Why You’re Not ‘Too Sensitive’, You’re Just Aware

Have you ever been told you're “too sensitive”?

Too emotional. Too reactive. Too soft.

Maybe it wasn’t said outright, maybe it was a sigh, a subtle eye-roll, or the way people didn’t quite know what to do with your tears.

Over time, those messages can seep in, until you start saying it to yourself.

But here’s something you need to know, something that should be taught early on.

Sensitivity isn’t weakness. It’s awareness. You’re not broken. You’re just in tune.

Rippling Water

What Sensitivity Really Is

Sensitivity means:

• You notice the shift in a room before anyone else

• You feel other people’s emotions as if they’re your own

• You need more rest after big conversations, busy crowds, or conflict

• You get overwhelmed when too many things are calling for your attention

• You cry easily, and often, without knowing exactly why (although lets be fair, this could easily be hormones too)

  
  

It doesn’t mean you're unstable.

It means you're highly responsive to your environment, physically, emotionally, and energetically.

This is your nervous system doing its job. It just hasn’t been given the space, support, or tools to regulate gently, rather than shut down or power through.

The Hidden Cost of Dismissing Sensitivity

When we’re told to “toughen up” or “stop being so dramatic,” we don’t learn how to feel safely, we learn to suppress. And what’s suppressed… doesn’t disappear.

It turns into:

• Emotional exhaustion

• Anxiety that’s hard to name

• Irritability, shutdown, or shame

• Overgiving, people-pleasing, self-doubt

• Physical symptoms like tension, fatigue, or gut issues

So if you’ve been hard on yourself for “being too much”, please know, your body is asking to be understood, not silenced.

Woman with her hand on her heart.

Three Ways to Support Your Sensitivity Gently

These are simple practices I use with clients to support a sensitive system without trying to “fix” it.

1. Name What You’re Feeling, Without Needing to Justify It

When emotions come up, pause and name them without story or shame.

Try:

“I feel overstimulated.”

“I feel exposed.”

“I feel like I’ve taken on too much.”

“I feel a lot, and I don’t know what all of it is yet.”

This helps your nervous system shift from flooded to observing, a powerful first step in regulation.

2. Close the Energy Loop

Sensitivity often means you’re an emotional sponge.

Throughout the day, try small practices to return to your own energy:

• Shake out your hands and feet

• Lightly press your palms against your chest and breathe

• Whisper, “What’s mine? What’s not?”

• Take 3 long exhales, sighing through the mouth

These micro-resets support emotional boundaries without having to “block people out.”

3. Switch from “Fixing” to “Soothing”

Instead of rushing to figure out why you feel off, try asking:

“What would soothe me right now?”

It might be dimming the lights, putting your phone away, stepping outside, or curling up with a blanket and no expectations.

Sensitivity doesn’t need solutions. It needs softness.

Awareness is a Gift

You were never meant to live in numbness.

The world may not always know what to do with your depth, but you can learn to.

To recognise it. To support it. To let it be your strength instead of your shame.

You're not too sensitive.

You're aware.

And that awareness, held with compassion, is one of the most powerful forms of wisdom we have.

If you're craving more ways to support your emotional sensitivity with softness and structure, I share monthly audio reflections and intuitive support through The Resilience Loop, no pressure, no performance, just grounding guidance you can receive in your own time.