It’s been a long time coming. My little ol’ website has started to feel like a playground for every creative thought (good or bad 😅) I’ve had, and not really the intentional, welcoming website I’ve had in mind. One that feels good. One you can easily navigate and flow through.

In this post, I wanna give you a sneak peak into how I’m starting to redesign my own website and what you can do to start to redesign yours.

Also, make sure to keep on reading (or just skim to the bottom haha) for a special free gift and an excluuusive opportunity I’m excited about!

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When you’re a creative service provider, it’s so tempting to set aside or ignore your own creative projects. And even more generally, it probably is hardest for most anyone to tackle and create things for and from yourself.

Butttt it’s been slowly festering in the back of my mind and I just know it’s time for me to get started. So this past week, I started.

Before jumping into an official audit or redesigning my own site, there were a few blatant, sticky areas that I knew needed a bit of love. That meant looking seriously at restructuring some key pages, getting rid of 15? extra pages (I have wayyyy too huge of a website for what it is cuz I often use my own website as a playground to practice with before developing creative solutions for clients), upgrading some my graphics and visuals, curating additional photos, and creating some custom line drawings and hand-drawn custom fonts (so excited to do these) for myself. Let me know if you’d love to see how I’m crafting any of these upgrades!

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And although it’s unbelievably tempting to try to get alll of these things done in a week or less (hahahah very funny), I’m focusing just on the planning and restructuring phases right now.

With all of this, I’m learning to release some control, perfectionism, and get vulnerable and honest with myself and how I’d like to expand (as a person and as a business) in the future. To give myself permission to let go of some of my past creations and let the art evolve.

so, here we go…

First, I took out a sheet of paper (or, in reality, some junk mail envelopes I could reuse) and made 2 lists: NOW and LATER

Writing on physical paper just helps me think clearer, you know?

And by creating NOW and LATER lists, I’m intending to soften my urge to do all my ideas at once, instead of tweaking some of the easiest and most important things first, and then returning to the LATER stuff on a different day or design session. You don’t have to do it this way, but I highly recommend implementing a simple system like this if you’re a sensitive high achiever with ADHD or hyperfocus tendencies like me.

Because you can’t get everything done at once, and that’s ok. And taking breaks is also soooo okay and non-negotiable to your well-being, nervous system, and creativity.

So like almost any website visitor, I’m starting at the top of the page. I scan through to catch design or copy issues that make things feel heavy, clunky, or complicated.

This is my starting “hero” section, the first section of my home page.

I like it…but even though I kept it simple, I still feel like it’s a bit cluttered.

The extra “vine” in the top left felt unnecessary and distracting, so I removed that. I tweaked some of the copy and fixed up some of the awkward spacing. There’s a science to spacing, but I typically am someone who just “spaces with my heart.” I feel what the right spacing is and just do it haha. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, but it’s fun to work that way for my own site.

I also adjusted the hero section so that all my copy, visuals, and buttons showed up “above the fold,” or what’s displayed before someone starts to scroll down the page.

I also have plans to change some of the photos and visuals, but I’m going to skip doing this step for now and write it on my LATER list.

I know I really like this slideshow effect I made with these images to display a few of my website creations at once (let me know if you’d like a tutorial!), but the frame is something I whipped up in a few minutes and I’d like to change this in the future. Added to the LATER list.

I’ll be sharing more about this journey as I go, but I hope this inspires you to start to rethink your own site.

If you’re eager to keep on going, here are some suggestions for a loose structure you can take when review your website:

How to do your own feels like home website audit

1. “Brainstorm.” If it helps you, don’t even think about starting on your computer…Instead, start where ideas naturally flow best for you. This could be sketching on a blank piece of paper, sitting somewhere outside with your eyes closed, drinking matcha and surfing Pinterest for inspiration and ideas, or it could be starting building something right on your website.

   Your goal right now is to make some time and space to be available for when inspiration strikes.

2. Strategize with soul. I get it ugh sometimes strategy sounds a bit dry and sometimes I wish I could create random stuff without an ounce of thought, but it really helps everything come together. You can simply start strategizing by answering a few questions:

   1. what is the most important thing I’d like my absolute dream client/patient/customer to do when they arrive at my website?

   2. how can I welcome this dream client and make them feel at ease?

   3. how can I gently guide them towards the most important thing in step (a)?

3. Make your website a better match for your intentions. Take one section at a time - first, look at your HEADER, followed by your HOME PAGE. How well do the structures, items, look, and feel really match up with your inspirations and strategies from step 1 and step 2?

4. Take a break. During this process, it’s ok (and I would definitely encourage!!) to step away. To move your body, reset your vision, rest your eyes. I’ll say it again: this is non-negotiable for your sensitive nervous system.

5. Ask what extra details would really make your website amazing? Maybe some new photos, graphics, visuals? Maybe a hand-drawn font or custom logo? Don’t worry about tackling these now (put them on your LATER list), especially if you’ve already been working on your computer for a while. But it’s great to keep a running list of website inspirations if you have some ideas brewing.

At this point, my own website redesign is far from done, but I’m glad I got the ball rolling. As I’m journeying through this process myself, I realized something else interesting recently:

When I was really honest with myself, I noticed I was often sacrificing the clarity and calm I wanted to offer my website visitors in order to show visually interesting designs. I try to incorporate BOTH into any website I create for clients, but I noticed I’m often tempted to wow people with my creativity on my own site. Like I was trying to show off just how creative and unexpected I can make things. Which is great in some ways, when you’re able to show off your own unique style, but it was also like I was designing my website from a place of purely wanting to prove myself. My next steps are to remedy this creativity bias (hahaha, I wonder where I came up with the name of my business Creativity Bias Studio?), and even say goodbye to some “cool” and “creative” features on my website that don’t also have a supportive function for my prospective clients.

