Let's Put Your Personal User Manual into Practice! (HSP/Occupational Therapist)

I continue to post with the motto of helping HSP individuals spend their daily lives in a comfortable, secure, and safe way.

To spend your daily life comfortably, I wrote in my previous article that the first step is to delve deep and get to know yourself.
the previous article
that I wrote.

Just looking at your completed personal user manual won't change anything.
As a next step,it is very important to incorporate the completed manual into your actual daily life.
it becomes very important.

Fill your daily life with things you like, and deal with things you dislike or are not good at with minimal energy.

It certainly takes time until it becomes a habit, and since you are changing your existing thoughts and values, there may be some conflict.

However, this process is not like ascetic training under a waterfall, nor am I telling you to jump into a fire.

Just think about it.
You are incorporating things you like into your life and pampering yourself to the fullest.

Doesn't that make you feel a little excited?

Perhaps some people might feel guilty or anxious, wondering if it's really okay to do that.

However, that emotion itself might be a common HSP experience.
As a genuinely serious person who has worked hard for the sake of others, you might never have thought about doing something for yourself or pampering yourself.

You are such a kind person that you can find joy in others spending their time comfortably.

I believe that kindness is a strength. While making the most of that kindness, why not also direct some of it toward yourself as a plus?

1. Write down your daily lifestyle.

2. From your personal user manual,select items you want to newly incorporate into your daily life.
(You will change them as you write, so it's fine to be vague at this point.)

3. Referring to 2, fill in the new plans you want to incorporate.
*The important thing here is not to pack your schedule too full.
*Prioritize your own comfort.
*Do not aim for perfection.

The schedule above is what I actually incorporate into my own plans.

It is often said that 'morning activities' are important, but
due to my work, I have to leave the house at 7:00 AM.

I wake up between 5:15 and 5:20 AM to prepare the children for school and make breakfast.

Therefore, I don't have the luxury of time to wake up early and engage in morning activities.
If I were to wake up at 4:00 AM to do things, it would cut into the sleep I love,
which I don't want.

So, I decided to finish preparing for the next morning during the night.

・Prepare the next day's lunch
・Prepare the next day's clothes
・Set out the dishes and ingredients to be used for breakfast
・Since styling my hair in the morning takes time, I use the hair iron at night.

By using the spare time I've created in this way, I try to do some journaling. (This is also done with the stance of doing it when I can, to the extent that I can.)

At work, I don't want to be flustered, so I try to get things done efficiently,
making adjustments to ensure I have energy left when I get home.

・Use spare time in the morning to leave for work 10 minutes earlier.
・Create a to-do list for the next day at the end of the workday.
・Since I tend to get tired from being around people in the evening, I focus on administrative tasks.

Since the night is my only time alone,
I try to spend it in a relaxed way,
avoiding thinking about unpleasant things as much as possible.

Ever since I read an article somewhere stating that physical strength equals mental stability,
I have been trying to do exercise and stretching as much as possible.

I have also incorporated those things into my schedule.

Visualizing your schedule has many benefits.
I would like to talk about that at the end.

①You can carry out tasks efficiently.
It is a well-known fact that a day is fixed at 24 hours.
So, how do you all spend your 24 hours?

HSPs tend to think too deeply about things,
which makes it take time to take action. Or, they may be unable to act.
In addition to that, do you ever find yourself getting tired just from thinking,
and ending up feeling unwell?

Maybe it's just me (lol).

But when you think about it, don't you think it's a waste?
It's better to spend the 24 hours that everyone has equally in a comfortable way, right?
As a solution to that, we will utilize the strength of HSPs,
which is being good at steady, methodical work.

We will use that aspect.
Think of the schedule itself as a kind of to-do list,
and carry out the tasks.

I love to-do lists.
When the things to do become clear, and they are achieved, it feels
very refreshing.

At first, deciding on your own daily schedule
might feel suffocating.
Start with just one thing... I hope you will give it a try.

②HSPs need frequent breaks because...
I believe that HSPs have exceptional concentration.
They use tremendous concentration on things they like or need to do, but
that also leads to intense energy consumption.
Therefore, rather than taking one long break during the day,
it is harder to accumulate fatigue if you repeat short breaks of about 5 to 10 minutes several times.

Therefore, by creating a schedule, you can see the time slots where you can rest
and the time slots where you are a bit free.
Let's try incorporating short breaks between housework and work.

However, regarding work, some people may be in an environment where it is difficult to take frequent
breaks even though those around them are working.

In such cases, you can just pretend that you are working hard too (lol).

Pretend to be facing your computer.
Pretend to be reading documents.
Pretend to be tidying up.

HSPs are also very good at hiding their feelings, aren't they?
If you view it as a weakness, it means you hide yourself and prioritize others.
If you view it as a strength, it means you are very good at acting.
That is what it comes down to.

Why not forgive yourself for resting and enjoy the act of pretending to work?

3You can firmly draw boundaries with people.
For someone's sake, because someone will be happy, because someone is troubled,
what can I do for someone?
Aren't you thinking like that?

But that someone, even if they worry when you yourself get sick,
will not take your place.

Conversely, doing something for someone else
might be stopping that person's growth.

This is a slightly deep topic, so I would like to talk about the details
in another post, including my own experiences.

What I want to convey here is that

HSPs, whose boundaries between themselves and others tend to be ambiguous,
can prioritize what they need to do
by doing scheduling.

By doing so, you can reduce energy consumption
and have more room in your daily life.

Please prioritize yourself, no matter how trivial the matter.
For example, in the schedule above,

"Drinking honey water while reading a favorite book"

During this time, even if your lover or husband says they are tired
and wants you to give them a massage,

please prioritize reading your book.

If you are the type who says, "Giving a massage is my blissful time!!"
then that is a different story (lol).

You might think, "Isn't that obvious! You prioritize yourself, right?"
but
HSPs, even if they are tired from work, if it makes the other person happy...
they end up pushing themselves.

The example might have been a little hard to understand (lol).

Please try scheduling and prioritizing what you want to do.

After that, when you have some leeway, please use your healing power
for someone else.

There are many benefits for HSPs when they do scheduling.

First, please create your own user manual, and after getting to know yourself again,
try this scheduling.