Rocking Your Routines: 6 Ways That Highly Sensitive Entrepreneurs Can BE and Give Their Best

On my last blog I showed you how to know yourself, know your needs, and work YOU into your life. Now, I want to get more specific about creating routines that serve you instead of drain you. Believe it or not, it's a lot easier than it sounds!

First thing--a “routine” might sound pretty rigid, but all it means is a set of habits. And for our purposes, a routine is a just set of practices that support your Highly Sensitive system.

So where do you start? First, by understanding your need for downtime, and maximizing your gift of efficiency.

As Highly Sensitives, we need more downtime than the average person, especially after intensive tasks. In fact, we often need downtime even more than we need work time. But how do you get everything done when you need so much recovery time after every step?

Here’s the good news: we might need a lot of recovery time, but when we’re “on,” we’re ON! That means that when we’re focused and rested, our efficiency is top-notch. We can get a day’s worth of work done in a lot less than eight hours. So getting the downtime we need creates more efficiency in the long run.

How do you ensure that you can recharge your batteries and also maximize your productivity? Let me share with you six things that have made my days smoother, more productive, and much more conducive to my Highly Sensitive life.

Tip #1: Bookend your days. You have a say when you get up in the morning and when you go to bed at night. But as for what happens in between? Mostly, it’s beyond our control. How can you bring peace to a potentially chaotic day? Take control of the parts that are up to you: your mornings and your evenings. This is what I call “bookending” your days.

I recommend starting the bookending experience in the evening. Go to bed earlier, even if it’s only one hour sooner than usual.

It's also essential to leave time to decompress. That means ditch the screens for an hour before you go to sleep. No computers, no smartphones, no TV. I know, disconnecting from technology might make you feel like breaking out into a cold sweat. But there's a good reason for it. The blue light that emanates from most screen devices tends to stimulate the brain, which is the last thing you need when it’s time to wind down.

So instead of checking Facebook one last time or going on an evening Netflix binge, grab a book. Write in your journal. Mediate. Have sex. Do what you need to do to decompress fully, and watch what happens.

Try both of these steps for a full week and see how it works for you.

So how about the morning? The morning is vital. Why? Because by the end of the day, we’re done. Our brain is overstimulated by the demands of the day, and that leaves to door open for overwhelm. All of those things you told yourself that you’d do “later" never happen. Willpower is like a muscle, it gets depleted as the day unfolds...use it wisely, use it for the things that matter!

So if something is a top priority for your mission, your body, or your soul, make it a priority by putting it on the “morning” list.

Tip #2: “ONE THING” your life. Highly Sensitive People need purpose and passion in their lives. Sometimes that translates into believing that we need to achieve everything all at once. Which, of course, leads anybody directly into overwhelm.

I’m talking about those voices in your head that tell you things like, “I want to be THERE, but I’m only HERE! I’m never going to get there! How am I EVER gonna get there?!” (Insert defeated sigh here.)

How DO you get out of overwhelm and back into the moment? You “ONE THING” your life.

That means focusing on the ONE thing that would move you forward TODAY. What is the most significant thing you can do your business today? What is the ONE thing I can do for your body that will feed and nourish it today? How about the ONE thing you can do to feel GOOD today?

For example, I start every day with yoga and meditation. It opens up my body. It helps me get clear on my vision for the day. Then when I’m ready, I go out into the world and create it.  

Keep it simple. Make one thing a priority each day, and start building a solid foundation taking one step at a time. Don’t overthink it. Just do one thing for your body, your business, and your soul each day, and you’ll already be ahead of the game.

Tip #3: Get Up And MOVE. Once you’ve set the tone for your day and your most pressing deep work is done, it’s time to shift gears. That means taking care of the busy work, the errands, and the less mentally taxing endeavors. It means moving energy intellectually, spiritually, AND physically.

Why is physical motion so important? Recall that as a Highly Sensitive Person, you tend to store stimuli deep within your body.  Moving your body is a significant way to process and release that energy before it gets stuck. Physical movement activates endorphins that revitalize you as well as dopamine, which helps clear your mind. And from there, it’s a lot easier to feel like YOU again.

Make sure to incorporate movement every hour, every day. Even if it’s just for a minute or two, take a walk. Jump up and down. Take a dance break. Anything to get the energy flowing in a positive direction again.

Tip #4: Keep Your To-Do List Short and Sweet. Many of us overestimate how much we can get done in a single day. But have you ever taken a look at your to-do list and felt like quitting before you even start? That’s where it pays to plan more “realistically”--and by that, I mean efficiently. In a way that honors your boundaries as well keeps the “one thing” idea in mind.

For example, if you think it’ll take one hour to finish your one thing for the day, schedule two hours. And if you get it done in only an hour, celebrate the win! That accomplishes two things. First, it keeps you from going into overwhelm before you even begin. Second, it gives you a feeling of efficiency and accomplishment. Keep it up, and you'll eventually create neural pathways of efficiency in your brain, which will set you up for even more successes.

Tip #5: Do what you can TODAY. When I was 20 years old, I became a mom. It was also my first year at University. At the time, my child suffered from chronic ear infections, which meant she was screamingly sick for days on end. I quickly learned that doing what I could today to make tomorrow easier was a big-time stress prevention tactic. After all, you don’t know what tomorrow might bring. Your kids might get sick. You might get sick. Best to do what you can to create a more relaxed and more flowing tomorrow TODAY.

I’m not talking about stressing over every little thing that might go wrong. I’m just saying to prepare in advance as best as you can and stay ahead of the little things in life. This trick is how I got through University, my master's program, and the establishment of my practice. I focused on the here and now instead of stressing about tomorrow. And I created consistency and momentum.

Take advantages of those days that you are in full flow and accept those days when you are not!

Tip #6: Remember The People You Love. When you become a mother, it’s easy to lose track of who you are, especially in the beginning. But it’s important to show up for the other relationships in your life, too, especially for your significant other. Create time to be there as a partner, supporting both their dreams and your relationship. It’ll make you a better parent, a stronger person, and eventually a better entrepreneur.

Of course, nothing is worse for an entrepreneur than mommy guilt. It drains your energy and your productivity, and in the end, it doesn’t serve anyone (least of all the kids!). So take a few moments for some real quality time with your kids every day, even if it’s just ten minutes of intentional cuddles or play time. A little bit of quality time is all it takes to create happy kids. And when the kids are doing well, it’ll work wonders for your energy and productivity too.

These are some of the top tips that I’ve learned over the years, both as a professional and as a Highly Sensitive Person myself. It’s worth the effort to get to know yourself, understand your strengths and your limitations, and create a life that serves you.

So start today. Get to know yourself and create the life that you’ve always envisioned. Give these tips a try and let me know how they work for you by leaving me a comment below!

And if you want to connect with other highly sensitive people who are embracing their gifts and creating their dream lives, the Vibrant Sensitive community is the place for you! We talk about everything of interest, from astrology and energy healing to tips and tricks for managing stress and rocking your day. It’s a high-vibe space where you can connect, revive, and thrive as the vibrant soul you are. So if you haven’t joined already, click here and learn more about this vibrant online space! Are you also a parent? You will definitely love our Highly Sensitive Parents community!