Are You a Highly Sensitive Person? Understanding Sensitivity as a Superpower
Have you ever been told you’re “too sensitive”?
Do loud noises, bright lights, or crowded spaces leave you feeling drained?
Do you cry easily, not just from sadness, but from beauty?
If this sounds familiar, you might be what psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron first identified as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
Around 15–20% of the population share this trait. HSPs have a more finely tuned nervous system, meaning we process sensory and emotional information more deeply. We notice subtleties, a tone of voice, a shift in energy, the texture of fabric, the mood in a room.
Dr. Aron’s research revealed that HSPs have increased activation in areas of the brain linked to empathy, awareness, and sensory processing. In essence, we are designed to feel deeply, perceive nuance, and connect with life on a soul level.
Our sensitivity isn’t weakness; it’s a different wiring, a neurodiversity that is full of contrast and duality, beautiful and a most precious and stunning gift. We experience deep pleasure when reading poetry, listening to music or looking at art, we are gifted with deep feeling emotions. But with all duality, without understanding our sensitivity, it can at times, feel like too much. We can easily become overstimulated, anxious, or burnt out, especially in environments that don’t honour slowness, depth, and quiet.
Learning about the HSP trait changed my life. It gave me permission to stop trying to be less, less emotional, less intense, less “fragile” and instead to honour the truth of my design.
Now, I see my sensitivity as sacred. It’s what allows me to create, to heal, to hold space for others. It’s the root of my artistry and empathy.
If you’re reading this and recognise yourself, please know that you are perfect, that being sensitive is not a flaw. You simply experience the world more vividly. Your sensitivity is your strength, a compass guiding you towards beauty, authenticity, and connection.
You are not too much. You were made for more.
