City living is a crucial component of the modern lifestyle. It is estimated that by 2050, 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. This number currently stands at about 55%.

There are certainly many opportunities and advantages that arise from living in the city. More job opportunities, more people to meet, more things to do in your free time…but is modern city life really good for us?

Countless studies show the harmful effects of the urban environment on human mental and physical health. Pollution, lack of greenery, constant noise, and hectic lifestyle are doing their disastrous job gradually but efficiently.

Now, imagine a person whose senses are much more acute than those of the average person. How will all these things make them feel? If city life is toxic to most people to some extent, it is just as toxic to those with highly sensitive brains.

Why do highly empathic and sensitive people suffer in cities?
Every day, we are surrounded by many things that we are not aware of. After years of living in the city, we no longer notice the noise of the streets, the harshness of the air, the overwhelming predominance of synthetic materials over natural ones.

Only when you return to nature do you see the amazing difference between your well-being in the urban environment and the natural environment.

I recently spent the weekend at a resort in the woods. Just three nights in natural surroundings did wonders. I suddenly started to feel energized and inspired, my sleep quality improved dramatically, and my dreams became unimaginably vivid.

That’s when I realized how draining, destructive, and toxic city life can be for a highly sensitive or empathic person. If you fall into one of these two categories, let’s take a look at the specific ways the city makes you boring, anxious, and tired for no reason.

It is worth noting that the phenomena described below affect all people whether they are aware of them or not, but those with highly sensitive brains and an empathic nature are simply more susceptible to them.

5 Reasons why city life is toxic for empaths and highly sensitive people

1. The constant, never-ending noise
   The first thing you notice when you go to the countryside is the quiet. You hear only the sounds of nature that please the ear and the soul, in contrast to the noise of the city. We’ve become so accustomed to this constant mixture of car sounds, human voices, and other chaotic sounds that we don’t even pay attention to them anymore.

But for someone who is highly sensitive, this nagging presence is not only more intense, it is also draining. Staying in silence for some time every day is a vital need for a highly sensitive mind because it is constantly overloaded with environmental stimuli.

Now, it’s not an easy task if you live in an urban area. You must have very good insolation at home in order to reduce street noise.

2. Hectic rhythm
   Sensitive people know that it’s not just noise that drains their energy. It is also the rhythm of the big city with busy people rushing through the streets all day.

It creates an atmosphere of endless stress and anxiety, and suddenly you find yourself feeling exhausted and anxious for no apparent reason. This is because as an empath or highly sensitive person, you pick up a lot of stimuli from the surrounding environment, including other people’s emotional states.

So their anxiety becomes your anxiety, even when you have no reason to feel stressed. It is no coincidence that many studies indicate a higher prevalence of mental disorders in urban areas.

3. Lack of green spaces and natural materials
   Another neglected effect of city life is the lack of contact with nature. Well, it depends on the city you live in – some urban centers have a lot of green spaces and beautiful parks. But one thing that is clear is that with increasing urbanization, humans are distancing themselves from natural environments.

In the world of concrete and asphalt, it is very easy to lose any connection with nature. We rarely take into account the impact of materials used in modern construction.

Yes, these materials are very comfortable, but they are completely lifeless. Living in a modern multi-storey building is a completely different experience than living in a natural wooden or stone house.

Every empathetic and highly sensitive person knows how important contact with nature is. You feel at home, and you finally know that you belong somewhere, in contrast to the devastating feeling of being separated from everyone in the crowded city.

Spending time in nature helps us recharge our energy and feel whole again. Sometimes, camping for just a few days can be more active than spending a month in a luxury hotel.

For this reason, most empaths and highly sensitive people are not interested in luxurious lifestyles and are more likely to dream of a simple life somewhere in the countryside.

In fact, studies confirm how important it is for humans to stay in touch with nature. However, it is very difficult to maintain this connection in the city.

4. Too many people
   If you’re an empath, you know that spending just half an hour in a crowded place is stressful. This is because you are sensitive to the energies and emotions of others even when you are not interacting with them but simply around them.

Now, imagine a crowded city center in a densely populated urban area, and you’ll get a sympathetic definition of hell. Crowds of anxious, tense, angry people, rushing to work they hate, feeling annoyed with each other, frustrated with life…

In the city, having too many people around you can disturb your peace of mind.

5. Electromagnetic radiation
   How many devices are we constantly surrounded by in the city (even when we’re not using them)? Today, you can hardly find a person living without a smartphone, computer and Wi-Fi. All these fruits of technological progress create an invisible field of electromagnetic radiation.

The effects of electromagnetic radiation on human health remain a controversial topic in the scientific literature. However, some studies have shown that exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields negatively affects human nerve functions, leading to sleep and mood disorders.

Remember that we are talking about people with high sensitivity to all kinds of stimuli from the environment, including various types of pollution and radiation. It is not surprising that such a person is more susceptible to the possible negative influence of electromagnetic fields.

Are you an empath or a highly sensitive person trapped in the city?

Maybe you often feel tired for no reason and wonder why. You may lack the energy and desire to do anything, feel sleepy and unenjoyed all day long. Your inspiration has dried up, and you don’t know what to do.

It is possible that all these symptoms are the unfortunate consequences of life in the city. No matter how advanced technology is, humans are part of nature and will remain so. Our deepest beings desperately crave connection to the natural environment, and the further away we are from it, the less happy and complete we feel.