you're not "too sensitive", you're human

Have you ever been called "too sensitive"? In this episode of Feel Your Feelings, we'll explore why emotional sensitivity isn’t a flaw — it’s part of what makes you human. We dive into how sensitivity is often misunderstood, why it’s actually a strength, and how embracing your emotions is essential for true healing and self-acceptance. If you’re navigating emotional wellness, high sensitivity, or simply trying to feel more at home in your heart, this conversation is for you.

Website: www.ethanjewell.com

IG: @jewellboi_

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
You're just too sensitive. Maybe it was said in a joking
way. Maybe it was thrown at you
during an argument. Maybe it was something that you
told yourself after crying at a movie or feeling overwhelmed in
a crowded room. And I just want to say to you,
you're not too sensitive. You're sensitive.

(00:22):
You're human and there's absolutely nothing wrong with
that. Today I want to explore where
that too sensitive label comes from, why it's often
misunderstood and how emotional sensitivity.
It isn't a weakness. No, it's actually one of your

(00:42):
greatest strengths. My name is Ethan Jewell and
welcome back to Feel Your Feelings.
I want to begin by reminding youI'm not a doctor, I'm not a
psychologist, I'm not a professional in the mental
health industry, and that's the whole point of this podcast.
I'm just a normal guy who has felt some really big feelings.

(01:04):
So I know how overwhelming it isand how alone you can feel when
you're struggling with something.
So I created this podcast just to try to start the conversation
on mental health from a very real perspective, just from one
person to another who has experienced this and gone
through it. So if you're returning to listen
again, welcome back. If it's your first time here,

(01:27):
welcome. I am very happy that you're here
and let's feel some feelings. So today we're going to be
talking about the topic of sensitivity because I know I
personally have felt this, this idea that my feelings are too
much, that I'm too sensitive, that I'm bothering or burdening
other people with my feelings. And that just isn't the case.

(01:49):
It couldn't be further from it. So, So let's start with why do
people say you're too sensitive?Usually it comes from
discomfort, their discomfort with your emotions.
Think about it, when someone cries or expresses a deep
feeling, it can make others uncomfortable.
Not because the emotion is wrong, but because many people

(02:12):
haven't learned how to sit with that feeling.
They haven't learned how to allow other people to just feel,
you know? They might have been brought up
in environments that told them to toughen up or push through
it. We live in a world that often
rewards emotional numbness. People who keep it together are
praised, while people who express pain or sensitivity are

(02:35):
labeled dramatic, weak or unstable.
But being sensitive it, it doesn't mean that you're broken,
feeling deeply, being upset, it doesn't mean that anything is
wrong with you. It just means your emotional
radar is turned up a little bit higher.
You feel more, you care more, you notice more.
That's not a flaw. It's a beautiful feature, and

(03:01):
it's something that should be praised in society instead of
pushed away. This idea of just keeping your
head down, keeping everything inside, pushing forward, pushing
through, it's dangerous and it'shurtful to people who who feel
things deeply. We need to learn how do both
allow ourselves to feel deeply, and also how to allow other

(03:26):
people to feel deeply. We need to open spaces up.
We need to open our hearts and our minds up to the idea that
feelings are OK. It's OK for you to be sensitive.
It's OK for me to be sensitive. It's OK for us to be upset about
things, even if it doesn't make sense in the moment.
Feelings are an important and impactful part of the human

(03:49):
experience. I mean, what if sensitivity was
your superpower? Think about artists, therapists,
nurses, poets, songwriters, friends who just get it.
Most of these people, they're deeply sensitive.
They're able to connect to, to feel what other people are
feeling, to pick up on energy ina room, to notice subtle

(04:10):
emotional shifts. Psychologist Dr. Elaine Aaron
coined the term highly sensitiveperson HSP, and according to her
research, about 15 to 20% of people have a nervous system
that's more sensitive to stimuliemotionally, physically, even
socially. They tend to be more empathetic,

(04:31):
more conscientious, more aware. So no, you're not imagining it.
You might just be wired a littledifferently.
I mean, this is science. This is from a psychologist.
I'm not psychologist, but this research is from one that wiring
allows you to experience the world in a richer, deeper way.

