwhelm and give us a sense of control.
Whenever you start to get too stuck in your head, it’s harder to feel lost or adrift when you know that a life raft—in the form of a physical blueprint—is waiting to pull you out.
2. Break your to-do list into smaller tasks and complete them one at a time.
This is especially true for jobs that you put off or tasks that are not inherently enjoyable. HSPs are especially prone to overload when faced with big tasks. When I tell myself to finish a big project in one go, the document remains blank. Elder anxiety is real! And my mind goes into paralysis. However, if I focus on the smaller segments, the larger project (in this case, an essay) gradually and gradually writes itself.
Taking a break from big tasks to restore some of their cognitive juices—without abandoning them entirely—can be extremely helpful. Sometimes doing ‘nothing’ is the best ‘something’.
3. Temporarily postpone or abandon tasks that are not time sensitive.
I often procrastinate on a task because I start thinking things like, “That sounds wrong,” “I’m not happy with how it turned out,” or “I could have done so much better.” I carry these thoughts with me into the next task, which affects my performance in the given task as well – and so on. (We HSPs tend to be very hard on ourselves!) This chain reaction then culminates in a feeling of mediocrity, or a nagging feeling that I have fallen short of my potential.
Instead, what if we said, “Maybe I didn’t do my best (at this), but that’s okay—it’s okay to move on to another task, and maybe tomorrow, when I go back to the original task, the energy will flow better.” After all, once HSPs enter a “flow state”, it’s hard to get us out of there!
Think of it as a clean cut. A peaceful and orderly disengagement from the task (and, by extension, the negative feelings associated with it) allows you to retain all your energy for work. on the next one. By the end of the day, you’ll feel more accomplished—even after those initial self-doubt thoughts threaten to derail you.
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4. Choose your environment carefully and modify it whenever you can.
The environment can have a huge impact not only on the general mood, but also on productivity. This is especially true for HSPs – environmental psychology does affect us.
For example, sound is a big trigger for me, and often for other highly sensitive people. No matter how calm I am in a physical space, noise levels above the desired threshold interfere with my work. I tend to struggle in well-lit or crowded places and feel claustrophobic when facing (or sitting right next to) a wall.
Some people’s preferences also vary depending on the task they are working on. When I want to be creative and expand my thinking, a little background noise is tolerable (even conducive) to generativity. But when I’m focused on a very specific or linear problem, I need complete silence.
So hone in on the environmental factors that help you feel most comfortable and effective as an HSP. Then, if possible, return to these places (or recreate them) as often as you can.
5. Give yourself incentives and rewards – but with limits.
After studying for three hours for my medical interpreting exam, I worked out for an hour at the gym. Afterwards I had lunch at one of my favorite places, Bissap Baobab, a Senegalese restaurant in downtown Oakland. HSPs feel things so deeply, including food and other sensory experiences – they can evoke strong positivity.
I recommend striking a balance in the rewards, however – and he gives them out consciously. Positive reinforcement can (and should) take a different, healthier form than mindless indulgence. In other words, don’t choose prizes that can derail. Instead, choose them carefully to provide motivation to repeat the desired behavior in the future.
6. Work when you can give it your full attention.
When I worked as a carpool driver, I changed places often, spent a lot of time in my car and many hours on the move. I want to make progress on my blogging and writing goals, I record audio notes while driving that I plan to transcribe into blog posts later. Basically, I was trying to “write” and drive at the same time.
Sometimes the circumstances aligned – for example, I can be heard honking my horn at a Mercedes that crossed into my lane without signaling while I “write” about the underlying issues that the relationship defense might imply. Although I thought I was doing two things at once—commuting while working toward my writing goals—I ended up with content that sounded scattered and all over the place. It was not thoughtful and successful not flow.
After converting to written form, my head hurt. I realized that rather than making any progress in setting goals, I was just giving myself more clutter to clean up. I decided that voice notes were great for specific and logistical reminders, but I really needed to write when I took the time to sit down and do it.
That way now as I writeI make sure to be in a quiet place, sit down, and really writing (in contrast speech into a phone while my mind is half-focused on another task – remember what I said above about single-tasking?). I notice much better quality in content and sentence structure when I follow this routine. I believe that the highest quality work is often produced when you give your subject your full attention. As HSPs, we are passionate, but we can easily get derailed or sidetracked if we don’t consciously set aside time for specific goals.
7. Consider freelancing, but be aware of the benefits of staying in one place and don’t over-plan your day.
Towards the end of university, I always thought I would have to work a regular 9 to 5 job in an office. Driving to a carpool service it showed me that there were alternative options, eventually paving the way for me to earn more money and use the skills I learned at university by becoming a medical interpreter.
Overall, freelancing allows me to work in shorter bursts, which is perfect for my HSP temperament. My freelance schedule has breaks between tasks where I can recharge and regroup. And the emotional and cognitive space freed up by the lifestyle allowed me to be more present in all activities.
Not having my boss constantly monitor my performance gives me enough breathing room, which is good for my mental health. I like to be able to set my own schedule and I revel in the knowledge that I am completely in charge and I know no one but myself.
However, keep in mind that a frequently changing location can have a negative impact on achieving flow states. When I was teaching English as a freelancer in Uruguay, the fact that classes were no more than an hour long and spread throughout the day made it difficult for me to stay focused on my work. However, staying in one place facilitates this much more.
So see what works best for you to be as productive as an HSP!
And I want to know, fellow HSPs, what would you add to the above list? Feel free to comment below!
