Highly Sensitive? 9 Affirmations That Will Help You Feel Your Best
Not overly sensitive? They can help you, too
If you’re a highly sensitive person or an empath, you may find it hard to cope with your sensitive nature, especially when the world around you denies, dismisses, or denigrates your qualities. If you’re not careful, you could easily internalize the criticism, judge yourself, and feel you don’t belong.
I’ve had those moments myself. Five years ago, I lost my home and the vast majority of my possessions during a lava eruption on the Big Island. After being uprooted from my safe, peaceful five-acre sanctuary, I couldn’t just go anywhere or do anything because of my sensitivities.
As a result, I sensed feelings of self-hatred — and I don’t use that word lightly — arise in me.
I initially felt shocked, but I didn’t judge myself for having these negative feelings toward myself. Instead, I took them as a sign that deeper work was needed to heal my original wounds and fully accept my sensitive nature.
The powerful affirmations I share below, from The Empath’s Survival Guide, Life Strategies for Sensitive People by Judith Orloff [affiliate link], provided a perfect way to soothe those mean-girl voices and remember all the positive qualities of being a highly sensitive person or empath.
You don’t have to be sensitive to benefit from many of these affirmations. Only a few mention sensitivity. The others zero in on self-esteem, healthy boundaries, and listening to your inner wisdom — significant challenges for many of us, whether we’re highly sensitive or not.
Not Sure You’re Highly Sensitive?
Before we move into the affirmations, let’s look at what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person or an Empath.
Highly Sensitive People (HSP) comprise 15–20% of the population. High sensitivity, formally known as Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), is a normal, innate trait that makes you more aware of the subtleties around you and, thus, more easily overwhelmed.
The DOES model, as explained by Dr. Elaine Aaron, the foremost researcher on Sensory Processing Sensitivity, provides a simple summary of all the aspects of high sensitivity:
D = Depth of Processing: The tendency to process information more deeply.
O = Overstimulation: You notice much more and thus are more likely to become overwhelmed.
E = Emotional Reactivity: You feel more, meaning you react more to both negative and positive experiences.
S = Sensing the Subtle: You perceive more of the subtleties around you.
Want to know more? Read more about the DOES Model here.
Take the High Sensitivity Self-Test to see whether you might be a highly sensitive person yourself.
Please also be aware that many people with high sensitivity may be undiagnosed level-one autistics. I resonate with that possibility myself. Read more about why a number of Autistics believe this to be the case in this piece by the Autlaw.
Most people, if not all people, who identify as HSPs are autistic. They don’t realize it because most people don’t understand what autism is really like. I didn’t until two years ago when I got diagnosed.—The Autlaw
Highly Sensitive Person or Empath?
Judith Orloff describes the commonalities and differences between Highly Sensitive People and Empaths like this:
“Empaths share some or all of the traits of what psychologist Elaine Aron calls Highly Sensitive People or HSPs. These traits include a low threshold for stimulation, the need for alone time, sensitivity to light, sound, and smell, plus an aversion to large groups. In addition, it takes highly sensitive people longer to wind down after a busy day because their system’s ability to transition from high stimulation to quiet and calm is slower. Empaths also share a highly sensitive person’s love of nature and quiet environments."
“Empaths however, take the experience of the highly sensitive person further. We can sense subtle energy, which is called shakti or prana in Eastern healing traditions and we absorb this energy into our own bodies. Highly sensitive people typically don’t do that. This capacity allows us to experience the energies around us in extremely deep ways. Since everything is made of subtle energy, including emotions and physical sensation, we energetically internalize the feelings, pain, and various physical sensations of others. We often have trouble distinguishing someone else’s discomfort from our own.”
To sum up, You can be an empath and a highly sensitive person, but most highly sensitive people aren’t empaths.
9 Powerful Affirmations for Highly Sensitive People and Empaths
Although Orloff created the following affirmation clusters specifically for empaths, I find them extremely helpful as a highly sensitive person.
Try them out if you feel ready to validate yourself as a sensitive person or empath. You can read one or more to yourself every morning, tape your favorites to the fridge or a mirror, or put them on your computer desktop where you’ll see them frequently.
“I vow to honor my sensitivities and treat myself lovingly as I explore what it means to be an empath and embrace my gifts. I will appreciate myself every day.”
“I am strong. I am loving. I am positive. I have the power to clear all negativity and stress from my body. I embrace my physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.”
“I will listen to the wisdom of my body. I will eat a healthy diet. I will practice self-care to heal my addictions and stay physically, emotionally, and spiritually balanced.”
“I deserve to be in a loving relationship where I feel comfortable. I deserve to express my true needs. I deserve to have my sensitivities respected. I deserve to be heard.”
“I will protect my energy around draining people. I will learn how to set healthy boundaries. I will learn to say ‘no’ at the right times. I will listen to my intuition about the relationships that are nurturing for me.”
“I will embrace my sensitivities and take time to rest and recharge. I will express my needs with supportive people. I will not hide my gifts. I will be authentic. I will stand in my power. I am proud to be a sensitive and loving person.”
“I set my intention to attract rewarding work that energizes me. I will practice self-care in my profession to protect my sensitivities. I vow to play and to rest when I’m off work to recharge myself.”
“I will honor my intuition. I will listen to my dreams. I will not second guess my inner voice. I will seek to find balance with my intuition and other aspects of my life so that I can express my full spectrum of sensitivities and be whole.”
“I will treasure myself and vow to have people in my life who treasure me as well. I will use my sensitivities to better my own life and the world. I will celebrate the adventure of being an empath.”
You can add to this list by writing your own affirmations that speak specifically to your needs and wants. Remember to put them in a positive framework, not a negative one.
If you suspect or know you’re a highly sensitive person or empath, I strongly suggest educating yourself in addition to using these affirmations.
By reading about high sensitivity or what it means to be an empath, you’ll learn you’re not alone, and you’re not abnormal. You’ll learn to take care of yourself and stand up for yourself. You’ll discover tools to help you soothe your nervous system so you can meet each day more confidently and easily.
To Sum Up
What now? Here are some steps to understand, accept, and appreciate your sensitivity.
Highly Sensitive People (HSP) comprise 15–20% of the population. If you wonder whether you’re a Highly Sensitive Person but aren’t sure, take the High Sensitivity Self-Test created by Dr. Elaine Aron.
If you sense other people’s emotions, energy, and physical symptoms in your body, you may be an Empath and a Highly Sensitive Person.
Use any or all of the nine affirmations above on a rotational basis to help you accept and honor yourself as a sensitive person.
Educate yourself about what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person or Empath so you can come to appreciate the qualities you have.
Be aware that many Highly Sensitive People may be undiagnosed level-one Autistics.
Follow these steps, and you can gradually accept your sensitive nature and appreciate the unique qualities that accompany being a Highly Sensitive Person or Empath or possibly a level one Autistic.
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OMG, Sandra, I got every one of the answers on the HSP test! Yikes! And I also feel things that others are feeling, cry over animals and children, acts of kindness, you name it, I am a sucker and have to tell myself to buck up and not let how I feel show.
I guess it's not anything I didn't already know but it is sort of amazing to see it written out.
I have spent a lot of my life trying to "toughen up" because that seems necessary to make it through life in a normal way :). Thanks for this eye-opener! <3
Loved this, Sandra. Thank you for sharing. I'm also highly sensitive, and since becoming sober it has been a huge learning curve to embrace my sensitivities rather than trying to numb them. These affirmations are a lovely gift.