Sensitivity is a Strength: You’re Exactly What the World Needs

Have you ever been told you're too sensitive? That you take things to heart too easily, or that you need to toughen up? If so, you're not alone. Many sensitive people grow up being told that there’s something wrong with them. But what if the opposite were true? What if your sensitivity is actually your greatest strength, especially in the face of climate change and global suffering?

The idea that sensitivity is a strength might be hard to believe after a lifetime of disapproval. But the sensitivity in you, even if it can make climate grief and eco-anxiety unbearable at times, is there for a reason. Embracing sensitivity is a crucial part of self-acceptance, personal well-being, and environmental solutions.

Did you know? Even if you aren’t a highly sensitive person, approximately 20% of the population is. So I invite you to stick around to read this article so you can better understand your family, friends, and neighbours. 

What is a Highly Sensitive Person?

So maybe you already know that you’re a sensitive person. It’s kind of hard to miss when we stick out a little. But have you ever heard of the trait “Highly Sensitive Person”, defined by Dr. Elaine Aron? 

Learning about it changed my relationship with myself and my family for the better. Instead of seeing myself as failing to be like a normal person, I could start to see myself as thriving as a sensitive person. And you know what? The world could really do with more sensitivity right about now!

First off, being highly sensitive isn’t an illness. It’s not a disorder or a flaw or something that you need to “fix”. But it does impact how you process the world around you. Being highly sensitive is just a part of who we are.

Dr. Elaine Aron, a psychologist and researcher, first coined the term Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) in the 1990s. According to her research, around 15-20% of the population is born with a more sensitive nervous system. This isn’t something new. Aron’s work suggests that highly sensitive individuals have always existed within communities for a reason. Our highly tuned nervous system can pick up on threats and warn our families and neighbours when they need to look up from what they are doing and act. 

So what does high sensitivity actually look like? 

We sensitive folk can notice subtleties that other people often don’t. This is really valuable, but wouldn’t really work if everyone were so sensitive. We need a mix of different kinds of people to function best as a collective society. 

You can kind of think of it like canaries in the coal mine, we are here to notice things, so we can raise the alarm before it’s too late. But if everyone were on the lookout all the time, it would be hard to get the daily tasks done as effectively. A mix of different people is key to balance and harmony. 

At the same time, less sensitive people bring balance to the group. They’re often the ones who can stay calm under pressure, act quickly in emergencies, and make tough decisions without getting emotionally flooded. Many frontline responders like firefighters, medics, and rescue workers may lean toward being less sensitive, and that’s a strength too. It's not about one being better than the other; it's about each of us playing our part in a healthy and happy world.

Sensitive people tend to:

• Feel things very deeply, whether it's joy, grief, or injustice.

• Have a close relationship with animals and a deep connection to nature.

• Need time alone after busy or noisy environments. Because you’re taking in and processing way more little details than most people do.

• Notice small things others might miss, like changes in tone, body language, or atmosphere. It’s hard to hide microexpressions from sensitive people. We’re gonna notice that someone in the room is hurting even if they’re hiding it well. 

• Feel overwhelmed by loud noises, bright lights, strong smells, or crowded spaces.

• Be deeply moved by music, art, or nature

• Have a strong intuition or inner knowing about people or situations

• Think and process things deeply, sometimes needing more time to make decisions

• Feel a strong desire to help or care for others (and the planet), sometimes to our own detriment

  
  

  

Feeling intrigued? You can take an online quiz here to see if you might be a highly sensitive person. 

How do sensitivity and climate change intertwine?

If you're a highly sensitive person, chances are you find it harder to just carry on like nothing’s happening in the middle of a climate emergency. While others might be able to brush off troubling news or stay detached, you probably feel it all, deeply and personally. The headlines don’t just seem mildly sad and kind of troubling. They land in your body like a punch to the gut. When you hear that people are going hungry, or species are vanishing, it doesn’t feel like distant tragedy. It feels like someone you know is suffering and it breaks your heart.

