High Sensitivity in Daily Life: A Raw Conversation on Parenting, Boundaries, and Connection
What does life actually look like when you're highly sensitive? Raw, unfiltered interview.
If this is your first time here, welcome and prepare to feel. This interview continues the journey I’ve been sharing in the Highly Sensitive Mini Series, where I explore the emotional depth of parenting as a highly sensitive person, the body’s subtle cues, the importance of solitude, and the quiet strength found in embracing our sensitivity as a way of life.
This conversation came to life thanks to the wonderful
from Conversations (I Never Had) With Luna. She approached me with such generosity, insight, and care that our exchange felt like a meeting of kindred spirits. Collaborating with her was effortless and filled with joy. Anna, thank you for your selfless presence and for offering your space so openly. It was truly a gift.The below interview captures my everyday experiences as a highly sensitive parent, partner, and human. From sensory overwhelm to deep emotional insight, I speak about what many of us feel but rarely express out loud.
Q1: To begin, how do you personally define or understand your hypersensitivity for you?
First of all, I have to say that I personally feel normal. It is just the comparison with others that shows I am highly sensitive. Through this comparison, I understand that I have a bigger scale of emotions that show up stronger. Much less is required to move me emotionally (in a positive or negative way). Physically, I am overwhelmed by many things that others seem to ignore successfully.
For me, it is a gift to be able to feel the world and my life so deeply - I would gladly share this with everyone. My understanding of situations goes deeper easily and connects objective facts with emotional aspects naturally. And the more I understand my sensitivity and specific needs, the more I thrive. Even suffering is stronger, which is not nice, but analyzing the situation is fast and enables me to react in a way that helps me in the end.
I don't just see the world. I feel it. Layer by layer, moment by moment, in ways others often miss.
Q2: How has your hypersensitivity evolved or changed throughout your life? Please give examples where you feel particularly overwhelmed.
I believe it has been the same setup in me my whole life. The only thing that changed is my awareness that high sensitivity is actually something “special” and understanding why some situations drain me so much.
A shopping mall has everything for an overwhelming example: lots of artificial lights, things you “need” to see everywhere, noise, smells, people, rushing. The most difficult for me are situations that are hard for everyone, but in my case, I feel them deeper and longer: conflicts, fights, misunderstandings, toxic people.
Interestingly, even subjectively positive situations feel overwhelming for me: meeting with friends and family I like being with, going for lunch in good company, traveling to new places. It all requires a specific approach in order to find equilibrium again. This can be alone time in a new place or after a gathering in order to get used to the situation and process it.
This is something I explored more deeply in Part 2 – Understanding the Body’s Signals, where I wrote about how my body reacts like a sensitive receptor to stress and stimuli.
Q3: What does a normal day look like for you?
Wake up before everyone else, feel my body, and listen to my mind. Do most of my Substack work. Ideally, even meditate. After the morning chaos, I spend time alone with my daughter in our house - some chores, a lot of playing. I need to focus a lot on food supplies because, believe me, you do not want to be around a hungry child and a hungry highly sensitive parent. I look forward to my husband coming home from work so I can rest a bit and not be the only “point of contact.” Evenings are super important for me, as we all go to bed together. I talk with my husband until our child falls asleep and then choose the activity I prefer at that moment (ideally in bed). A few times a week, we have activities outside of the house, like walks, playgrounds, or meeting with other moms and kids.
Q4: What are some of the unique challenges you face as a hypersensitive parent?
I could easily break down when my child has a breakdown or makes me feel too much. I need alone time. I cannot do all the kids' activities. On the other hand I am well suited for deeper understanding of her needs and emotions.
Q5: How do you balance your own need for quiet and solitude with the demands of parenting?
In my earlier motherhood, there were a lot of contact naps that I was able to use for quiet and solitude to a certain extent. As my daughter grows, I can more easily explain my needs, for example, when I need 15 minutes of Yoga Nidra, and she plays next to me. I also have the best husband, who is my biggest support. I need to express my actual needs, plan, and ask for help, and I feel deep love and understanding from his side.
If you're navigating parenting as a sensitive person, you might find resonance in Part 1 – Discovering and Embracing Your True Self, where I share how becoming a mother revealed the depth of my sensitivity.
Q6: How do you handle the emotional intensity of parenting, such as dealing with tantrums or difficult conversations?
