The Self-Care Plan for the Highly Sensitive Person: 365 Days of Reflection, Calm, and Positivity

January

JANUARY 1

HSPs tend to fill that advisor role. We are the writers, historians, philosophers, judges, artists, researchers, theologians, therapists, teachers, parents, and plain conscientious citizens.

—ELAINE ARON, PhD

JANUARY 2

Low Battery

Like your phone, you need to be recharged regularly to work well. This month you will be exploring ways to fill your battery. As you move through today, notice the small things that bring you comfort or joy. Refining your awareness of these happy moments, however small, will help you start to internalize the feelings and allow them to take up increasing amounts of space in your emotional world. Pay attention to any trends related to when you feel joy.

JANUARY 3

Consolidate Last Year’s Wins

As you settle into the new year, take a moment to reflect on the past one. Write down three things you did well last year, no matter how small. Put your list where you can see it.

Now write a sentence that describes you based on those accomplishments (e.g., I am someone who works hard or I am someone who values time with their friends).

It is easy to consider accomplishments external to your identity but internalize failure. Acknowledging and owning your wins is a key way to begin balancing the scales, recognizing that you are flawed and proud of who you are.

JANUARY 4

Embracing the Tortoise

In Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare, the tortoise wins the race because of measured perseverance. Like the tortoise, many HSPs move at a slower pace and feel frustrated that they are not as fast as their peers. The key to your success is to accept your unique needs and move at a pace you can sustain.

Repeat this to yourself throughout the day.

JANUARY 5

Health and Hydration

Research shows that drinking plain water can help with symptoms of depression. Water is also essential for all biological processes, including organ functioning, nutrient processing, disease prevention, temperature regulation, and maintaining peak physical and cognitive performance. So grab a glass of water and drink it down.

Thirst is an easy physical need to ignore, yet hydration is essential to your health. Drinking a glass of water can also be a quick intervention anytime you start to feel overwhelmed.

JANUARY 6

Building healthy habits is a good use of my time, even when others do not understand.

JANUARY 7

Your Social Battery

Do you identify as an introvert or an extrovert? Reflect on what gives you energy and helps you feel recharged socially. Introversion and extroversion fall on a spectrum, so even as an introvert, you may sometimes need group activity. Many HSPs enjoy socializing with people in their network but find it draining at the same time.

What types of social interactions recharge you? Can you schedule one of those this week?

JANUARY 8

Finding Your Movement

The new year often inspires resolutions around fitness, loaded with expectations and anxiety. Rather than focusing on the quantity of exercise you plan to do, take a moment to reflect on the types of movement that help your body feel good. Gentle, consistent exercise can be easier to sustain, especially if you have a busy or demanding schedule.

What types of movement feel restorative for your body? Is there a time each week you can set aside for this type of movement?

Yoga has been shown to increase activity in the parasympathetic nervous system when practiced consistently. The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest, relaxation, and digestion, and calms you down when you are overwhelmed.

JANUARY 9

Gray Area

We all seek renewal

A chance to start fresh

Seeking perfection

Casting off the past

Perhaps this year will be the one

The one without failure

Disconnecting from our whole

Seems a joyous fantasy

Comforting in concept

Yet devastating in practice

Fragmenting your self

Denying the hard-earned lessons

Gather yourself—good and bad

Embrace your whole

Here you can grow

Here you can find your core

Deny the delusion of perfection

Embrace the living, breathing truth of you

JANUARY 10

Balanced Nutrition

There are so many rules around food. Every few months a new diet, new research, and new products flood the market, causing overwhelm and confusion. Food can be fraught with conflict, anxiety, expectations, and judgment. I invite you to set aside all of that today. A good guideline to keep in mind is that your body needs protein, healthy fats, healthy carbs, and fiber to keep functioning. Are you getting enough of these?

How do you feel when you ignore your hunger cues? What foods help you feel strong, satiated, and energized when you eat them? Go out of your way to have one of these items today.

JANUARY 11

Identify a Win

Reflect on a time you set a goal for yourself and accomplished it. Were you able to give yourself credit at the time? Are you able to now? You did that!

When you meet a goal, you are allowed to feel proud of yourself and your work. You are allowed to celebrate these wins. Identify how you can celebrate this win today, no matter how simple the gesture.

JANUARY 12

Where Does the Time Go?

Today you will practice mindfulness around where you give your time and attention. Write down how you spend your time today, accounting for every 30-minute block while you are awake. At the end of your day, review where you gave your time and energy.

Are there tasks that took more time than you would expect? Are there activities that are not serving you well?

In what ways does your emotional state correspond to what you spend your time on—for example, do you feel more anxious when you have been on your phone for a while?

Did any blocks of time feel restorative? Why do you think this activity is helpful for you as an HSP?

JANUARY 13

Give people affection and security, and they will give affection and be secure in their feelings and behavior.

—ABRAHAM MASLOW, PhD

JANUARY 14

Hibernation

Just as bears hibernate for the winter, consider parts of yourself that need occasional hibernation. Just as nature moves through seasons, you also need seasons of productivity and rest. HSPs can be especially in tune with and affected by the seasons.

In this season, do you need more rest or more stimulation? How can you increase/decrease your activity level to better align with your current needs? Grant yourself permission to ebb and flow with the seasons.

JANUARY 15

An Artful Start

Set aside a minimum of 30 minutes this week to make art. You might try a dance or makeup tutorial on YouTube. Or you can color, draw, write, paint, bake, sing, or play an instrument—anything that feels artistic.

Put away your phone and stay fully engaged in the activity.

Think about the theme of restoration as you create. If you find yourself judging your work or yourself in the process, redirect to how creating feels, and remind yourself: The end product is not the goal; there is benefit in simply doing.

Hobbies that engage your hands, such as gardening, have been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.

JANUARY 16

A Note from You

What would you say to a friend who feels discouraged? Write that on a sticky note or on your phone.

As you go about your day today, look out for negative self-talk—times that you reflexively criticize yourself, devalue your opinion, or compare yourself to others. When you notice these thoughts, refer back to your note to a friend.

You are allowed to comfort yourself, just as you comfort your friends.

JANUARY 17

Follow Your Compass

Many HSPs have a strong sense of right and wrong. They observe the rules and are confused when others do not do the same. It can be discouraging, yet many historical figures effected great change by following their strong moral compasses. Being remembered fondly from a historical perspective does not mean it was easy for them to do what was right in the moment.

Think of someone you admire for their moral integrity. What values do they exhibit that you respect? Make a list of three key values you hold that shape how you make decisions and treat people. Write them down somewhere so you can revisit them when you feel confused about how to handle a situation.

JANUARY 18

In taking care of my body, I gift myself the ability to continue doing the things I love.

JANUARY 19

A Positive Focus

Think about a time in the past that was difficult for you—something you got through, however imperfectly. Write a thank-you letter to your past self, acknowledging what you did well. Your message may be as simple as Thank you for enduring until relief came. You may find it challenging to keep a positive tone, but keep trying. Let your past self know how you grew from the experience, what you learned, and how they contributed to it.

JANUARY 20

Breathe

Breathe in, breathe out.

Slow down. Close your eyes for a few minutes. If you are in a hurry, set a timer for two to five minutes, close your eyes, and breathe.

Feel the breath as it fills your lungs . . . diaphragm . . . the back of your ribs.

Whether today is calm or stressful, remember that it will pass. Anchor yourself in the good days and feel the temporary nature of things on the hard days.

Practicing diaphragmatic (i.e., deep) breathing has been shown to activate the body’s relaxation responses, decrease cortisol levels, and improve affect and sustained