The Canary in the Coalmine

Growing up in a Midwestern, military-infused culture, being called “sensitive” was a major insult. It translated to a weakness, a character flaw, or an overall disadvantage that might even be contagious and compromise others. Cooties, if you will.

As a very sensitive kid, I felt like I had to try to hide my sensitivity so I didn’t get called that horrible name. This led to years of being called “shy,” because some people didn’t feel safe. Years of being called “moody” because I would get overstimulated in social situations. Years of masking emotions resulted in a flat affect in every situation. Anxiety showed up as chronic stomach aches. Struggling to explain why some touch, conversation, or energy felt okay, while seemingly similar situations were not okay.

Little sensitive Katrina with her puppy, Cisco

It took a lot of years (and many therapists) to start to understand the true power of sensitivity, and what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). Thankfully, someone introduced me to Elaine Aron's book “The Highly Sensitive Person” when I was in my early 20s.

Now, I understand that being an HSP is something out of my control, like how my eyes are grey or how cilantro tastes like soap (which some people think is even more strange than the HSP thing). However, I can control how I feel about being an HSP, and I now understand that it is an incredible gift, even if it still sometimes feels like a heavy burden.

What Is a Highly Sensitive Person?

At Canary Studios, I work with founders, entrepreneurs, dreamers, employees, and leaders throughout their professional journeys — many of whom identify as Highly Sensitive Persons. And yet, for something that impacts roughly 20% of the population, the experience of being highly sensitive in the workplace is rarely named, let alone supported.

The term Highly Sensitive Person was coined by the aforementioned psychologist, Elaine Aron, to describe individuals with heightened sensory processing sensitivity. HSPs tend to process information deeply, notice subtleties that others miss, and feel both emotional and environmental stimuli more intensely than the 80%.

While it’s not something you can be diagnosed with, HSP is a temperament trait that can help you understand yourself better. And in the right environment, it’s an extraordinary strength. HSPs are the canaries in the coalmine.

The Canary in a Coalmine

Canary Studios (and The Canary's Coalmine) derives its name from the canaries that were brought into mining sites as early detectors of carbon monoxide. As highly sensitive beings, they could detect danger earlier than their human companions and save lives at the cost of their own. ​

Highly Sensitive People, neurodivergent folks, and those with trauma are often the Canaries in business, politics, relationships, and life. This sensitivity is a superpower, though it can often feel like a heavy burden, and we’re working to keep you from depleting yourself or putting yourself in danger.

Here, we take back the power of the highly sensitive being. Rather than letting others put us in dangerous situations or contribute to burnout, we own our sensitivities and use them to support the greater good, starting with our work.

Common Workplace Challenges for HSPs

Sensitivity shows up in layered, nuanced ways in the workplace. Here are some of the most common friction points:

1. Environmental Overstimulation

Open floor plans, fluorescent lighting, Slack notifications, and background chatter can be nightmares for HSPs. For many of us, what feels “normal” to others can feel like a low-grade assault on the nervous system.

I worked in an office with all of the above, and when someone added a tabletop ping-pong table, I thought I was going to lose my everloving mind.

Environmental overstimulation can look like:

• Difficulty concentrating in noisy, busy, or chaotic spaces

• Fatigue after meetings

• Headaches around perfumes or scented candles

• Irritability by mid-afternoon

• Needing more recovery time than peers

When your nervous system is overloaded, it can disrupt your ability to work, relate, and think clearly.

2. Communication Intensity

HSPs tend to read between the lines, pick up on micro-expressions, and/or feel the emotional undercurrents in a room. This makes them exceptional at empathy and strategy, but it can also mean:

• Feeling feedback more intensely

• Ruminating after difficult conversations

• Feeling destabilized by abrupt or aggressive communication styles

3. Energy Boundaries

Highly sensitive people often have keen intuitive reads of team dynamics and a deep care for the quality of their work. This extra energy can also lead to overgiving, burnout, and difficulty separating work stress from personal life.

Without conscious boundaries, HSPs can become the emotional processors for an entire team.

4. Depth in a Speed-Driven Culture

HSPs process deeply: they consider implications and notice nuance in every conversation, meeting, and brief interaction. But in fast-paced, reactionary environments, this depth can be mistaken for hesitation.

In truth, many HSPs are often the ones asking:

• What are we not seeing?

• How will this affect the team in the long term?

• Is this aligned with our values?

While HSPs might appear as slower processors, they’re actually considering more elements than their peers.

You’re Actually on the Right Path

When we don’t talk about sensitivity, HSPs can internalize it as a deficiency. They think:

• “I’m not cut out for this.”

• “Everyone else handles this better.”

• “I just need thicker skin.”

Sure, you might be right. But let’s also consider:

• Can you have control over your workplace environment?

• Are there tools you can learn to support your current situation?

• If you felt more stable and centered in your current situation, could you dream of your ideal work and workplace?

• What if we could train the 80% to better understand and appreciate our unique gifts?

When supported, highly sensitive people are often exceptional strategists, attuned leaders, detail-oriented creators, ethical decision-makers, and culture stabilizers.

They often sense tension before it escalates, they see brand inconsistencies others overlook, and they anticipate client needs before they’re voiced.

No matter your industry or specialty, this depth is invaluable.

Meet You Where You Are

Canary Studios is a resource hub for Highly Sensitive People along their career journey. We see three primary phases of career development for Canaries, though you might only ever exist in one of these phases, or you might traverse them all.

Phase 1: Stabilize

It’s impossible to think clearly or use your creativity to dream about the future when your system is overloaded. In this phase, Canaries often work in stressful environments, have “bad” bosses, experience workplace conflict, or are burning out.

Phase 2: Plan

Once you feel more like yourself and can hear your intuitive inner voice, you can dream about your future. Do you want to be the changemaker in your current environment? Do you want to create your own business? Do you want to feel better in your current situation for another few years until you can move to a cottage in the woods? Let’s set the foundation for where you want to go.

Phase 3: Leap

Now that you know where you want to go, it’s time to take the leap out of the nest and trust yourself. In this phase, we offer resources for building your dream business, stepping into leadership roles, and creating a life that amplifies your superpower rather than diminishes it.

Start Here

Wherever you are on your career path, know you’re not alone. There are other Canaries facing the same issues, near and far. Start here to step into your sensitivity superpower.

Also published on Substack