So, learn from my mistakes, don’t do as I did, and remember that one of the main functions of your website is to help your visitors, don’t just try to create the thing that looks the coolest.

Bringing me to the special gift and a sneak peak at a new opportunity:

Special gift: Free website audits!

Feel like there’s something off about your current website, but can’t put your finger on why? Apply for a free website audit*

how it works:

1. Apply here for a website audit before September 19, 2026

2. If you’re selected (pending total interest and my time and capacity!), I’ll contact you after September 19 via email to let you know. Please be patient.

3. I’ll deliver a personalized document that outlines things you can tweak for a more impactful design, website strategy and flow, foundational SEO, and any specific struggle points you’ve indicated in your application

4. Share this post or re-stack with the #1 thing you want to change about your website or how you want your theoretical future website to feel (optional, and won’t effect you being chosen for an audit)

*Your application does not guarantee free website audit, total number of free audits will be limited. Audits will be delivered asynchronously, no call required

New opportunities to expand and earn $, coming soon!

Very soon I’ll be completely revamping and re-launching my Squarespace website template shop, complete with some extra special exclusive “expand beyond Substack” strategy and embodied success guides. Some of you have been very excited about this, and I definitely, absolutely am!

Take a minute to let me know what you’d love to have included in the website template and success guide, and get on the waitlist for the best discount (even free!)

Website Template Waitlist

And in addition to that, I’ll also be re-launching my affiliate and recommendation program for my Squarespace website templates and services. Meaning that, even if you don’t need a website right now, you could earn anywhere from ~$50 to $1000+ for every person you send my way.

I’m currently restructuring, but you can already sign up to be an affiliate here:

Become an affiliate

Hope you liked this one! Remember to keep an eye out for additional parts to this website audit & redesign series. You’ll be able to explore my (sometimes unique haha) thought process and maybe get some inspo for your own website.

I’d love to know: What do you keep wondering about when it comes to creating or launching a website and online ecosystem that feels like home?

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth and slowness in a sometimes fast-paced world

Share The Sensitive Creative

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, nervous system aficionado, and web designer helping highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

Related posts for your mind-candy-rabbit-hole:

Create an effortless flow between your Substack and your website

How to grow your Substack with Squarespace

Bring your meaningful message into a crowded online world

Find your authentic (brand) voice, even after a lifetime of people pleasing

The sensitive’s guide to feeling safe being seen online

Craft an online presence that speaks from the heart of your business

Case Study: From fearful to an aligned, powerful website launch

I’m seeing, hearing, and feeling more and more just how much people are itching to expand beyond using just Substack as their business hub and contact point with prospective clients and customers.

Maybe because the shiny and newness of the platform has worn off

Maybe because their growth feels sloooowwwwwwwwwer than they expected

Maybe because they are feeling pulled towards creating an online presence that’s just…more official

Maybe they want to own and have more creative control over their content and how it’s shared and displayed

Maybe because of some less-than-ideal ethical and financial decisions being made by those in command…… not gonna go into this right now though

And if you’re loving the platform, great! I never want to convince you to move beyond Substack. But as a web designer (aka maker of digital scrapbooks) and developer (aka digital architect hehe), I’m definitely gonna share my opinions on some of the risks vs. rewards in staying, leaving, or just expanding. And I definitely want to be here for you if you need a metaphorical website-building hand 👋

Know exactly where you want your dream client to go (digitally)

Even if someone finds you on Substack, is that where you want them to “stay”?

The first simple step: Think about the #1-2 things you want your dream client to do. Most likely, that’s something like book a call with you, pay for a service, or buy a digital product or course.

You don’t need to reference these things allllll the time in your Substack, but it can be great to keep this one (or two) most important things in mind when you’re writing a post. Where can it naturally be woven in? Or do you want to just write freely and maybe add a link to your website as a part of your sign off/signture at the very end of your posts. That’s a great option too!

But the intentional decision is most likely the best one for you right now.

And kind of related to this point, another thing to thoughtfully consider is how you want your dream clients to contact and interact with you.

How you want your people to contact you

What’s the main place you want people to go to start a conversation with you?

Especially for sensitive humans, it can be really beneficial to have just one digital place, just one spot, to check in and communicate with your audience, patients, clients, and/or customers.

It’s ok to have more contact points (for example, you share your email address or a link to schedule a call with you because that’s where you want people to contact you, but you can also prompt people to send you a message on Substack if that’s they’re more comfortable with that…AND that feels good for you too)

But starting with ONE main entry point can feel so much better, even when you have both a Substack and a website.

The first simple step: Choose your one entry point and plan to include just that in your posts going forward.

Organize your brand assets for consistency

You’ve probably heard this one before, so I don’t want to repeat to much here other than: it’s a good idea to have the same or similar, slightly different brand variations for your website and Substack.

I’m gonna add the caveat here though that most people don’t mention: it doesn’t have to be this way. Having complimentary branding can be even more impactful in some cases, but if it’s easier for you to have the same branding with both, please don’t overthink it and just do that :)

The first simple step: Organize your brand assets (color hex codes and fonts, photos and imagery, and all your logo variations) into one folder on your phone/computer/Google Drive/iCloud/whatever. Bonus if you can update your Substack and website to reflect these!

