The Energy of Sensitivity: Honoring & Caring for Yourself as

The Energy of Sensitivity: Honoring & Caring for Yourself as a Highly Sensitive Person

Hello and welcome.

My name is Jennifer Michaels, and I want to talk about something that has shaped my life, my work, and the lives of so many clients I’ve worked with over the years.

Recently, a client’s experience inspired me to create this message—to turn it into something that can help others. The topic is being highly sensitive and understanding the energy that comes with it.

The Experience of Being Highly Sensitive

From the time I was a child, I was told I was “too sensitive.” If you’re reading this, maybe you’ve heard those words too. Maybe you feel like you absorb everything around you—people’s emotions, the energy in a room, the tension in a conversation that no one else seems to notice.

I understand.

For a long time, I believed my sensitivity was something to be overcome. But when I discovered Dr. Elaine Aron’s research, everything changed. I realized I wasn’t “too sensitive”—I was highly sensitive.

There’s a distinction. And not only that, but science has confirmed that this sensitivity is measurable. About 20% of the population is highly sensitive, meaning they process sensory and emotional information more deeply than others.

Once I understood that my sensitivity was part of how I was wired, I learned to work with it instead of against it. I left real estate and stepped into work that aligned with this part of me—becoming an energy healer, spiritual life coach, meditation teacher, artist, and writer.

I see this pattern in so many of my clients. Most are highly sensitive people, drawn to energy healing because it helps them manage their experiences. Meditation, spiritual coaching, and self-awareness give us tools to navigate the world when we feel overwhelmed.

Many highly sensitive people are also empaths and intuitives, naturally picking up on the energy around them, sometimes without realizing it. I’ll explore that deeper in another teaching, but today, I want to focus on what it means to be highly sensitive from an energetic perspective—and, most importantly, how to care for yourself so your sensitivity becomes a strength.

Sensitivity is Not a Flaw—It’s a Gift

Being highly sensitive is not a flaw.

I remind myself of this often, and I encourage you to do the same.

Highly sensitive people experience the world in a deeper, more meaningful way. We notice things others don’t. We feel deeply, live richly, and perceive beauty, meaning, and synchronicities that others might miss.

Many of the world’s greatest minds and most creative souls were likely highly sensitive. Think about artists, musicians, and writers whose work expresses emotions we’ve felt but couldn’t put into words. Think about inventors and visionaries who saw the world differently and created something new.

Some well-known highly sensitive individuals include:

Vincent Van Gogh, whose deeply emotional letters to his brother reveal his sensitivity.
Carl Jung, whose work on the subconscious was rooted in deep perception.
Virginia Woolf, who captured human emotion and nuance in her writing.
Albert Einstein, whose genius was matched by deep empathy.
Princess Diana, whose compassion for others set her apart.

These people were deeply affected by the world around them, but they also contributed something extraordinary because of their sensitivity.

Sensitivity allows us to connect with people, nature, art, and spirituality in ways that feel almost otherworldly. This is why many highly sensitive people are drawn to energy healing, meditation, creativity, and deep thinking—we feel energy, sense things beyond what is seen, and intuitively understand the unseen layers of life.

The Science Behind Sensitivity

For a long time, people assumed being highly sensitive was just a personality trait—just another way of saying someone was emotional or soft.

But we now know it’s biological.

Dr. Elaine Aron’s research found that highly sensitive people have a more responsive nervous system. Brain scans show that HSPs have greater activity in the parts of the brain responsible for processing emotions, empathy, and awareness. We also have stronger mirror neuron activity, which explains why we literally feel what others are feeling.

Other studies have found that highly sensitive people produce higher levels of dopamine and serotonin, making us more affected by stimulation—bright lights, loud noises, strong smells. Our nervous system is finely tuned to pick up on details others miss, which explains why we get overstimulated easily and why certain environments either nourish or drain us.

This sensitivity is real—it’s in the brain, the nervous system, and the energy field.

How to Take Care of Yourself as a Highly Sensitive Person

I remember the moment I realized I had to start treating myself differently.

For years, I pushed through exhaustion, said yes when I wanted to say no, ate whatever was convenient instead of what nourished me—and wondered why I always felt so much.

Everything changed when I started listening to my body and energy.

I realized:

Certain foods made me feel strong, while others left me foggy and drained. Fresh fruits and vegetables made me feel alive, while processed foods, sugar, and caffeine made me anxious.
Loud noises and chaotic spaces drained me, while quiet, soft environments and time in nature restored me.
My energy needed protection—I had been absorbing other people’s stress, the heaviness of the news, and the emotional residue of different spaces without realizing it.

Once I started using energy-clearing techniques, I felt lighter. Simple practices like:

Visualization (imagining a shield of light around me)
Smudging with sage
Taking salt baths
Using crystals

…helped me reset my energy.

One of the most powerful shifts was learning to ask myself, Is this my energy or someone else’s?

If it was someone else’s, the weight would instantly lift. Just that awareness alone changed everything.

Most importantly, I stopped feeling guilty for needing rest, time alone, and deep, meaningful conversations instead of small talk.

I love waking up at 3 a.m. when the world is quiet. That’s when I can think clearly, work on my art, write my poetry. Maybe you resonate with that, too.

Honoring Your Sensitivity

Because every highly sensitive person is unique, I’ve created a companion meditation in our Living Library to help you connect with your own sensitivity in a deeper way.

This meditation will guide you to receive intuitive messages about how to take care of yourself, honor your unique sensitivities, and navigate the world in a way that feels right for you.

If you resonate with this, know that you are not alone.

There is nothing wrong with you. Your sensitivity is your gift.

The world needs people like you—people who feel, who see the deeper layers, who care. The key is learning how to care for yourself so your sensitivity becomes your strength.

I encourage you to explore Dr. Elaine Aron’s work at hsperson.com. There, you can take a sensitivity self-test and learn more about the research behind it.

But most of all, honor yourself. Honor your needs, your boundaries, and the beauty of how deeply you feel.

You are not too much.

You are exactly as you are meant to be.

Thank you for being here. Wishing you peace, love, and strength.

Until next time. 💙