Why Am I So Sensitive To Light And Sound? Understanding Your Body’s Language And Regulating Your Nervous System Naturally
Originally published: 15 May 2024. Last updated: 12 June 2025.
Have you ever found yourself squinting in the sunlight, even on a cloudy day? Or maybe you instinctively reach for your sunglasses the moment you step outside. That used to be me. Sunglasses were practically a part of my face. But it wasn’t just the light that bothered me – it was everything. Bright lights, loud cafes, scratchy clothing, strong smells. My nervous system was on high alert, and I didn’t even know it.
Sensory Issues, Or Just Dysregulated?
At the time, I thought I was just sensitive. It never occurred to me that my sensitivity might be a signal. A clue. My body was trying to communicate with me, but I didn’t know how to listen. I figured it was just the way I was wired. But just because something is common, doesn’t mean it’s normal.
It wasn’t until I started learning about the nervous system and the body’s natural regulation processes that it all started to make sense. I began supporting myself through the fundamental pillars of health and diving deep into emotional healing work. And slowly, I started to shift.
I remember the moment it hit me: I’d left my sunglasses at home... and I didn’t need them. The sun wasn’t blinding anymore. It actually felt invigorating. I even pictured myself like Wall-E, arms wide open, charging up my batteries in the sunlight. It felt like bliss. That one moment represented a huge transformation in my nervous system regulation – and in how I listened to my body.
Ready to Regulate?
Maybe you’ve felt something similar. Maybe it’s not light sensitivity, but you find yourself overwhelmed by sound, touch, or even emotions. These aren’t random quirks. They’re messages. Your body is speaking to you.
So often, we reach for quick fixes – sunglasses, earplugs, weighted blankets – and while these can be soothing in the moment, they don’t get to the root of the issue. That’s where nervous system regulation comes in. When you understand the language of your body, you can respond with what it actually needs.
Here are a few things that can help:
Becoming the observer of your body. Start noticing how you feel in different environments, with different people, or after certain activities.
Understanding the fundamental pillars of health: nutrition, hydration, sleep, rest, movement, light, connection, relationships, emotion release, breathing, and your environment (everything I teach in Nourishment Gateway).
Exploring emotional healing techniques, like Emotion Release Technique (ERT), that help clear out old emotional patterns that keep your system in a loop of stress.
Your nervous system wants to be in balance. It knows how to regulate. But if you’ve been living in survival mode, it might need some extra support to remember how.
That’s what I teach in my programs at Living Wholistically. I support women in learning how to reconnect with their body’s messages, heal from the inside out, and feel empowered in their own health journey.
If you’re feeling called to take that next step and explore what might be possible for your own nervous system, I’d love to connect.
Healing isn’t about perfection, or about eliminating every uncomfortable sensation. It’s about understanding what your body is trying to say – and learning how to respond with care.
And one day, maybe you’ll realise you left the sunglasses at home, too.