Set up your Substack and your website to support each other

It can be tempting to think of your Substack and your website as separate entities entirely, especially if you’re afraid of duplicating content because SEO purposes.

But the truth is, even just a bit of thought and restructuring can make your efforts, intention, creativity, and expertise go even further with a seamless website and Substack ecosystem.

But what content goes where?!?

I think of this interplay as a beautiful dance between the two - you can absolutely use just Substack or just your website to reach your goals, but having both can be an awesome biz decision for many heart-led sensitive creatives and service providers (let me know in the comments if you’d like a full post on knowing when it’s time to expand beyond Substack).

The first simple step: Create a page or document with 2 columns, 1 column for Substack and one for your website. List 2-4 related but different topics under each column to help you decide which posts to post where to avoid duplication.

A great rule of thumb is to use your blog posts on your website for sharing strong, informational, well-researched, and/or in-depth how-to content that is answering the big, staple questions your customers or clients often ask (or that you think they would ask).

Your Substack can have related posts, but with more personal stories and creative expression added. The focus of your Substack posts can be a bit more broad. The pure “value” of a Substack post doesn’t have to be held completely in the name of adding more keywords to your online ecosystem, like you maybe would be focused on when writing a blog post.

But, also like pretty much everything I share here…you know yourself and your audience best. Don’t ignore what intuitively feels right for you.

And if you have or are planning on starting or launching a website with Squarespace, have I got an extra bunch of goodies for you…

Extra tips for any current or prospective Squarespace website users:

Here are few simple yet impactful design and code tweaks (have no fear, it’s maybe easier than it sounds!) you can add to your Squarespace website this week, free in my newest blog post.

You’ll learn how to:

• connect your Substack subscribe form to your Squarespace website

• change that generic social link icon to a Substack icon in your header - this is an awesome one!

• and/or add your Substack as one of the pages displayed in your header navigation - great option if you don’t want to display all your social links there

Check out this and more in the the full post Grow your Substack with Squarespace

Gentle Squarespace Upgrades

Feel like it’s almost time for you to expand beyond Substack?

If you haven’t started your website yet, or have but want a little more structure, guidance, design technique, and overall support as you build your site, you might be interested in the next Squarespace website template I’m building.

This template is intentionally created not only to connect your website and Substack effortlessly, but also give you simple, streamlined, beautiful, manageable ways to display and sell your services, digital products, courses, and memberships all in one contained place that you OWN (without paying 10+% to Substack or Gumroad ;0 every time you make a sale).

Get on the waitlist for this premium Substack to Squarespace template and complete strategy guide (plus, AMA support!) to boost your efforts and impact across both platforms

Expand Beyond Substack

I also offer complete done-for-you website design and development services if that feels like a better fit for your current needs/capacity: INQUIRE HERE

And…they tell me not to say this when “selling” ughhhh, but I will anyway: even though I’m a website designer, here’s a gentle reminder that having a website is not the best option for everyone, so please send me a message if you’re unsure whether launching a website is the right next step for you (or keep an eye out for a post about this, coming soon!)

I’d love to hear what you think. Will you try any of these tweaks to refresh your online presence? Is there anything else you’re wondering about when it comes to creating a beautiful dance between your Substack and your website?

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, web designer, and HSP mentor and nervous system specialist on a mission to help heart-led aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

Explore web design services

But, as this is a very personal piece, I need to protect my peace and place some of the details behind the paywall. If you can’t afford to pay right now, I completely understand, and welcome you to check out these other free posts with similar realizations, lessons, and stories:

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I remember the day I was chosen for the awards “best personality,” “friendliest,” and “best hair” by my classmates in 3rd grade.

what a wonderful day for a little sweet people-pleasing 8?-year-old like myself.

But this red-haired, friendly, kind woman has decided: I’m done with being nice.

Especially for the people who don’t respect, appreciate, or even care about me. They definitely won’t care about the way I’ve molded myself into something completely inauthentic so that they can feel better.

So I’ve realized I’m done with being nice…

But, going even deeper, I guess I’m in actuality done with being the victim.

This is hard for me to say, especially because I never ever viewed myself or thought of myself as needing to heal from a victim mentality.

I thought that was for other people. I thought other people pretended or acted or were the victim. They manipulated others to get what they wanted or needed. I wasn’t. I am not.

But I realized there are patterns in my life where I have been, or at least invite in some of the patterns of, being the victim.

But it was in 5th grade when I was suddenly, formally, without any warning, a victim.

Read more

But first I gotta wonder…

When did nervous system regulation become such a dysregulating thing???????!!!!?

And when did it become something extra to just add to the ever-growing list of things to “optimize” our modern lives?

Here’s your permission to completely let go of the idea that the ways you regulate your nervous system need to be done perfectly just right in order to have any sort of benefit or impact on your wellbeing. Let’s all collectively be done with this.

And because the last thing I want to do is add more to your to-do list…scroll down for a screenshot-able list of simple things to sprinkle throughout your day and week.

And, hey, maybe you’d like to subscribe:

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Here’s my favorite simple regulating experiences to invite into the day

For when you’re overwhelmed:

• turn off the lights, get outside into nature and natural light sources

• sing or hum whatever you want

• change your temperature (cold rag to your neck if you’re hot, warm blanket, drink, or hot water bottle when you’re cold or numb)

For when you had too much screen time:

• stand up straight, eyes closed (that’s it… trust me it works!)

