Tend To Yourself Thursday {5/23}: Embracing Sensitivity With Compassion

This week, I want to share a topic that is close to my heart: the experience of being a sensitive person. Sensitivity is often misunderstood and judged as a weakness. Maybe like me, you’ve also been told throughout your life “you’re too sensitive.” Parts of me still struggle with this internalized shame. Through my own personal work, I’ve come to truly honor sensitivity for its unique gifts and strengths, and hold the challenges with gentle care.

What It Means to Be a Sensitive Person:

Being a sensitive person means experiencing the world with heightened awareness and emotional depth. You might find yourself deeply affected by the emotions of others, overwhelmed by sensory stimuli, or moved profoundly by beauty and art.

Sensitivity can be a source of great empathy, intuition, and artistry, but it can also lead to feelings of overwhelm and vulnerability. Acknowledge your experience with compassion.

Signs That You Might Be a Sensitive Person:

• You feel emotions intensely and are easily moved by both positive and negative experiences.
• You need more time alone to recharge after social interactions or busy environments.
• You are highly attuned to the feelings and needs of others, often sensing what they are experiencing.
• You may feel overwhelmed by loud noises, bright lights, or chaotic surroundings.
• You have a rich inner life and often reflect deeply on your experiences and relationships.
• You experience change deeply from changes in season or temperature to major life transitions.

How Therapy Can Help:

Therapy provides a safe and nurturing space where sensitive people can explore their feelings and experiences without judgment. Through therapy, you can learn to embrace your sensitivity as a strength, develop strategies for managing overwhelm, and build resilience. Therapy can help you set healthy boundaries, enhance self-compassion, and navigate relationships more effectively.

A Tool to Cope with Sensitivity:

The work of Elaine Aron, PhD, highlights the value of calming the senses for us sensitives, and anyone living in an overstimulating world. One effective tool for doing so is meditation. Various meditative practices can be incorporated into a daily routine, but even just  pausing to focus on your breath or your feet on the floor can help to ground and center in the face of intensity.

Try this guided meditation called Grounding Into the Present.

This meditation engages your senses, helping to calm your mind, and bring you back to the present moment.

Remember, being a sensitive person is a beautiful gift that allows you to connect deeply with the world and those around you. Embrace your sensitivity with compassion and honor your unique way of experiencing life.

If you’d like to explore your sensitivity further or need support in managing it, please reach out. I’m here to walk alongside you on your journey.

Wishing you a week of gentle self-care and mindful presence.

Warmly,
Elana