On January 13, France stops, questions, and bets on a more inclusive society around a notion that has long been silenced, hypersensitivity. This national day opens the space to talk, accept, understand, and then recognize what disrupts so many people on a daily basis. Do you have questions? Good, it's an opportunity to move forward together.
The event January 13, the National Day of Hypersensitivity, why such a meeting?
One might have thought it was a discreet phenomenon, a whim. However, since 2021, January 13, the National Day of Hypersensitivity has established itself in the French landscape. Associations, collectives, professionals, these actors initiate a movement aimed at bringing forth a new path in the face of what remains a taboo at times. The initiative, supported and then validated by the State since 2022, is appealing, disruptive, and unifying.
Look around you, this pale blue logo, simple, direct, is media-invited on all posters. The 2025 edition? More than 60 cities involved from Lille to Marseille. The ambition does not waver, inviting you to speak, to free yourself from judgments. Recognizing hypersensitivity, that is what is gradually inscribed in the public mind. No more anecdotes, no more marginality.
Among the population, the figures are striking, one in five French people feels concerned according to the Ministry of Health. Add in the caregivers, the relatives, that makes a lot of people. It is no longer anecdotal; society as a whole must respond.
The origin and context of January 13, National Day of Hypersensitivity
The idea is no coincidence; it comes from a silent dialogue led by several associations, including one dedicated to hypersensitivity in France. Their demand aims to provide true legitimacy, institutional recognition, and more broadly to give weight to those who sometimes feel tossed around, burdened by overwhelming emotions. In 2025, the meeting counts; it is no longer a joke.
The national calendar offers it unprecedented visibility; the media follow suit. Starting in December, radios, newspapers, social networks inform, adorn, question. Who hasn't read these calls? “Dare to mention hypersensitivity, dare to allow it.” France takes the time to listen to what has long been silenced.
You have noticed, the audience for gatherings continues to grow. Last year, it was impossible to find a place in Lyon or Nantes. The diversity of profiles is striking, young people, seniors, and all those for whom the issue is neither intimate nor marginal. Hypersensitivity far exceeds conference rooms.
The objectives targeted by this national day in 2025
To abolish shame, give way to speech, propose positive models, that is what this day establishes. Schools, businesses, health institutions, all relay the message. January 13 structures a real change of perspective.
The fight against stereotypes is gaining momentum in workshops, conferences. More than 150 local actions are organized in 2025, from the Landes to Burgundy. It is impossible to pretend to ignore the phenomenon. To express oneself without filters, reduce isolation, open up to emotional diversity, these are the watchwords shared by volunteers, professionals, and patients themselves.
You might wonder if that is enough. The number of people engaged in discussion groups, the success of round tables, the rising actions taken outside major cities, all confirm a persistent demand for listening. No one can reduce hypersensitivity to a weakness anymore.
The realities of hypersensitivity, how to recognize it and talk about it better?
We have all heard of it. Extreme sensitivity, emotionality, sometimes suspected of being a mere modern trend, hypersensitivity has seen its contours sharpen, thanks to specialists who dare to put a word and an experience on what is happening within each person.
The main characteristics, confusion or evidence?
Psychologists, psychiatrists, coaches agree, hypersensitivity implies an emotional reactivity that can be disconcerting. Increased fatigue in overstimulating environments, difficulty letting go, and often an urgent need to withdraw after the tumult are noted. Perhaps you recognize yourself in this feeling of saturation, this internal noise that refuses to quiet down.
The terms intertwine: heightened sensitivity, sensory disorder, hyperreactivity; distinctions lack clarity in public discourse. Experiences overlap, none are exactly like another. To clarify, the following comparison highlights these nuances and the experiences lived daily.
| Concept | Felt effect | Common manifestations | Concerned population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hypersensitivity | Emotional and sensory amplification | Rapid upheavals, fatigue, strong empathy | 20% (source: Ministry of Health 2025) |
| High sensitivity | Personality trait, predominant emotion | Creativity, need for solitude, flourishing imagination | 15 to 20% (source: Elaine Aron 2024) |
| Sensory disorder | Dysfunction of regulation | Discomfort with noise, light, situations of sensory overload | Children especially, around 5% (source: INSERM 2025) |
The experience of the National Day on January 13 traverses the complexity of these labels, bringing together those who recognize themselves in it, sometimes without being able to grasp what precisely distinguishes them. Many live with intensity daily without necessarily seeking to put an end to it, but most wish, deep down, for a more accurate understanding from those around them.