• rest with an eye mask or put your clean hands over your eyes

• go outside and let your eyes “space out” into the distance

  These are literal life-savers for my tired web designing eyes!

For when you’ve been sitting/concentrating/working for too long without a break:

• get up and dance around

• shake out your hands/arms/feet/legs

• eat something crunchy (popcorn!!!! my personal regulating crunch of choice)

For when you’re legitimately angry but trying to hold it together and be “professional”:

• do push-ups against a wall (in a bathroom stall is a good option if you’re in public, of course wash your hands afterwards ha)

• stomp your feet around

• squeeze your hands as hard as you can and then release

  ⇢ these are also very effective for those times when the boundaries you don’t have confidence to say out loud yet are crossed for the xxth time or when you agreed to something and you know immediately afterwards you really shouldn’t have

  

Related post(s) on the science and art of regulation:

How do you like to relax, unwind, regulate? Are any of these gentle ways speaking to you right now! Reflect privately or let me know in the comments:

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth and slowness in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share The Sensitive Creative

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, nervous system specialist, entrepreneur, and web designer helping highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

June for sure brought some extra excitement:

A new nephew, an intentional work sabbatical, a combined family vacation of an absolute lifetime (more on this soon!!!)

These are all amazing things that I want more of in my life.

But even though I know that’s 100% true, it can still take a lot out of you and me.

Rock concerts, traveling, high intensity exercise, even a day at the beach - all things I personally love - can also be dysregulating to sensitive systems.

And even good excitement and positive change is still a stress. A stress that you probably do want if you’re desiring changes and experiences in alignment with who you are and what you value, but stress all the same.

Why you’re overwhelmed and what to do with it

1. The before and after of it all

It can feel like a lot - it can be a lot - in order to experience the things you want. There might be a lot of extra prep and planning before a scheduled event, and more intentional rest and recovery afterwards than you anticipated.

Ever say “I need a vacation from my vacation?”

Then you probably know what I mean.

How to support yourself: give yourself extra time for everything. Start planning or packing weeks ahead of time if it feels good, and build in days of doing just the bare minimum

2. It’s ok if you’re stressed or grumpy when you’re in the thing you chose

Of course it’s perfectly natural to feel upset or stressed when you’re doing something you feel more forced into. But even the things you want or think you want can feel not as romantic, relaxing, or enjoyable than you maybe imagined.

I don’t think that means there’s anything wrong.

How to support yourself: expect and plan additional downtime or rest after an event, without guilt

Maybe you’re high sensation seeking

Something else you might have heard of before is a high sensation seeking HSP. These individuals are more apt to explore and seek out novelty, although still demonstrate sensitive traits.

I love traveling and exploring, but also get easily overwhelmed and feel almost bogged down by the extra processing of everything.

I love rock concerts, but feel absolutely wiped out the next day. Like a noise hangover without ever even having a drink.

So maybe this is me? Maybe this is you? It doesn’t really matter, to me at least, because your experience is your experience. But having a label or a category you fall under can also be calming and reassuring.

Dr. Elaine Aron, one of the pioneers in exploring the innate temperament trait of high sensitivity, writes more about this combination nuance and has a self-assessment you can take if you’re interested in learning more.

A sensitive person’s guide for thriving on vacation

I’m going to dive into this in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on my notes and posts! Excited to share some fun, lighter, but still practically supportive things with you.

If you’re planning a vacation or going on one soon, here’s a little taste, inspired by packing for my aforementioned family vacation of a lifetime.

Some of my long-distance travel must-haves:

• The most comfortable hat and sunglasses I can find

• 2 physical books

• comfortable earplugs and eyemask

• my own tea bags and a non-melty protein bar (plus more snacks as able)

• non-negotiable downtime hardwired into the schedule (if there is a schedule)

• quick nervous system practices to release travel tension

  • tongue circles (run your tongue along the outside of all your teeth, keeping your lips closed)

  • vision reset (rub clean hands together and place palms over your eyes)

  • rub/tap/massage your feet and hands

  • tragus pull to stimulate vagus nerve (gently hook finger behind ear tragus and lightly pull forward)

• a sense of humor and a willingness to be uncomfortable sometimes

I’d love to hear what you think. Can you relate to this? What are some of your experiences with wanting to experience something, but also feeling overwhelmed and drained by it?

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, web designer, and HSP mentor and nervous system specialist on a mission to help heart-led aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

This post is sponsored by Creativity Bias Studio (my web design biz!)

My Squarespace templates and design packages can include mentorship, nervous system education, visual brand and copy guidance (or completely done-for-you upgrades), and a uniquely designed, gently strategic, website ready for you to launch with embodied confidence. Free branded Substack visuals with any 1:1 service ♡

Note 🎵 I will be on break from web design stuff for the month of June 2026 and my email and message responses may be delayed. Please still inquire or message me at any time, but thank you for your patience if it takes longer for me to get back to you:

Explore web design services

Have questions about what it’d be like to work together? Send me a message!

Trying so hard to be “nice” and “good” around others. The maybe weird thing is that I’m also pretty “nice” and “good” when I’m by myself. Maybe not to myself all the time, but I think I have pretty solid values and motivations when I’m looking at things objectively.

So why do I feel the need to force even more niceness and goodness?
I guess to try to control what people think about me. To make it so impossible for them to have a different opinion of me than what I want them to. Although, really, this doesn’t often work this way.

But these life-ish-long habits of mine, combined with working in healthcare during the pandemic, just broke me.

