As a child I was constantly told:
“You’re too sensitive”
“Stop crying”
“Toughen up”
“You’re over-reacting”
So, I suppose I did what any child would do. I tried to hide my sensitivity, bury my emotions and not “feel” as much. I pretended to be someone I wasn’t. As you can imagine, this led to all sorts of issues. When we’re not allowed to express who we are, we hide. We become quiet, invisible, lose our voice, and eventually, we barely recognize ourselves. When we are suppressing these emotions, we experience a great deal of pain, which can lead to substance abuse and addictions to numb the discomfort.
It took me a long time to get here, but now I know that sensitivity is my superpower. Yes, I feel everything, and sometimes this is challenging. But, I also want to do everything in my power to make the world better. Now when I’m watching the news or hear about hate crimes and violence in the world, instead of choking down my tears and suppressing my emotions, I let them fly because I know it’s much more dangerous to hide and bury them. I appreciate that I’m a highly emotional person trying to navigate a messy world. I believe being sensitive is crucial in the survival of humanity. We see, hear, and feel things that others don’t.
Sensitive children often see, hear, and feel everything. They’re so much more aware of themselves and others. Consequently, they’re also more aware of the adversities in the world and what needs to evolve. These are the future leaders we need!
It’s important to recognize our little “sensitive” souls. We must not discourage their sensitivity but encourage it. Listen to them, acknowledge their feelings and emotions, and encourage them to talk about them. Give them tools to deal with all these emotions. They must have a safe avenue for expression. As I’ve blogged about previously, family circle time, breathwork, meditation, and affirmations are tools that can help them cope.
Remaining connected to your child is also crucial. Connection means being present. This way you’re aware when your child is on emotional overload and you can help to prevent a breakdown.
Spending time in nature and practicing meditation helps ground children and release any emotions they’ve picked up from others. It’ll help them recognize which feelings are theirs and to release the ones which are not.
There are many more strategies to help our “sensitive children” in my book, “Empowering our Future.” The link to purchase is on my home page.
So, to all of you who have been told “you’re oversensitive,” I say: celebrate, enjoy, express yourselves, and don’t let anyone tell you that being too sensitive has no place in this crazy world. We need more conscious, awake people!
Until next time…embrace your sensitivity!