The positive aspects and daily challenges
Hypersensitivity leaves no one indifferent. Do you feel everything, everyone, all the time? This intensity, ambivalent, generates creative strength, a capacity to find unprecedented solutions, to listen to others without preconceived notions. In the family and professional environment, this creates spaces for discussion, sometimes tension. Fatigue, anxiety related to noise, the feeling of being out of sync with those around you, all of this remains difficult to navigate without support.
Some go through phases of exhaustion from constantly accommodating their surroundings, while others begin to distance themselves, retreating. Hence this sometimes experienced isolation. Do you feel it? That heartbeat that refuses tranquility in a crowded room? You are not alone; society is seizing the subject. Transformation materializes as soon as the tools exist.
Support groups, psychological support, relaxation methods, environmental adaptations, all contribute to making a life marked by intensity viable. The resilience developed by those living with this hypersensitivity inspires, sometimes even astonishes. The balance remains fragile, but resources exist.
One January evening in Marseille, Marianne takes the hand extended by a stranger, breathless. One word is enough, "Me too." They sit, exchange, finally recognize each other, and find peace. Loneliness fades for a moment, a real bond is woven, and the walls of shame fall.
The resources, events, and support of the National Day on January 13
The event on January 13, much more than a simple meeting, federates on a national scale. Cities and countryside vibrate, known or anonymous people get involved. Everything converges towards a common goal: to offer a space where speech flows.
The organized events, diversity, and sharing
While Paris, Lyon, Nantes are fully booked, programs attract everywhere. Emotional management workshops, conferences led by experts, discussion groups for children, parents, adults, everyone finds a place for expression. Associations such as the French Association of Hypersensitivity, Empathy France, play a determining role, facilitating discussions, gathering testimonials, supporting, reassuring, simply.
The excitement surrounding January 13 proves the relevance of the event; it is impossible to overlook the rising demand for recognition and support. France is no longer content to watch; it acts.
The available aids and resources
Are you looking for professional listening? Sensibilites.fr, Hypersensibles.net, Sante.fr list more than 180 support structures, directing you to certified practitioners. Online discussion groups, forums, blogs, everything is put in the service of exchange. The books by Elaine Aron or Saverio Tomasella dominate sales, free resources are emerging. You find suitable support without searching for hours, which was not the case five years ago.
- Tests for self-assessment, without constraint,
- Public guides to understand hypersensitivity around oneself,
- A listening network within associations and local structures,
- Proposals for tailored support, in person or remotely.
Access to resources is democratizing; it is now impossible to remain isolated when one wishes to.
The place of personal testimonials in social evolution
A testimony sometimes disrupts much more than a conference. In dedicated online spaces, Sylvain publishes: "I long believed I was too much or not enough. This national day of hypersensitivity gave me the strength to embrace it. Today, shame fades, giving way to pride." Their words transform the public image of hypersensitivity. The support circle expands every year, not under the weight of speeches, but through the resonance of anecdotes, stories, experiences, and it is not about to stop.
Advice for navigating daily life with hypersensitivity
Living differently is learned. Or at least, it is accompanied. Attitudes of acceptance, tolerance towards oneself, and benevolent listening all influence the ability to move forward and feel better.
Acceptance strategies, how to cope?
Take a moment to list what relieves you. Many adopt simple routines, a gratitude journal, ten minutes of pause each day, honest conversations with those around them. We often talk about a protective environment, healthy boundaries, and conscious choices. Yes, each experience exceeds established norms; everyone adapts the strategy that suits them. Comparison is of no interest; everyone goes at their own pace.
The tools favored by health professionals
| Method | Description | Main advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness meditation | To focus attention, without judgment, on breath, sensations | Reduce stress, detach from ruminations |
| Acceptance and commitment therapies | Group or individual sessions, inspired by ACT, action-oriented | Learn to welcome emotions, engage towards what matters |
| Creative workshops | Express feelings through painting, music, words | Relieve without constraint, value uniqueness and self-confidence |
Thousands of people testify to real effects on acceptance, calming, and personal initiative. Associations and specialists recommend this range of tools, drawing from exchange and trust. You tame hypersensitivity without denying it.
The National Day of Hypersensitivity, an intense moment on January 13, does not stop at the agenda. Under the collective banner, each experience enriches the reflection, tolerance, and creativity of the country. And you, what place do you give to this hypersensitivity, yours or that of your loved ones? It seems that the discussion is starting now, without waiting for the next alert on the calendar.