The following post is an edited version of a blog post I wrote while I was just beginning to see brightness and beauty in the world again. If you’re currently recovering from burnout or want a little more support and nourishment for your sensitive nervous system, I think you’ll find a lot of value in these suggestions. Even if they seem “simple” and you’ve heard them before, I hope you’ll find comfort when you apply just one of these to your life. see *Medical disclaimer

Being an entrepreneur is difficult enough without the added challenges that being sensitive sometimes brings.

Not only does being an entrepreneur bring new stresses and new things to learn and figure out, but being an entrepreneur often requires some level of personal growth and/or confrontation of your personal struggles with things like perfectionism, people pleasing, fear of rejection, and procrastination.

On one hand…it seems like becoming a successful entrepreneur should be so easy, right?

Just talk about things you’re passionate about that can help other people in some way and make money doing it. SIMPLE as that, right? Simple, yes. Easy…I wouldn’t say that.

And also…if I know and am frequently told that it’s just so easy, why do I have to complicate what feels like every single step, then?

Eh, that’s maybe another topic for another day (or for my therapist).

BUT I’ve found a few things that have been incredibly helpful to work through the resistance and procrastination that I somehow inevitability stumble upon, even (and maybe ESPECIALLY) when I’m trying to work towards something I believe in and am passionate about.

In this post, I’m sharing a quick overview of 9 of the most impactful things I’ve implemented that allowed me to finally make progress on growing and sharing my creations and growing my confidence as an entrepreneur and as a sensitive person.

Other than trying my best to maintain my overall health through exercise, nutrition, socialization, and stress management, these things have drastically impacted my nervous system well-being and tendency towards unhelpful oversensitivity and reactive trauma responses.

These 9 things won’t make up for actual healing and therapy, but have made a huge difference in how I’m able to work and actually get the important stuff done without staying stuck in perfectionism-procrastination-fear.

9 things to do to support your sensitive nervous system (as an entrepreneur)

1. Meditation and/or prayer, with a twist

I didn’t always have the best experience with just any type of meditation.

Not so much with meditations that heavily involve visualization or encourage you to “clear your mind,” at least at this moment of my life. These sometimes cause almost a feeling of dissociation in me and I tend to benefit from more somatic and/or grounding ways to focus and relax to best support my sensitive nervous system.

I seem to benefit most from a meditation more focused on the breath, body, or even an emotion. I highly recommend looking into styles of meditation that involve modalities and focus such as body scan, loving-kindness, and yoga nidra because of the positive effects I experience with my emotional regulation and overall feelings of contentment. I also got so much benefit from the book You Have 4 Minutes to Change Your Life, a wonderful introduction to short (~4 minutes) AND EFFECTIVE meditations you can apply to different parts of your life.

But please explore for yourself, don’t take my word for it!

2. Nervous system exercises

I’ve talked about some of my favorites in previous posts here on Substack, and often blend my neuro occupational therapy knowledge and experience with my own recovery insights.

These nervous system exercises are often simple techniques that target different parts of the nervous system, providing relaxation and/or important feedback to your brain and body so that you can actually feel more calm, confident, grounded...

Supporting your nervous system is a daily practice, just like other daily habits like brushing your teeth.

When I was deep in burnout, I knew what I could do to help my nervous system. But knowing and putting into practice was another story completely. Initially, in my numb and overwhelmed period of intense burnout, one of the best ways I found to easily work with my sensitive nervous system daily was using the NeuroFit♡ app. I needed something to tell me what to do in those depths, because I was having a hard time figuring it out for myself.

It’s a great way to slowly increase your interception, or ability to perceive/sense your body’s internal signals, to better understand your needs.

It can help you tell whether you need more quiet time or more sensory input on a given day AND guide you through giving yourself sensory input to help you feel calm and emotionally regulated.

To learn more, you can check out NeuroFit with this link♡. If you decide to purchase, you’ll also get 20% off (make sure you get the message 20% OFF APPLIED at checkout for your discount).

If you don’t want to purchase, please take a peek at some of my previous nervous-system focused posts for some ideas of what kind of exercises you could try.

3. Breathwork

Actually, I resisted this one for quite a long time. I don’t know why, but this term sometimes makes me cringe.

Maybe because it feels/sounds like some exclusive and elusive topic that you have to be “in the know” to participate in.

But I’ve realized that breathwork is just a practice that encourages paying attention to and sometimes consciously controlling your breath as a means to relax or process emotions or other tough stuff.

The biggest suggestion I have is - if it starts to make you feel more like your need to control yourself, to do things the exact right way, maybe find a different breath work practice or try a different calming technique altogether.

My favorite is physiological sigh if you haven’t tried breath work yet.

4. Playing outside

Maybe an obvious one, but cannot stress the importance of this enough.

And not just being outside to take care of yard work or do some chores….but to just sit (for me, without looking or listening to my phone) to let yourself just be and observe what you find beautiful.

Walking and hiking are also always amazing ways I can shift out of a bad mood and see the bigger picture.

5. Waterrrr

I LOVE coffee…the darker, the stronger, the better. But I’m so sensitive to caffeine, I find my enjoyment of the drink is quickly marred by my resultant jitters and/or bad mood.

I definitely have made it a point to hydrate in the morning first before having a little bit of coffee, matcha, or tea. I’ve experimented a bit with adding salt or electrolytes to my AM water, but haven’t really noted any positive differences at the moment. So right now… I just drink at least 2 cups of room-temp water before anything else first thing in the morning to get this habit going.

