6 Steps On How to Turn Your Sensitivity into Power by Louise Henning, Founder of Studio Sensitive

Have you ever felt like there’s something wrong with you, or that you’re less than because you’re sensitive?  

My name is Louise and I’m the founder of @highlysensitive_person / Studio Sensitive. I help highly sensitive souls embrace their sensitivity and live a wholehearted life.

I haven’t always seen my sensitivity as a strength. Ever since I was a kid I’ve felt different, and there has been several times where I’ve wondered why I wasn’t like “everybody else”. Hearing “it’s not a big deal”, “stop crying”, “get over it”, “try harder” and “it’s all in your head” from people in my surroundings didn’t make it any easier. And to be honest, it has made me feel less than. If you recognize yourself in this, believe me when I say: there’s nothing wrong with you. You are good enough. 

Being a Highly Sensitive Person means you have an increased or deeper central nervous system sensitivity to physical, emotional, or social stimuli. Therefore, you pick up on things easily and feel them deeply. Highly sensitive people are thought to make up roughly 20% of the general population. That’s one out of five – which means there’s a lot of highly sensitive souls out there. 

People today tend to associate sensitivity with being weak, fragile and someone who can’t take a joke. For this reason, many people suppress their sensitivity, without realizing that if it’s properly nurtured, it can be turned into a strength. But where do you start? 

Here are six steps on how to turn your sensitivity into power. 

1. The first and most important step is accepting being highly sensitive. This is done by getting to know the inside outs of the trait. It also helps you to rewire limiting beliefs you might have about yourself. You do not need to “toughen up”. 

2. Process emotions and feelings. You will have a bunch of thoughts, feelings and emotions running through you daily. These are important to release, because keeping everything locked inside will eventually create a buildup that can lead to major overwhelm. A very effective tool to use is journaling. Write whatever comes to mind, and don’t judge what comes out. 

3. Set boundaries. This is very important. When setting boundaries, you are honoring yourself and creating a life that serves your sensitive nature. Reflecting on these questions can help you narrow down what boundaries to set.  

- What do you need to be happy? 
- What gives you energy? 
- What kind of people do you want in your life? 
- What do you need to thrive in your everyday life? 

4. Release excess energy. Energy can get stuck in your body and show up in the strangest ways.  So, it’s important to let go of what’s not yours. This can be done by something that requires movement. So put on your favorite song and move, jump, dance or shake it off. 

5. Return to the now. Slow down with meditation, yoga or spending time in nature. 

6. Channel your sensitivity. This could be at work, in a focus group or working with animals. In whatever way this may look, help the world with your sensitivity. You are needed. 

When sensitive souls see their sensitivity as a strength, they can use their sensitivity to make a  positive difference through creativity, compassion, and empathy. All this by caring about themselves as much as they care about others. 

I’d like to end with my favorite quote from Marcel Proust. “Be grateful for people who make you happy. They are charming gardeners who make your soul blossom.” 

If you know more about me, you can find me on Instagram at @highlysensitive_person or@louise.henning. I hope I have inspired you to dig deeper and turn your sensitivity into the power that it truly is.