Maybe Being Sensitive Wasn’t the Problem

I’ve always felt things deeply.

Other people’s moods could affect me. I could walk into a room and sense that something was off, even if no one said a word. I was very aware of how other people were feeling—and, for a long time, I didn’t know what to do with that.

There were periods of my life when I struggled with depression, and I often felt disconnected from the people around me. I remember wondering why it seemed like I was affected by things so much more than everyone else.

People sometimes told me I was “too sensitive.”

And honestly, I believed them.

I thought my sensitivity was something I needed to overcome. Something that made life harder than it needed to be.

It wasn't until I was an adult that I came across the term Highly Sensitive Person, or HSP. Suddenly, a lot of things about me made sense.

The sensitivity to other people’s emotions. The tendency to become overwhelmed by too much stimulation. The depth with which I experienced both joy and sadness. The need for quiet and time alone to process things.

There was actually a name for the way I experienced the world.

But knowing this didn't immediately make me feel better about it. If anything, I initially thought, Great. So this is just who I am? I’m stuck feeling everything this deeply?

For a long time, being highly sensitive felt more like a curse than a gift.

Meditation helped. Yoga helped. And about 10 years ago, I felt drawn to learn about Reiki and subsequently completed my master teacher degree.

As I began practicing Reiki and using myself as a vessel to transmit the all-loving energy from the universe, I also became more aware of the difference between what I was feeling and what I was picking up from someone else.

I was able to realize that I could be deeply empathetic without taking on someone else's emotions.

I could sit with someone who was sad without becoming sad myself.

I could sense that someone was anxious or upset without feeling responsible for making it better.

I could care deeply—and still have boundaries.

Reiki gave me a practice for coming back to myself.

And that changed things.

I no longer felt like I needed to shut down my sensitivity in order to protect myself. Instead, I could become more grounded in my own energy and let other people's feelings belong to them.

I’ve started to truly appreciate the very sensitivity I had spent so many years wishing away.

Because the truth is, being sensitive isn't all hard.

It means I notice things.

I notice the little things. I feel deeply. I connect deeply. I can often sense what someone needs without them having to say it.

And I actually love that about myself now.

What I’ve learned is that I didn't need to become less sensitive.

I needed to learn how to feel deeply without losing myself in what I was feeling.

That distinction has made a huge difference in my life.

For me, it's about becoming grounded enough in yourself that you can stay open to the world without absorbing everything in it.

If you're a highly sensitive person, or someone who has always felt things a little more deeply than the people around you, maybe you can relate.

And if you've ever thought your sensitivity was something you needed to fix, I hope you'll consider another possibility:

Maybe it isn't a weakness. Maybe it's a gift you haven't yet learned how to hold.

I'm offering a Reiki Level 1 training this month.

For me, Reiki has become much more than something I practice during a formal session. It's a way of coming back to myself, again and again, in the midst of everyday life.

And if you're someone who feels deeply, that can be a pretty powerful thing.