6. Respectful movement

Respectful is the key word here.

I am so good at forcing myself to exercise, to walk, to be productive, to physically stress my body out…and it has backfired in the past.

I suggested to schedule or set a reminder on your phone to move RESPECTFULLY. It’s made all the difference to make sure I’m moving in a way and in the right amount that is nourishing to my body…I sometimes do this by specifically doing less than I think I’m capable of or thinking I should do.

As sensitive and neurodivergent people, how quickly we can process the signals our bodies are sending to our brains (and vice versa) can be somewhat delayed, so I find that doing a bit less is helpful to make sure I don’t overdo it without realizing I did until it’s too late and I get overly fatigued or even sick.

7. Resting enough, but not too much

This one I’m definitely still working on. I find that the majority of days I’ve done wayyyy too much (physically, mentally, emotionally, in every way-ly) or feel like a bump on a log, just sitting around all day and feeling like not doing much of anything.

Sometimes it’s good to relax, but sometimes I take the relaxation a bit too far and become grumpy and spacey and blah after too much rest OR maybe not the right type of rest. 1 or 2 days of complete rest “lazy” days can very easily turn into a full week of doing nothing for me, so a little bit of activity and feeling of purpose can go a long way, especially for us HSPs.

Another thing that could be tough to manage is making sure you get enough rest without overdoing it for you personally on the technology/TV/phone scrolling front. Taking time to rest without tech is crucial to really recharge (see #4 again). It might be also helpful for you to learn about the 7 types of rest, and incorporate rest that you might be missing to feel more relaxed and recovered.

8. Sleep schedule

This can be very personal - you might benefit from trying out certain evening and morning schedules to find what works best for you.

Our sleep schedule and times naturally vary based on life events, illness, stress, moods, season, and cyclical times. Another thing I’m personally working on not beating myself up too much if I sleep in “too late” while also knowing when I’ve had enough. Ongoing process for sure. But an incredibly impactful one.

9. Music

One of the best ways to support your nervous system might also be one of the simplest ways: music.

BUT somehow I also don’t always remember how beneficial music can be. Listening to (or maybe making!) music you love is an easy way to change up your mood/vibe/energy. I’ve also found it to be an effective way to process stress and emotions that I don’t really know how to actively process any other way.

And, bonus, singing and humming can be some of the best ways to support your vagus nerve function and in turn your entire nervous system!

10. Seek out supportive others

Ok, I said 9, but I’m adding this one now.

This is what I was missing back then and what I’ve experienced to be true: we can’t always effectively regulate in the absence of other people and other nervous systems.

Which also makes finding those “right,” best fit nervous systems all the more critical. Especially for us sensitive souls that are so affected by things around us. We easily soak up other people’s pain and dysregulation. But, just as easily, we can welcome in the regulation, groundedness, and joy from others.

I can also really empathize with the temptation to hide and isolate yourself, especially when you’re feeling so much emotional and systemic pain and shame. I get it.

So go easy on yourself and don’t force this too much at once.

But, I do want you to know how important and impactful this can really be when you find the people who truly help you feel safe.

To learn more about your sensitive nervous system and discover your own simple and supportive nervous system hygiene routine and exercises, I go into much more practical detail in my nervous system workbook.

Meet your nervous system where it’s at, with care, right now and discover the most supportive nervous system exercises for your needs.

It’s a beautiful introduction to nervous system regulation and simple, effective tools that you can really feel the positive effects from right away, while building a more resilient and flexible nervous system little by little:

It’s free for all paid subscribers within the Private Reserve

Subscribe now

Or for one time purchase as a part of my Grounded Visibility bundle
($12 with code SUBSTACKGIFT at checkout)

Journal prompts and final thoughts to consider:

• What things do I currently do throughout my day that seem to relax me AND also don’t make me feel worse afterwards? (ie. not something like stress eating, binge watching, using too much social media for your limits) How can I incorporate more of these things into my day?

• Imagine you added one of these 9 things to your daily routine. Write about how you would feel and what benefits you think you would experience.

Reflect privately or let me know in the comments, I’d really love to hear what you think and feel about these. Anything else you would add to this list?

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, web designer, and HSP mentor and nervous system specialist on a mission to help heart-led aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

Supportive next reads:

This post is sponsored by Creativity Bias Studio (my web design biz!)

My Squarespace templates and design packages can include mentorship, nervous system education, visual brand and copy guidance (or completely done-for-you upgrades), and a uniquely designed, gently strategic, website ready for you to launch with embodied confidence. Free branded Substack visuals with any 1:1 service ♡

Note 🎵 I will be on break from web design stuff for the month of June 2026 and my email and message responses may be delayed. Please still inquire or message me at any time, but thank you for your patience if it takes longer for me to get back to you:

Explore web design services

Have questions about what it’d be like to work together? Send me a message!

Right off the bat, I by no means want to sugar-coat anything.
Building a business isn’t all “soft life” all the time or “slow-living” vibes only.

There probably will be things you’re responsible for.

There probably will be things you’re going to need to do a little outside your comfort zone.

To have a successful business or side hustle, you might even (that’s sarcasm) need to make money somehow. You might need to go on sales calls or write sales emails or tell people that there is something you sell.

And it all can be prettyyyyyy scary.

But. it can also be pretty absolutely amazing, purposeful, impactful…

And you reaaaaaally don’t have to force yourself into a “businesswoman” mold just because you can.

Really, in general, if there’s one thing I’d love you to know in your mind and tuck away deep in your soul:

Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.

