Creating a Balanced Lifestyle as a Highly Sensitive Person: Gentle habits for daily calm
In the wellness industry, everyone talks about having a balanced life. People throw the term around like it’s something far out of reach to be obtained only when we hit certain milestones or achieve certain things. But it really isn’t about that at all. In fact, it’s much simpler to create some balance in your life than you might think, and it doesn’t require waking up at the crack of dawn to do so.
For HSPs, who are naturally givers, very purpose-focused and — like me — driven, creating balance can feel quite difficult at first. But balance, as I just mentioned, is not about doing more, striving for the “healthiest” life, or measuring yourself against wellness influencers who have the time to do all the things. It’s about creating micro habits and gentle shifts in your day which, when carried out consistently, add up. These small acts help create safety in your body, calm in your mind, and regulation in your nervous system.
I must stress that although micro habits are so helpful, what is swept under the carpet and left to linger will always return with a vengeance. So doing the inner work IS key as well.
Here are some gentle, easy, and non-expensive tips you can sprinkle throughout your day to create balance:
Grounding, movement and stillness each day. I swear by this. In the mornings, I intentionally set up my day as it means to go on. This could look like tuning into the body and being reflective, followed by mindful movement. I really like using Thich Nhat Hanh’s mindful movements in the morning — I also weave these into the programmes I teach. This was all about feeling into the body long before it became a trending topic online.
Breathwork. I always include some form of breathwork in the morning and scatter it throughout the day, as it helps clear stuck energy. At the moment, I’ve been leaning into Kundalini breathwork, especially Ego Eradicator. It’s very activating though, so make sure you’re not already feeling anxious before you do it.
Buffer time. Setting what I like to call “buffer time” before or after social events can help so much when you feel your energy has been drained.
Nature breaks. Getting outside, even if it’s just a 10-minute walk on your lunch break. As a HSP, I never really enjoyed the staff room anyway, so walking gave me an excuse not to make small talk. I love a mindful colour walk — it’s a great sensory reset.
Magnesium for sleep. If you have a busy mind like lots of HSPs do, magnesium before bed can be so supportive. I take a higher dose and it has improved my sleep tenfold. Magnesium helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, supporting deeper rest.
There are so many more habits I could list, but these are the ones that have really helped me ground, grow, and learn to work with my sensitivity rather than against it.
If you’re struggling with building habits, I teach an 8-week mindfulness course that helps you do this. Or if you’d like to delve deeper into nervous system tools, personalised support, and feedback as a HSP, I also offer 1:1 coaching.