It helped me a lot to understand child developmental psychology and have my priorities clear. My child’s emotions usually catch on to me and become my own very quickly, so it depends on the state I am currently in. If I am hungry, tired, angry, or have PMS, it is really difficult to have distance and act from a place of inner peace and understanding. On the other hand, most of the time, I understand her emotions and needs very quickly (sometimes even before they show up) and can act in advance and from a place of understanding, as I can totally imagine how I would feel in similar situations. I learn to be compassionate toward myself and to not punish myself when I fail. I apologize and explain my emotions, words, and actions to her. There are no difficult conversations for me with my daughter. I love to talk about anything and clear the air that way if necessary.
Q7: How do you handle the social aspect of parenting, like playdates or school events, which can be overwhelming?
By being overwhelmed. :) You cannot completely avoid overwhelm when you are a highly sensitive person. That is why it is so necessary to understand your specific needs and to be able to rest so you can feel yourself again. So I try to plan and prepare. I like to come in advance to get the energy of the place beforehand, slowly connecting to others as they come one by one. I choose kids' activities wisely. And I need to eat and rest afterward. For crowded and noisy activities, we do father-daughter playdates.
Since we do not do school, we can plan our days in a way that suits us best. Some days are busier with activities, some are calmer. Some days we spend time with others, while other days we just enjoy being the two (or three) of us.
Q8: How does your hypersensitivity affect your experience in conversations?
I believe conversations are easier for me because I quickly understand the other participants, as I feel them as well. I can easily communicate my needs. I recognize when to be silent and when to speak up based on the energy.
Q9: What are some of the challenges you face in social interactions or conversations?
When I feel the other side is too much or too new to me, I struggle to express myself. I need to get used to people before I feel more natural in their presence. There are certain people and approaches that are overwhelming even without saying a word, and then my emotions overrule my speaking abilities.
Q10: How do you handle criticism or negative feedback, given your sensitivity?
I take it too personally and feel it in a negative way. I am not sure if this is connected to high sensitivity, to be honest. However, I work on it and am uncovering layers of my personality that may be the cause (such as my upbringing, school system, etc.)
Q11: How do you set boundaries in conversations to protect your emotional well-being?
It really depends on who I am having a conversation with. I can be totally open with a few people with whom I feel safe to say anything, and in that way, I set boundaries. On the other hand, there are people with whom I don’t even try because I feel they won’t get me. In such situations, I minimize contact in order to protect myself.
Q12: What self-care practices do you find most helpful in managing your hypersensitivity?
Anything that makes me feel calm and good. It can be a bath in salts, meditation or NSDR, or a walk. And, of course, being alone and having the option to choose what activity I need the most in that exact second. It can be working, writing, cleaning, cooking, planning, watching a movie, or just lying still in the dark. In other words, having the freedom to choose what I need, as I am the specialist in my mind and body—no one else.
Q13: How do you create space for yourself to recharge and recover from sensory or emotional overload?
By doing the above. I’ve also learned to recognize the signs of overwhelm early (like tension in my body or irritability) so I can step back and reset before exhaustion takes over.
I also wrote more about this in Part 3 – The Power of Solitude, especially how alone time became not just restorative, but essential for emotional balance.
Q14: What does an ideal day in terms of support with parenting and conversations look like to you?
Ideally, I would prefer not to be alone for all the activities all day long every day. It is enough to divide the care for our child between me and my husband, like we do during the weekends. That way, I do not feel the pressure, and I can carve out time for myself. I also love family time together, whether in our garden or on holidays. I love our evening conversations with my husband, where we can discuss literally anything from silly stuff to planning our future.
This all gives me enough sense of security to maintain a calm nervous system.
Q15: What resources or support systems have you found helpful in navigating your hypersensitivity?
Having a good, highly sensitive friend or a very understanding one whom I can rely on, so I don’t need to waste my energy explaining myself. And good, nurturing, homemade food is always within arm’s reach.
Q16: What advice would you give to other hypersensitive individuals, especially parents?
If you’re highly sensitive, take the time to really feel yourself and understand your needs to be able to express them and ask for help. Show your kids how you deal with it, and show them your vulnerable parts. Sensitivity has so many positive aspects, so find your strengths and use them often.
Q17: Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience with hypersensitivity?
High Sensitivity is a strength, not a flaw. You notice what others miss and feel emotions deeply. This depth brings creativity, empathy, and insight. Honor it, and it becomes your greatest asset.
Questions for you, my readers:
How do you manage your sensitivity in daily life?
Or, do you live with a highly sensitive person and wonder how to better support or connect with them?
For more, check out my publication More Than Enough (www.morebyselene.com), where I share my personal journey, insights, and practical steps.
published her own beautiful version of this conversation on her Substack. If you'd like to read her perspective, you can find it here: The Art of Sensitivity: Parenting and Connection. | A guest post by
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What a beautifully emotional and vulnerable interview. Thanks so much for sharing so honestly Selene. Great questions as well! Much love.