Walking on Eggshells: What Reactivity Is Really Telling Us

Have you ever felt like you’re walking on eggshells around someone? Or noticed others tiptoeing around you? That tension, the feeling that one wrong word will set off a reaction, is often a sign of something deeper than simply “being sensitive.”

Reactivity and taking things personally are usually rooted in unresolved emotions and nervous system dysregulation. The triggers might look small from the outside, but inside, they can feel enormous.

Here’s what may really be happening:

• A grain of truth is hitting too close to home.

• Low self-esteem or under-developed ego strength makes feedback feel threatening.

• Past trauma keeps the nervous system in survival mode.

• Core wounds or shame get activated by certain words, tones, or behaviours.

• The body’s stress response takes over before logic can catch up.
  

When our nervous system is stuck in high alert, the brain reads threat where there is none. A comment, a look, or even silence can be misread through the lens of past hurt. This is why reactions can seem “over the top” or illogical to others but to the person experiencing them, they feel real and urgent.

I’ve experienced this myself. The turning point came when I worked on regulating my nervous system and resetting my self-worth. The calmer and more anchored I became inside, the less I reacted from pain, and the more I could respond from clarity.

This is why I guide my clients through Self-Worth Resets and Emotional Regulation Resets. These go beyond surface-level coping tools and work at the root, so old emotional triggers lose their grip. The result? More calm, stability, and connection — even in challenging situations.

If you find yourself on the receiving end of someone else’s reactivity, you can hold empathy while keeping your boundaries. But if you’re the one feeling constantly triggered, know this: you don’t have to live like this.

With the right inner reset, walking on eggshells becomes walking on solid ground.