(04:51):
Sure, it also means you might cry more easily or be
overwhelmed in certain situations, but that doesn't
make you too sensitive. It just makes you sensitive,
period. And this idea that being
sensitive is a bad thing is a total misconception and it's
harmful. I mean, artists, poets,

(05:12):
songwriters, therapists, all these people that I listed at
the beginning of this point, they are integral to the world,
to our society. They, they, they open up a path
for other people to feel or to express themselves or to or to
feel understood. And that's powerful.

(05:32):
And we need that. We need that now more than ever.
And by shutting down that part of ourselves or shutting down
that part in other people, that limits us under this idea that
we're being too sensitive. And there's some serious harm in
suppressing that sensitivity. When we grow up hearing you're

(05:55):
too sensitive, we start to believe that our emotions are
wrong or inconvenient. So what do we do?
We suppress them, we laugh when we want to cry, we stay quiet
when something hurts. We start second guessing our
reactions. We emotionally edit ourselves.
But over time, the self suppression, it takes a toll.

(06:16):
Studies show that chronic emotional suppression can lead
to higher stress, anxiety, depression, mental health
disorders, even physical health problems.
It disconnects us from others and from ourselves.
And the worst part? It teaches us that love is
conditional, that we're only lovable when we're easy to

(06:38):
handle. That's not true.
You're lovable as you are, feelings and all.
Being sensitive isn't something to fix.
No, being sensitive is somethingto honor.
So now that we have acknowledgedthe harm that pushing away

(07:01):
sensitive people, pushing away your own sensitivity can cause
the harm that suppressing those feelings, not allowing yourself
to fully express, let's talk about how we can start embracing
sensitivity instead of rejectingit.
And the first thing, stop apologizing for your emotions.
You don't need to say sorry for crying or for caring.

(07:22):
That's your humanity showing. It's not a flaw.
Just because it might make somebody else uncomfortable
because they don't know how to deal with it because they
weren't raised in that environment, doesn't mean that
you need to fix that part of them.
That's something that's work forthem to do, not you.
Don't feel as though your emotional capabilities are a

(07:44):
burden on others because they aren't.
Next, know your limits. Sensitivity means that your
battery might drain quicker in overwhelming environments.
That's OK. It's not a weakness, it's
awareness. So protect yourself, protect
your emotions, protect your heart.
And then finally, surround yourself with people who value
your depth. You don't need to be less

(08:06):
emotional to fit in. The right people won't ask you
to shrink. They won't make you feel small.
They'll accept you for who you are.
They'll accept that you might bemore sensitive, that you might
have bigger feelings. Maybe they have the same thing.
Finally, remind yourself, feeling deeply is not a

(08:27):
liability. It's a kind of wisdom.
It means you're awake to the world, to yourself, and to
others. So if you've ever been told
you're too sensitive, I hope today's episode gives you
permission to unlearn that idea.And there's no such thing as
being too human. Your emotions, they don't make

(08:48):
you weak, they make you real. And we need more of that.
We need to be more real with each other.
We need less smiles through gritted teeth.
We need less laughter holding back tears and more being real
person to person. And that's what this podcast is
all about. I'm going to be real with you

(09:09):
and hopefully you'll be real with me.
You'll be real with yourself. You'll be real with others in
your life. There is no such thing as being
too human. Your emotions don't make you
weak. In a world that often encourages
us to numb out, your sensitivitymight just be your greatest
gift. That's going to wrap it up for

(09:31):
today's episode. Thank you so much for being
here. Thank you for spending a few
minutes of your day with me. If you need help feeling your
feelings, you should check out my music on all platforms under
the name of Ethan Jewell. I almost guarantee it'll make
you cry. Also, drop a comment and let me
know what you thought about today's episode.
I'd love to hear what you think about being a sensitive person,
if you believe you're more sensitive to feelings than

(09:52):
others, what your experiences with this have been, I would
love to hear. So thank you so much for being
here and thank you for remembering you're not too
sensitive, you're just human andthat's more than enough.
And as always, thank you for feeling your feelings.
I'll see you next Friday.