Sensitivity Is Not the Same as Intuition

Good news - we made it through the 38 weeks of January! It was a good month in many ways, but, didn’t it seem to stretch on forever?

Now we’ve crossed the threshold of Imbolc - halfway through Winter, quietly leaning toward Spring. The light is subtly returning, and the energy is beginning to move. And with eclipse season opening its portal, it can (finally) feel like we’ve stepped into an entirely new year.

Technically, the Year of the Fire Horse begins at the New Moon, which also holds our first eclipse, on the 17th. But I can feel it already - the warmth of the fire, the rhythm of hooves in the distance, the quiet sense of a new chapter stirring. And it feels exciting!

As we enter what may be an intense six-week stretch, especially for those who feel everything deeply, I want to speak about something important:

Sensitivity and intuition often travel together. But they are not the same. For those who are highly sensitive, this can show up in many forms.

For some, it’s sound. Sirens feel piercing, loud music overwhelms, conversation that others call “normal” feels shouted. Sometimes you can almost see the sound, and you have to turn the radio down just to think.

For others, it’s light. Fluorescent bulbs buzz in your nervous system, clashing colours feel physically uncomfortable, disorganisation in a space creates tension in your body.

For some, it’s touch and texture. Itchy clothing is unbearable, heat and cold feel extreme, crowds feel invasive. Certain places feel “off” for no logical reason, you just know you don’t feel good there.

Many highly sensitive people live in a constant state of environmental overwhelm. Too much clutter feels suffocating. Clear, open space feels like oxygen.

Sensitivity is like a dial - and for some, it’s turned way up.

In highschool, I was in the playThe Princess and the Pea. The princess could feel a single pea beneath dozens of mattresses. It was dramatic and funny, but for some people, that story doesn't feel like fiction. Small things register in big ways.

And this is where sensitivity can begin to feel like a curse. Not because of the sensitivity itself, but because of the reactivity.

When your nervous system is constantly reacting, you feel at the mercy of the world. You avoid, shut down, try to escape. And you build identities around what you “can’t tolerate.”

Recently, I moved tables in a café because the scent from the air diffuser was so strong I could taste it. The waitress looked at me as if I was slightly unhinged. But it wasn’t wrong. It was my sensitivity, not hers.

Your sensitivity shows that you are highly attuned to your nervous system. And here’s the part that matters - that same attunement is what makes intuition possible.

But only when you learn to work with your sensitivity, rather than fight against it.

Over the years, I realised that my sensitivity was one of my greatest intuitive strengths. But first, I had to heal the suffering around it.

When I stopped trying to control the world - the lights, the noise, the smells - my migraines reduced. I could sit in groups without bracing myself. My sensitivity didn’t dull, but my reactions softened. And that changed everything.

There are two aspects here to consider:

1. Your point of view
If your belief is that the world is “too much,” you will brace against it, defend and close. And tension amplifies sensation.

The world operates at the frequency it operates at. When you allow what is to simply be, your system relaxes and you drop the fight. And when the fight drops, your perception shifts.

2. Your boundaries
This may sound paradoxical, but clearer boundaries mean fewer walls. When you create strong, conscious boundaries, you stop battling the environment and you stop interpreting sensation as threat.

Instead of judging the music as too loud, you may begin to hear subtler harmonies. Instead of fighting the cold, you may simply notice it.

Years ago, I was walking home through a very wet Scottish winter evening. I was miserable. My muscles tight, eyes half-closed, and I was almost running to escape the cold. Then I had a moment of awareness:

I could be cold. Or I could suffer in the cold.

The temperature didn’t change. But my resistance did. I slowed down, my body softened. I was still cold, but I wasn’t suffering.

That is the shift. Sensitivity is not the problem. Suffering in resistance to it is.

There may be layers to untangle if you’ve spent years believing you were “too sensitive.” But within your sensitivity lives a profound gift.

You see colours others don’t notice.
You detect subtle shifts in energy.
You taste complexity.
You feel nuance.

There is richness available to you, but only when you stop fighting what you are.

A few reflections to sit with:

• Which senses overwhelm me most often?
• How do I cope or shut down when it feels too much?
• What would acceptance, rather than avoidance, look like?
• Where could clearer boundaries support me?

When you strengthen your boundaries, your energy field steadies. You don’t stop perceiving, you simply stop being invaded. It isn’t avoidance, it’s acceptance. And from that place, intuition becomes clearer. Softer. More precise.

I’d love to hear what this stirs in you. Feel free to reply.

Sending blessings for beauty, ease, and deeper self-acceptance,

- Jennifer

P.S. If you’ve ever wondered whether your sensitivity is something to fix, or something to honour, this weekend’s Practical Intuition is for you. We’ll explore how to work with your nervous system, how to set energetic boundaries, and how to recognise intuition without being overwhelmed by sensation. You're welcome to join us HERE