Are you ‘too sensitive’? Experts say it could be quietly destroying your mind

The article discusses the concept of being ‘too sensitive’ and how it can quietly harm your mental health if left unmanaged. Sensitivity, defined as processing more data per moment than average, can be a gift in creativity, leadership, and relationships. However, unstructured sensitivity can lead to chronic tension, mental fatigue, and overthinking spirals. This pattern, known as perseverative cognition, can heighten stress responses and lead to physical inflammation and wear and tear on the body.

To manage sensitivity and protect your mental health, the article suggests setting boundaries, reducing silent stressors, training attention like a muscle, building recovery into the day, changing the story you tell yourself about sensitivity, and using relationships for regulation. It also encourages setting an ‘empathy budget’ to prevent compassion fatigue and pairing sensitivity with structure so that your gifts lead. If struggles with sensitivity persist, seeking professional support such as therapy, coaching, or a skills group is advised to navigate and understand the controls of a sensitive system effectively.