You might feel the climate crisis in your bones, like you’re watching the world dance toward a cliff edge while you're standing there, exhausted, waving your arms and shouting for everyone to stop. But they don’t seem to hear you. That feeling of being awake in a world that doesn’t want to wake up is both incredibly painful and incredibly important.

You see what’s happening. You feel it. And even if that sensitivity feels like a burden sometimes, it’s also a gift. In a culture that often avoids discomfort and numbs out difficult truths, people like you are vital. You remind us that what’s happening matters, and that we need to take action for the good of everyone. 

What does it mean to be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) on a day-to-day basis?

Maybe all of this feels a bit abstract, so let me bring it down to earth with a couple of examples from my own life. Just to be clear: highly sensitive people are not broken, and we’re not overreacting. We're simply wired a bit differently. That has it’s benefits and it’s drawbacks. 

Here’s what that looks like for me. I always spot pickpockets. I’m not looking for them, it just happens. My eyes somehow scan through a crowd and zero in on the person moving oddly or giving off a strange vibe. Recently, in a packed London train station, I instantly noticed a young guy in a fake beard about to dip into someone’s handbag on the platform opposite mine. He might as well have been wearing a sign saying “up to mischief.” But noone else seemed to notice. 

The upside is that I’m not likely to be pickpocketed, and neither are the people I’m with. The downside is that my brain is always scanning, always alert for a threat. After spending time in crowds or social gatherings, I’m completely wiped. I usually need to go home, flop on the sofa, and drink a cup of tea in peace.

Another example: when I read the news, I can easily be moved to tears. Stories about fear, hunger, injustice, those don’t feel distant to me. They feel intimate and immediate, like someone I care about is hurting. That deep emotional response has shaped my career, first as a freelance writer focusing on biodiversity and climate, and now as a wellbeing coach. It helps me show up with compassion and real commitment. But the same sensitivity means I have to be careful about how much news I take in. If I consume too many headlines, I can spiral into hopelessness and lose the energy I need to contribute to a better world.

What about you? Can you think of moments where your sensitivity has affected how you see the world, or how you respond to it?

In a fast-moving, results-driven world, we’re often told that sensitivity is a flaw. We hear it’s dramatic, weak, or inconvenient. But the truth is, it’s a powerful strength. When it comes to something as complex and urgent as climate change, we need people who can feel deeply, who can empathise, and who call us all to step up and do something. 

If you’re one of those people, you’re not alone. And you’re not broken. You’re part of the cultural shift we need. Your sensitivity is not just valid. It’s vital. But it’s also pretty exhausting, so it’s important to take good care of yourself.

Sensitivity is a strength (but you need to take care of yourself!)

For sensitivity to become a superpower rather than a source of burnout, we must learn how to take care of ourselves. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Sensitive people often need:

• Time alone to recharge after busy events and agendas

• Gentle movement and time in nature to release tension and feel grounded.

• Limited exposure to overwhelming media, whether that’s headlines or negative social media 

• Emotional support from others who understand, including good friends and professional support like therapists 

• Healthy boundaries and clear communication. If you don’t have enough resilience to be there for other people every minute of every day, let them know and take care of yourself.

This isn’t selfish, it’s necessary. When we care for our sensitive nervous systems, we can show up fully and serve our communities, without collapsing under the weight of the world.

Reclaiming sensitivity for ourselves and our communities

Look around at what’s happened in a world that dismisses sensitivity: rampant destruction of the natural world, burnout on a global scale, and rising mental health issues. It's clear we need a rebalancing. We need to make space again for tenderness, for slowness, for listening and love.

That’s why embracing your sensitivity is not only a personal act of healing, it’s also a radical act of service. The more we reclaim our right to feel, to care, and to notice, the more we create a world where those qualities are honoured.

So if you’re someone who feels deeply, who cries at the sight of deforestation or who lies awake at night worrying about the planet, thank you. Your sensitivity can be a burden. But it is your gift to the world and your compass for how you want to move through the world.

Take care of yourself. Find others who get it. Learn to work with your sensitivity rather than against it. And then, when you're ready, use that gift for good. 

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