Are You a Highly Sensitive Person Who Loves Books?

Escaping into fiction is excellent self-care for HSPs--here's why

Leakey’s Book Shop, Inverness, Scotland

Have you ever been teased for being a bookworm? Ever been told in childhood to “get your nose out of that book!” and participate in whatever activity was going on around you?

Growing up, my dad told me more than once to “Quit reading and do something productive!” Looking back, this is funny because my father was a big-time bookworm. And I don’t fault him for telling me this—when I was a kid on summer break, I could literally read for most of the day without moving from the couch. Too much of even a very good thing can be bad for us.

But there is a reason that many highly sensitive people (HSPs) are drawn to books and reading. I would argue that the desire of HSPs to read fiction, especially, is greater than for non-HSPs.

Why HSPs love books

The reason that many HSPs love nonfiction is easy to understand. HSPs are deep processors. That means they need time and space to think things through deeply. Doing so is important not only when it’s time to make a decision, but all of the time. Most HSPs require a lot more downtime/alone time to think things through completely and figure out what they really think or feel about them.

However, I believe that HSPs are drawn to fiction reading for other reasons. In fiction, there is a beginning, middle, and end of a story. The arc of a book is very satisfying to readers—and HSPs in particular—because most novels provide cognitive closure to readers.

Cognitive closure is a fancy way of saying that the story comes full circle—loose ends are tied up at the end. The story is complete, the tale is over, and one can move on.

This isn’t how real life feels for most HSPs. Highly sensitives tend to worry a lot about getting things done correctly and in a way that doesn’t step on other people’s toes. Consummately conscientious, HSPs are loath to hurt anyone’s feelings or overstep boundaries. Probably because they’ve had a lot of experience having their feelings hurt and having people trample their own boundaries.

A book offers freedom from the world and all its burdens. Fiction offers respite and helps HSPs take a break from the pressures of everyday life.

Sure, it offers that to all fiction readers. But highly sensitive readers are more likely to use books as a form of self-care. Checking out mentally for 10, 20, or 45 minutes and immersing yourself in a good story is a fantastic way to allow the brain to relax and your body to calm down.

Reading Reduces Stress

I guess what I could have said to my father all those years ago was, “Hey, I am doing something constructive—I’m reducing stress and preventing dementia.”

An article on For the Joy of Books points to two research studies that showed participants experienced stress reduction while reading. And other studies mentioned in the article indicate that reading books builds one’s cognitive function and may help prevent cognitive decline later in life.

And while I couldn’t locate an article I read a few years ago, reading fiction is believed to be as effective as getting a massage when it comes to health benefits. Maybe the only thing better would be getting a massage while reading a good novel?

Other Book Benefits for HSPs

Another benefit of reading for highly sensitive people is that it allows one to go on an adventure without leaving the comforts of home. An article on Highly Sensitive Refuge points out:

Through reading, you can experience thrilling new worlds, both semi-realistic and entirely made up. You get to know the characters of the story and see the world through their eyes.

So, even though you’re reading a story on your couch at home, you’re exploring the human experience without direct contact with other humans. Isn’t that an HSP’s dream?

Part of being an HSP is that one often feels overstimulated. Because it’s not possible to filter out all the sounds, lights, smells, and feelings one experiences, an HSP can often feel overwhelmed in a situation that a non-HSP wouldn’t.

Not all HSPs are prone to withdraw from stimulating experiences, however. Some enjoy the novelty they get from travel, exploration, and new experiences.

This is another reason books are important to HSPs. Avid HSP fiction readers can go “adventuring” while staying home in a place that is comfortable and familiar. This is a win-win situation for highly sensitive bookworms.

Are Thrillers and Suspense Novels Good for HSPs?

While this is a topic that can be hotly debated, I believe that the suspense and thriller genres lend themselves well to HSPs . . . with some caveats. Highly sensitive types have a great deal of empathy for others.

Also, due to their sensitive nature and challenges in screening out stimuli, reading books or watching shows/movies that are terrifying, filled with gore and/or torture or other scary elements can be too much for their systems.

BUT . . .

As I’ve written about in the post, “HSP or SPS Who Love Horror & Suspense Genres” there are reasons that these genres work really, really well for sensitive readers. The main reason: these genres allow us to experience stress and fear in a safe, controlled environment.

As I talk about in that post, sensitive readers may want to look for books that are “horror lite”, “cozy horror”, “clean suspense”, or “clean thriller” if they’re worried about elements of the novel being too much for them. Also, checking for trigger warnings before starting a new book is a great idea. I love StoryGraph for this feature—you can search for the book you're interested in and see what warnings other readers give it.

Side note (and shameless book promo): There’s a reason the tagline for my own novels is “Suspense the turns pages, not stomachs.” I believe a book should have lots of suspense, tension, and heart-pounding aspects w/o gore, torture, and/or things that leave a reader disgusted. You can check out my books here.

If you’re looking for other great suspense or thriller novels for sensitive readers, check out this post or this one, where I share some recommendations.

Your turn: If you’re a highly sensitive person do you find books to be a good outlet for you? If so, what genres of fiction are you most drawn to?

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J.P. Choquette is the author of creepy books set in Vermont. Atmospheric pageturners, her novels are gothic inspired and frequently tie in the themes of art, nature, and psychology. Her 11 novels have been downloaded nearly 25,000 times across multiple platforms. Learn more by visiting the author’s website or connect with her on Instagram.