What if being “too sensitive” isn’t a flaw but the hidden root of your anxiety?

In this episode, I unpack what it really means to be a highly sensitive person and why that trait so often shows up alongside chronic anxiety. I walk through Dr. Elaine Aron’s DOES framework and how depth of processing, overstimulation, emotional reactivity, and sensing subtleties can both fuel alarm and unlock creativity. You’ll hear how childhood experiences shape sensitivity into either anxiety or resilience, why re-parenting is essential, and how creativity becomes a pathway to healing. I also share practical ways to stop shaming sensitivity, honour it as a gift, and turn it into strength instead of suffering.

You’ll Learn:

The reason highly sensitive people are more vulnerable to chronic anxiety
What happens in the brain when HSPs process information more deeply
The surprising link between overstimulation and the need to withdraw to recover
The damage of shaming sensitive children and how it shapes lifelong anxiety
What it feels like to carry responsibility for other people’s emotions from a young age
Why creativity and play regulate the nervous system and counter alarm
Right-brain practices that restore balance
The key role of re-parenting and the SHOULD framework in healing old wounds
Why sensitivity isn’t a disorder but a trait with unique strengths and gifts

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[02:15] Understanding highly sensitive people and the link to chronic anxiety

[06:39] How emotional exhaustion and people pleasing shape highly sensitive people

[07:32] Harnessing creativity and right-brain healing for highly sensitive people

[11:05] Parenting strategies to support and repair highly sensitive children

[12:15] Reparenting the inner child with the SHOULD framework for healing sensitivity

[15:25] Embracing sensitivity as a source of healing and personal strength

Resources Mentioned:

The Highly Sensitive Person by Dr. Elaine Aron | Book or Audiobook

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Bonus: First Days At The River Cafe