Making Work Work for the Highly Sensitive Person

If you are an HSP, this book is required reading. It's that good.This has been a life-changing book for me. There is so much good information and advice here. This book describes me exactly, and the advice it gives seems right on. I am now working on implementing the author's advice in my life. This book has given me great understanding and hope. I can't recommend this highly enough.Unfortunately, I originally ignored this book because of a review I saw here where someone said the book boiled down to just "HSPs need to work for themselves." This person could not have read this book. This books is much more than that. It shows you how to grow toward finding work that you like, and even love.Looking back again over the reviews here, it seems to me many of the negative reviewers did not understand the main points in this book. There is no quick fix, although this book does give invaluable guidance. The author's point is that you need to grow in order to progress from Drudgery, to Craft, to Calling. This book explains the areas you will need to grow in, especially areas particular to HSPs, in order to progress to finding work that works for you.I sense that many HSPs have almost given up on finding work that works for them. I can completely understand this, I've been there. But I think if HSPs will give this book a chance, it can provide a framework to build on. There is hope. You can find your path in this world that works for you.

I find most self-help books not very helpful, because they're either lengthy expositions of extensive erudite findings, or else they're filled with sing-song dialogs with composite characters who purportedly achieved miraculous results, that you can too -- if you happen to be a composite character. Barrie's book is a refreshing change. I identified strongly with most aspects of being an HSP, and it helped me to understand why I'd been banging my head against a wall, assuming I was just like everyone around me, only not coping as effectively. I helped me to see patterns in my behaviour, and gave me a clear understanding of why they occur, and what I can do about them. While the definition of an HSP is quite broad, and somewhat unproven, Barrie takes the approach that the actual 'fit' of the profile is irrelevant, as long as the information is helpful. The techniques offered are mostly about entitlement, legitimacy, expressing anger in a healthy way, speaking up for yourself, and dealing with difficult people. These basic assertiveness skills can help you, even if you don't entirely fit the profile of the HSP. If you dread going to work because you'll feel awful when so-and-so does such-and-such, this book will illuminate your life tremendously.

This is a wonderful book for those that need a different point of view about work, engaging in meaningful work that matters, and is sustainable. Learning about HSP and the work setting that is discussed in this book, has made a world of difference fir me; giving hope and awareness that I can make a contribution and earn a viable salary in my field.

I've struggled in the workplace for years. I've intuitively taken steps to keep myself from becoming overwhelmed by work. I figured that I was a slacker but after reading this book I realized that these steps helped to shield me from a world that was sometimes overwhelming and seemed morally wrong to me. I had numerous ah-ha moments while reading this book. I'm not so strange after all. Suddenly I have been given coping skills for dealing with the overwhelming stimulation I sometimes receive from the workplace.

Barrie is a fine writer and writes from a life of analysis and education. She did a fine job. The book is worth reading and discussing.

MUST BUY for HSPs. CHANGED MY LIFE. I am beginning a new career where I can earn in a week what I used to earn in a month and PLENTY room to grow.

I read Elaine Aron's The Highly Sensitive Person, and I was looking for more info (already read other Aron books in this line). While Jaeger has a good idea, she is not a great writer, and her editor did not push enough to make this a well written work. Instead, it jumps around, leaves much unsaid, and in general leaves me frustrated. There is some good info in here. The presentation is not great. I keep thinking back to Grade 9 English class when I was taught how to write a report; wish Jaeger had taken that course and followed it, as she has the info, it is just not presented well.

Getting past the cultural stigma attatched to the word sensitive, this is a Great book - for people who sense emotional situations and for those who find themselves learning to adjust to different personalities

I wish I knew about this book earlier to save me from unnecessary suffering all those years. Barrie's insight on HSP at work is like a beacon to me. The book helped me discover my 'blind spots' which makes my journey to self-discovery easier. It also provided good, practical guidance for HSPs to identify the type of occupations within which HSPs can thrive. Product arrived earlier than expected.

Identifies different reasons why people with HSP end up in dreadful professional situations and shows the way out.The book is an appeal for hope towards 'Craft jobs' and finally finding your 'Calling' or more precisely have your 'Calling' find you.American style book, so you need to read through the references to the divine (quite unusual for the European reader), however the content of the book is very down to earth.A must read for HSP, I would even say for all those who are looking for their 'ideal' job.

