I have a confession: I always sit facing the exit when I go places.

And when I can’t, I feel a constant tingle in the back of my neck.

It’s a habit from childhood, something about needing to know I could leave if things got too intense.

But the truth is, it’s not just a habit. It’s a nervous system strategy.

As a Five, I’ve always been sensitive to my surroundings. Too much noise, too much emotion, too many variables. I start shutting down without even realizing it. And for a long time, I saw this as a personal flaw.

Why couldn’t I handle what other people seemed fine with?

But here’s what I’ve learned:
Our sensitivity isn’t a bug.
It’s a feature.

And when you stop fighting it, you can start working with it in a way that brings you back to life.

Today we’re talking about why being highly sensitive is a Five superpower and how we can learn to calm ourselves, without numbing or isolating, when the world gets too loud.

The misunderstood gift of sensitivity

Most Fives grow up feeling like they have to toughen up to survive the world.

We push ourselves to “just deal with it”. To be less reactive, more rational, less bothered by chaos. But that pressure to be unaffected actually disconnects us from the superpower that makes us who we are.

Because high sensitivity, in the right conditions, allows for:

• Deep perception of nuance and complexity
• Rapid pattern recognition in systems and emotions
• Intuitive connection to meaning and insight

It’s not about being fragile—it’s about being finely-tuned.

And when you don’t know how to care for that tuning, life can feel like noise you can’t turn down.

Why overstimulation hits so hard

If you’ve ever felt like a conversation drained you, or that you “lost your whole day” after a chaotic morning, here’s what’s likely going on beneath the surface:

Your nervous system is constantly scanning for threats, information, and meaning.

As a Five, this system is often more active in us than most others. Research on sensory processing sensitivity shows that people with high sensitivity experience external stimuli more intensely. That means our brains are processing more data per moment, and doing so more deeply.

This leads to mental fatigue, emotional numbness, or even physical shutdown… all while looking calm on the outside.

So when you find yourself disappearing into your mind or your room, it’s not weakness.

It’s protection.

The trouble is, that protection often turns into isolation. And the longer you stay withdrawn, the harder it gets to come back out.

Fortunately, there are ways to calm your nervous system without shutting out the entire world.

A simple routine to support your sensitive system

You don’t need to “toughen up.”
You just need a way to come back to yourself when the world gets loud.

Try this short self-soothing sequence the next time you feel overstimulated:

1. Ground your body

• Sit down and press your feet into the floor.
• Rest your hands on your thighs.
• Notice three points of contact between your body and the chair or ground.

This signals safety to your nervous system, anchoring your awareness in the present moment.

2. Extend your exhale

• Inhale for 4 seconds.
• Exhale for 6–8 seconds.
• Repeat this for 1–2 minutes.

A longer exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and digest” mode). It’s a simple way to shift from tension to calm.

3. Scan and name

• Ask: What’s the loudest sensation right now?
• Name it without judgment. (“I feel heat in my chest.” or “There’s tightness in my jaw.”)
• Stay with it for a few breaths, and see if it changes.

Naming sensations helps bring your thinking mind back online in a supportive, grounding way, without retreating into analysis.

You don’t need to escape life to feel safe

This isn’t about pushing yourself to be more social or more energetic than you naturally are.

It’s about reclaiming your ability to engage with life, on your terms.

Because the more you understand your sensitivity, the less it controls you. You learn when to pull back, and when to lean in. You gain the capacity to be present, instead of always needing to retreat.

And presence is where meaning lives.

It’s where connection deepens.

It’s where you remember what it feels like to be fully alive.

Your turn:

Next time you feel overstimulated, try this routine. Even just the breathing.

And if you’re willing, hit reply and let me know what you notice.

We’re learning to work with our wiring, not against it.