On Being an Introvert or Highly Sensitive Person: A guide to boundaries, joy, and meaning

In a culture that ranks sociability and extroversion above the introverted traits of deep thinking and being alone, Ilse Sand shows how to find joy and meaning as an introvert or highly sensitive person. She debates whether these traits are caused by nature or nurture, and shows how someone like this can organise their life to keep them content. What she says is appropriate for people who are temporarily, or for some other reason, in a sensitive situation - for example, because of stress, trauma or burn-out. It describes the introverted personality type and the highly sensitive trait, highlighting the strengths that come with it such as good listening skills and rich imagination, and suggests ways to overcome the negatives such as the need to avoid overstimulation and over-critical thinking. Including advice from other introverts or highly sensitive people, and two self-tests for sensitive and introverted traits, this book provides a deeper understanding of introversion and high sensitivity and gives those with these personality types greater faith and courage in their own talents.

Table of Contents:
Foreword; Introduction; 1. Personality types; 2. Screen yourself from too many impressions; 3. Limit your catastrophic; 4. Find joy and meaning; 5. Deal with conflicts and boundaries in your own way; 6. Make your choices from your inner conviction; 7. Find a refuge in regarding yourself as an introvert or highly sensitive person; 8. Use precise and neutral language about yourself; Afterword - Sensitive and introverted people are starting to insist on being in the world in their own way; Test Yourself; Bibliography; Acknowledgements

About the Author :
Ilse Sand is a psychotherapist, public speaker and author of several self-help books. She specialises in counselling highly sensitive people. She is based in Denmark.

Review :
Ilse Sand draws sincerely on her own experiences of everyday life as an introvert to provide intelligent and useful advice and tips on how an introvert can set borders, protect themselves from overstimulation, and create more meaning and joy in a noisy, extrovert world. It is a book of great depth, wisdom and thoughtfulness. Ilse Sand is professional, wise, and knowledgeable. She writes with great empathy and kindness with many references to experiences from everyday life - both her own and others. I myself enjoyed reading the book very much and recommend it happily to clients, colleagues, and others. You can also benefit from reading Ilse Sand's first book Highly Sensitive People in an Insensitive World: How to Create a Happy Life, but it is not a prerequisite for making sense of or getting pleasure from this book. In short: The book is warmly recommended. Happy reading!