So instead of forcing yourself into pre-structured “right ways” of doing things, I give you full permission to do things that truly are aligned with your preferences and strengths.

Blending my knowledge as a neurological occupational therapist and personal experience as a baby entrepreneur, here are my 6 favorite suggestions to help you truly, like really this time, align more with your gifts and the beautiful impact you can have on the world:

TLDR:

1. Look to nature first to inspire your biz structure

2. Plan consistency and business systems with your lowest capacity days in mind

3. Check in with yourself and your actual capacity (daily if it feels good)

4. Find the simplest automatic plan that sets your days and weeks up for success

5. Know your most authentic values and keep them front and center in your mind (and on your calendar)

6. Work with your nervous system

1. Look to nature first to inspire your business structure

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed when you read/watch/listen to all the business-starting and -building advice out there. And a lot of it can actually be valuable.

But when you’re building a business where sustainability is a priority - for yourself, your energy, your impact on the world, your income…in every sense of the word - one of the best ways to apply a structure to your business is by looking to nature.

Nature is cyclical, regenerative, and sometimes things need to be burned down or composted or pruned to keep growing.

Expect it to happen like this. This isn’t the exception. And it’s not bad at all if you find yourself in a low, quiet period. You can’t always keep expanding at every minute. You can’t always be going viral or onboarding tons of clients. And would you really want that if you could?

Nature provides inspiration for renewal and returning in our business. This structure is a gentle scaffolding for your ideas to combine, come together, and flow, naturally.

If you’re always forcing yourself into a period of bright, visible, extroverted, hot summer, you’re going to burn out.

What this could look and feel like in your business:

You can finally let go of the pressure to make every single idea you have into a perfect, full expression of itself. You don’t need to spiral anymore when things are moving slowly because you expect and even welcome these periods of introversion and root formation.

2. Plan consistency and business systems with your lowest capacity days in mind

Start there and build from that.

What this could look and feel like in your business:

When you can consistently practice those the gentle daily non-negotiables, even on your toughest days, you’re building a practice, a routine, that paves the way for your success. There’s no exception. You are paving the way for your success. You’re taking the steps that build onto themselves.

And, when you’re starting small and proving deeply to yourself you can be consistent, there’s always room for expansion.

3. Check in with yourself and your actual capacity (daily if it feels good)

Do you tend to overestimate how much you can get done in a certain amount of time?

Truthfully, I’d be amazed if I didn’t. haha

It can feel really tough to untangle your actual experiences with low energy and lower capacity from your self-judgmental thoughts that you're just being lazy or just need to power through a little bit more.

But I’m definitely getting better. What helped me most when I couldn’t see what I really needed to slow down was being able to get external feedback. Before I could trust in and recognize my own internal feedback and signs I needed to rest, having a simple daily check in with my energy was/is valuable.

Get my free webapp (or apply the prompts to your own planning system) to help you check in daily with your energy and capacity within this post:

What this could look and feel like in your business:

You learn and know with more confidence and clarity when you really need to slow down and when actually you can reach a little bit beyond your comfort zone to expand your business and your impact

4. Find the most simple automatic plan that sets your days and weeks up for success

This doesn’t have to be involved at all.

I mean, I have an honorary masters degree in overthinking and making things more difficult than they actually need to be, hahaha, but I’ve also learned first-hand that the best-matched options are the things that come easiest.

For me, my automatic plan for gently growing my web design business and inviting more calm into my week involves: a simple voice note brain dump to myself on Sunday evenings, talking through everything I’m thinking about or doing for the week ahead. Then using this, on Monday morning I prioritize things that actually need to get done that week.

My default morning routine: go outside for 5 minutes. That’s it. In an ideal world I would do 10000 things before 10 AM, but I start with just that one simple thing to feel grounded. Everything else in my morning routine is a bonus.

What this could look and feel like in your business:

When your automatic habits are at the same time simple, sustainable, and actually supportive to where you want to go, growth becomes almost effortless

5. Know your most authentic values and keep them front and center in your mind (and on your calendar)

It can be helpful to discover your true, deep values and use them as a “test” for any decisions you need to make. When you take a look at your calendar, ask yourself if most of your events and to-dos in alignment with these deep values?

What this could look and feel like in your business:

We're pulled in so many directions, it's easy to lose sight of what's actually important to us and what's actually important to support the people we love. When you keep your values top of mind, it makes the things that really aren't in alignment with you so much clearer.

6. Work with your nervous system

Are you tired of hearing about your nervous system yet? Be honest, I can take it.

Well, even if you are, I’m going to continue talking about it even when it's not trendy anymore. Because it’s wayy more than a trend.

Gently try techniques in any of my nervous system-focused posts (see at end of post) to help calm your overwhelmed system or process tough emotions and situations. Finding a knowledgeable practitioner, neuro occupational therapist, or somatic therapist to help you heal any actual deficits within this system.

Many of us, especially if you’re neurodivergent, have mental health struggles, and/or have experienced trauma, have some suboptimal functioning in different parts of our nervous systems. Supporting and exercising these specific deficits can be sooo impactful beyond the basic regulation advice.

What this could look and feel like in your business:

It's become a bit of a pop culture watered-down topic these days, but regulating your nervous system can be incredibly supportive to your overall health, creativity and business expansion. If you're feeling unable to step a little bit outside your comfort zone, show up your way online, and feel creatively blocked and drained, your business growth may also follow. Building more safety and security within yourself and your nervous system makes all the difference.