Great book. Pleased to read it. Will help one for sure to come out of drudgery.

I started reading this book with the hope that it would tell me how to find the work that would be deeply satisfactory for me. In the middle of the book, I got very disappointed, because the book wasn't telling me this. But I'm very glad that I read the book to the end, because I learned a lot.POSITIVE things about this book:I learned the following things:(1) There are three types of work:- Drudgery: this work is terrible and makes one sick in the end, one suffers there- Craft: either mind or heart are involved here, but not both- Calling: this is the true work that gives us energy and deep satisfactionI find this classification quite accurate, and I was able to analyze and understand my previous experiences using it. The author goes into lots of details to explain how these types of work differ from each other. However, the explanation of Calling is right in the end of the book, so one has to be patient. However, it still makes sense to read the book sequentially, because the book parts build on each other.(2) Especially HSPs seem to need two types of income in their work: money income AND psychic income. The latter means the relationships with people. I thoroughly agree with the author that especially HSPs cannot enjoy work if their relationships with people at work are in some way "unhealthy". The non-HSP can ignore relationships if they like the job tasks, but the HSPs cannot. I was very relieved to read this, because I thought that something is wrong with ME, because I absolutely need good relationships at the workplace.(3) It is very difficult, if not impossible, to transform Drudgery into Craft and Craft into Calling if one tries to remain at the same workplace. That is, if one experiences Drudgery, one has to leave this work. I think this is very wise, even if something in me still doesn't want to believe this.(4) Some people are so-called "high sensation seekers", they are always looking for "interesting" jobs, get them, but then loose interests pretty fast. I myself don't have this trait, but to know about this might be helpful for people who are made this way.(5) There is a helpful self-management part in the book, that tells us how to deal with overstimulation at work. I found one thing especially helpful: if you are in Drudgery, no relaxation technique (Yoga, bubble bath, nice hobby) will be able to help you permanently. You have to get out of Drudgery as fast as possible.NEGATIVE things about this book:The author states that some HSPs have such a lot of interests that they find it difficult to choose one interest as a job. This might be true, but it's not true for me. I don't have any strong interests, everything I do is just a little bit interesting for me. Unfortunately, there is not a single word about such condition in the book.I wish the book was better structured. I really needed a lot of patience with it. That's why I give it 4 stars, and not 5.There are some grammatical peculiarities in the book, probably due to an inattentive editor. But generally, they are not too disruptive.The book gives absolutely no clues at how to search for the Calling. Although the author says that one has to grow personally, and then the Calling will get nearer to you, but I still wish that she was a bit more outspoken here, probably by providing several examples at how people were looking for (and found) their Calling.CONCLUSION: A wise and helpful book about HSPs at work. However, if you are looking for a "howto", you will get disappointed. For myself, I had to agree with the athor at the end: There is no "howto" for finding your real work. You have to think, observe yourself, try things out and think again. This seems to be the only way.

I found this book to be an excellent read. I had no idea if I was an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) or not but bought the book simply because I was interested to see what it had to offer in terms of helping me to understand why I felt so mentally detached from my job. In addition to helping me identify certain traits and attitudes within myself that I never realised I had, it also made me realise what my strengths are and how I could apply these to my job to make it a happier place for me. The main thing I learned from this book was that if the heart OR mind is engaged with your work, you will probably be ok to carry on as either your heart OR your mind will help you get through the highs and lows. And that's probably what keeps people remaining in the same job for so many years. It doesn't necessarily mean they're overly happy or content but it's never bad enough for them to want to leave. But if NEITHER your heart or mind are engaged with your work, then it's time to get out or make some serious changes. This is where the book will help you to think more clearly about what you could do, and give you the motivation to make those changes. It will also help you realise how your strengths can be applied to discover the type of work you know would bring you happiness and the greatest level of satisfaction. My favourite phrase which wasn't in this book but I think can be applied here is...'If you dream it, you can believe it, and if you believe it you can achieve it'. It's a great book, and am already recommending it to my friends...