Understanding the Nervous System in Highly Sensitive LGBTQ+ People
If you often feel unsettled by loud environments, sudden changes, or intense emotions, there’s likely a biological reason for it. These experiences are common for highly sensitive people (HSPs), and much of it comes down to how your nervous system works.
Understanding this part of yourself isn’t about fixing anything, it’s about seeing your sensitivity through a more informed and compassionate lens.
What does it mean to be Highly Sensitive?
Being highly sensitive is a natural trait found in about 15–20% of the population. It simply means your brain and nervous system process information, whether sensory, emotional, or social, in a more detailed and layered way.
This deeper processing can make you more perceptive, emotionally attuned, and aware of nuance. It can also leave you feeling overstimulated or emotionally drained, especially in environments that are fast-paced, noisy, or emotionally intense.
The Nervous System
Your nervous system is your body’s internal communication system. It’s responsible for sensing what’s happening around you and helping your body respond, whether that’s reacting to a sudden noise, interpreting someone’s facial expression, or winding down after a long day.
In people who are highly sensitive, the nervous system reacts more strongly and processes input more deeply. This means:
Subtle changes in tone, body language, or lighting can register more vividly.
Strong emotions, both your own and/or someone else’s, may feel overwhelming.
You may reach a point of mental or emotional saturation faster than others.
This isn’t overreacting. It’s a different biological rhythm.
Two main systems at work
Within the autonomic nervous system, two branches are especially relevant:
Sympathetic nervous system: Activates in times of stress or uncertainty, preparing you to respond by increasing alertness, heart rate, and muscle tension.
Parasympathetic nervous system: Supports rest, digestion, and recovery, helping your body and mind return to a calmer state.
If you’re highly sensitive, your system may activate stress responses more readily and take longer to return to baseline, not because you’re weak or dramatic, but because your system is more finely attuned.
Why Nervous System awareness matters
Without understanding what’s happening internally, it’s easy to feel confused, ashamed, or burned out. You might start to believe you’re “too much” or “not enough” because your reactions seem different from others’.
Learning how your nervous system works gives you a new kind of agency. It allows you to:
Recognise signs of sensory or emotional overload.
Pause before burnout or shutdown occurs.
Create daily rhythms that support regulation and balance.
This isn’t about controlling every situation; that would be impossible and even more stressful! But it is about developing a more supportive relationship with your body’s signals.
Practical ways to support your system
Here are a few approaches that may help you manage stimulation and stay connected to yourself:
Build in transition time: Don’t rush from one interaction or task to the next. Brief pauses between activities can help your system reset.
Design your environment intentionally: Choose calming lighting, limit background noise when possible, and reduce visual clutter. Small adjustments can lower sensory load.
Use movement to shift energy: Stretching, slow walking, or other gentle movement can help release built-up tension, especially after emotionally charged situations.
Awareness breathing: Slowing your breath — especially the exhale — can signal to your system that you’re safe and don’t need to stay on high alert.
Prioritise quieter, supportive relationships: Spending time with people who understand and respect your sensitivity helps your nervous system feel less guarded and more at ease.
Extra support
Being part of the LGBTQ+ community, your nervous system might carry the imprint of past stress, rejection, or code-switching. These experiences can heighten your baseline level of hyper-vigilance, which means it might be a little slower in recovery for your nervous system. Don’t get frustrated with trying to be quick, your nervous system needs the time to uncover the layers and get to the calm, it will be worth it.
A different way to see yourself
Highly sensitive people often grow up in a world that asks them to shrink their reactions or numb their feelings. But you don’t need to toughen up to cope. You need support that respects how your system works.
By learning how your body responds to the world, you can begin making choices that feel less draining and more aligned with who you are.
