General Life Tips for HSP’s

Thriving as an HSP…

Some time back, I promised you guys a list to lead to a budding burgeon of self, an inventory of viable solutions for the monumental mountains Highly Sensitives face.

Simply because those mountains are there.

Every day.

And they can carry boulder after boulder of obstacle in your day, impeding each step, even threatening a tumble down slippery hillside.

My heart is for you to not feel you’re blocked from any kind of victorious path, weighed down by burdens and nuances you had no idea were piled upon your back. 

Instead, let’s unburden those fretful packs with a few tips to take the weight off.

Just this past week, we made a trip out to one of our favorite farms for some harvest festival time.

Sweet, delectable day amidst a patch of green and white pumpkins…

gentle, balmy breeze of hay-filled air…

many moments to savor a new adventure

swinging across chasm of creek,

grasping tangled barn rope,

soaring through sunflower maze.

I was grateful to build those memories.

It’s all the little things we put together to make a successful day like that. Texting friends in advance, checking the weather for an unusually heated fall day, packing a lunch, choosing a time, adjusting schooling. Just think if we were to go into it blindly, with no planning whatsoever…

such spur-of-the-moment trip without any pre-thought would have left us hungry, sweltering in cold weather attire, and alone.

Thriving as an HSP…

Just as we plan the trips and events and moments of our lives, even more is it crucial that we plan for living a life of peace and purpose as a Highly Sensitive Person.

Let’s face it, HSP’s are really prone to stress and overdoing it. How needed, a lovely list like this to help you care for yourself and to live an optimal life… 

Let’s dive in!

Life Tips for HSPs

1. Get the rest your body needs

HSPs need more sleep than the average person. 7-8 hours minimum per night, 9-10 is even better.

Getting to bed early can be challenging, as a highly sensitive person can feel quite wired by the end of the day, the brain racing away on all it’s absorbed. With the body’s optimal sleep time being 10-5, lights out by 10 o’clock – or at least 11 o’clock – is crucial.

Highly sensitives tend to not sleep as well, waking easily in the night. Not getting enough sleep means extra exhaustion upon a nervous system that’s already easily taxed throughout the day. Missing out on necessary sleep will affect an HSP much more than if a non-HSP went without adequate rest.

2. Exercise & Eat well

I cannot overemphasize self-care through exercise and, honestly – it can be one of the easiest things to hit, as long as you’re intentional to plan for it.

Exercising reduces stress and restores health. Working out releases endorphins – basically, “feel good” neurotransmitters that release stress. Being physically active also increases oxygen intake and energy.

All amazingly beneficial things for the HSP!

Eating well goes hand-in-hand with self-care. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized the truth in, “You are what you eat.” Putting properly sourced proteins, vegetables, and good fats into your diet and cutting out carbs and sugar will drastically change the way you feel, boosting your energy.

This isn’t something to pursue merely in a January-March weight loss competition or as a mini sugar break once a year, but a lifelong way of looking at how you approach food.

For guidance in where to begin, I strongly recommend checking out someone who practices naturopathy or holistic health care. Click here for a good place to start!

3. Learn to say no

Trust Him for His provision.

You were never meant to be self-sufficient and the answer to everybody’s needs, only God can do that. At it’s core, it is our pride that tells us we must always be the solution, we must always be the help.

Fall back into the arms of Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord Who Provides.

4. Carve out regular quiet time for you

Us highly sensitives require time alone to assimilate, reflect and recharge. Journaling can be a beneficial past time, as well as immersion in the beauty of creation.

However you prefer, make sure you get that time you need.

5. Gather friends who understand you and are sensitive to your needs

Get a team of people who love, understand, and accept you.

Communicate openly and honestly so they can help you the best they can. Remember that they can only know you so well and give them grace.

6. Learn to give yourself grace (and stop feeling guilty)

O beloved, see the beauty in how you were created…  

Psalm 139

Lord, you have seen what is in my heart. You know all about me.
You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You know what I’m thinking even though you are far away.
You know when I go out to work and when I come back home. You know exactly how I live.
Lord, even before I speak a word, you know all about it.
You are all around me. You are behind me and in front of me. You hold me in your power.
I’m amazed at how well you know me. It’s more than I can understand.
How can I get away from your Spirit? Where can I go to escape from you?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there.
If I lie down in the deepest parts of the earth, you are also there.
Suppose I were to rise with the sun in the east and then cross over to the west where it sinks into the ocean.
Your hand would always be there to guide me.
Your right hand would still be holding me close.
Suppose I were to say,
“I’m sure the darkness will hide me. The light around me will become as dark as night.”
Even that darkness would not be dark to you.
The night would shine like the day, because darkness is like light to you.
You created the deepest parts of my being. You put me together inside my mother’s body.
How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that.
What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.
None of my bones was hidden from you when you made me inside my mother’s body.
That place was as dark as the deepest parts of the earth.
When you were putting me together there,
your eyes saw my body even before it was formed.
You planned how many days I would live.
You wrote down the number of them in your book
before I had lived through even one of them.
God, your thoughts about me are priceless.
No one can possibly add them all up.
If I could count them, they would be more than the grains of sand.
If I were to fall asleep counting and then wake up, you would still be there with me. 

-Ps 139 (NIV readers version)

Embrace who you are.

You were created to be you, and you alone –

not the person next to you, the person down the block, the person who appears to be doing it all with a victorious smile crowning cheek to cheek.

Trust Him for His provision when you need to step back or fall short.

And most certainly, rely on future grace.

7. Find the little joys in life

Such a treasure, the little joys your heart holds.

Sometimes we never know, if we don’t take the time to discover.

Find out those loves, know your limits.

Plan plenty of time for your loves.

Don’t push your limits.

8. Identify your triggers

We all have flint in our lives and rocks in our pockets to provoke flame into fire.

Know your triggers wells.

Develop strategies for your weak spots, eliciting the help of others, when needed. Set boundaries and stick to them. Have a trusted friend hold you accountable, if necessary.

9. Know yourself

For us HSPs who are already so deep and creative, craving a rush of thought-provoking material and conversations our way, setting our lives under the magnifying glass of our countenance may be a welcome, even enjoyable, task.

When we know ourselves and our unique intricacies, the river of relief ripples our way, we understand the coursing of water in our hearts, the better we can handle those rapids.

10. Fill up with all that is true & honorable, pure & lovely {Philippians 4:8}

Grab some core scriptures to help you deal with shame, self-doubt, criticism, disappointment, strong emotions, and the like.

These are your weapons in life. Turn to them in every battle.

11. Seek out therapy, if needed

Sometimes it boils down to us needing extra help, and there really is no shame in that. The life of a highly sensitive person can be much more challenging than the non-sensitive, and it takes the heart of humility to know when to ask for help.

If you feel this is you and you’re needing extra eyes, words, and heart to help you delve into some of the deeper issues in your life, seek counsel…from such as a trusted pastor, LCSW, or psychologist.

I would highly recommend someone who’ll be able to understand your sensitivity, has an excellent knowledge of temperaments, and most certainly has a strong theological background and practices Christian counseling (if you’re a believer).

If need be, you can educate them on HSP, which we had to do for a psychologist one of our kiddos was seeing (Psychology and the Highly Sensitive Person is an excellent source!)

If you’re interested in seeing someone who has specific training on HSPs and you’re in the U.S., click here.

I love this list. 🧡

I’m reading it now and refreshing myself with the reminder of all I can do to better care for myself and, in turn, live a productive life for Him.

Rather than be run down by daily struggle…

Planning for much love, peace, and joy