Want more nervous system support for your sensitive-ceo sustainable growth? Something to help you understand and work with your nervous system, while gently healing any parts keeping you from business and life expansion?

My full nervous system exploration workbook + regulated founder bundle is available to all paid Substack subscribers within the complimentary Private Reserve resources, or you can purchase it separately without subscribing here 🩶

I'm also toying with the idea of 1:1 or small group sensitive nervous system mentorship, so keep an eye out for more info if you're interested! Message me or let me know in the comments if that’s something you’d like later this year.

Check out these posts for targeted nervous system exercises and somatic shifts:

I’d love to hear what you think. Did you feel reassured or exhale a bit when you read any of these tips for crafting capacity-led consistency in your business? Is there any of these you already do or want to apply to your own life?

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, web designer, and HSP mentor and nervous system specialist on a mission to help heart-led aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

This post is sponsored by Creativity Bias Studio (my web design biz!)

My Squarespace templates and design packages can include mentorship, nervous system education, visual brand and copy guidance (or completely done-for-you upgrades), and a uniquely designed, gently strategic, website ready for you to launch with embodied confidence. Free branded Substack visuals with any 1:1 service ♡

Note 🎵 I will be on a mini sabbatical for the month of June 2026 and my email and message responses may be delayed. Please still inquire or message me at any time, but thank you for your patience if it takes longer for me to get back to you:

Explore web design services

Have questions about what it’d be like to work together? Send me a message!

When I was in high school, college, and even for a bit of time post-graduate school, all I wanted was to be perceived by others as a “cool girl.” In pursuit of that absolutely perfect balance of kindness and softness with a mysterious depth of grit and attitude.

Mostly meaning, I was nice to people but also drank the occasional whiskey, neat.

And truthfully, I am kind of that person.

But I’m definitely finding out I’m authentically a lot less “cool” than I once carefully curated myself to be. (and I haven’t had much, if any, alcohol since I was in Italy a couple years ago.)

But curation comes at the expense of losing authenticity and truth, 2 of my deeply intrinsic values.

I can deeply empathize with feeling like hiding yourself is the only option when success, jobs, stability, relationships, and other important things are at stake.

And you may have heard about how your nervous system and “lizard brain” aim to keep you safe, above most everything else, especially when you find yourself in these tough situations where it feels like your life and livelihood are somehow on the line.

Anything that feels unsafe, unclear, unsure, exposing in some way, will naturally cause fear.

So what are we supposed to actually do when we have dreams that directly threaten the modes of masking and safety that are deeply ingrained and rightly preferred by our nervous systems?

Hiding yourself changes ev-uh-ri-thing…at a cellular level

First, I want to paint you a metaphorical picture of just how deeply this hiding yourself effects everything.

You probably have already experienced the fatigue, the low mood, the overthinking every thing you did and said after a social event where you’ve been masking.

Added up, these masking experiences can start to water down or start to feel more natural than your authentic self.

And before we go any further,

What I think masking is not: editing your language or word choices in order to explain something clearly to the specific person/people you’re talking with, holding yourself back from expressing excessive anger or criticism,

There IS a time and place for regulating your completely authentic-in-the-moment self in the name of caring for others and upholding your own personal values.

The science of masking

So what does masking really impact? What’s the harm? You might not understand who you are, and your nervous system, your endocrine system, every system....and everything down to your cells...can show the impact.

Masking creates an experience of chronic stress, and this study suggests that chronic stress can even directly effect the function of your mitochondria (literally, your energy and, say it with me, “powerhouse of the cell!”)

There’s been some additional research on the impact of masking in autistic adults, indicating extra masking directly correlates with high levels of psychological distress. And masking can be present in many people, with and without autism.

Your masking is blocking your manifestation

And hiding yourself is preventing you from knowing what you want and how to reach these goals.

So let’s take some of this science-y info a step further and apply it practically and directly to your life and dreams.

This isn’t gonna be your average how to manifest info. And honestly, I’m not completely on board to the whole manifest your dream life world. A lot (not all) of it just feels like we’re blaming the victim. I’m all for taking responsibility for your thoughts and actions. but when it doesn’t “work out,” you’re the only one to blame.

You didn’t work hard enough or mindset yourself into a better situation. If you don’t manifest what you want, there’s something wrong with you…

NOT here for any of that.

But on the other hand I really have to acknowledge how...tempting it is to learn more about how to make our dreams manifest. I mean, of course it is.

Here’s my view, based on a blend of nervous system science and my personal experience (my favorite thing to do!)

Here are the first steps to make knowing what you want and doing what you need to get there more of a clear, authentic process for you:

Manifestation guideline #1: Authenticity is everything

Did you see this coming? hehe. This is the most important thing and I believe the biggest reason why masking is blocking you from receiving more of what you’re seeking.

Because when you think you want something that you actually don’t but think you do (based on external feedback, societal pressure or influence, etc), you’re creating a goal for yourself that you never wanted to work towards in the first place.

Ask yourself:

1. What are my biggest 2-3 desires for the next 6 months to a year? Are these 3 desires actually in alignment with my values and who I want to be?

2. What were the easiest “manifestations” that I’ve experienced in my life already? What about this situation made it that easy? What parts of my authentic self were shining when I experienced this ease in receiving?

3. Can you think of something you thought you wanted, but turned out your really didn’t once you got it? What signs were already present, even when you thought you wanted it? Where were you compromising your self and personal values?

Manifestation guideline #2: Your beliefs are running the show

I don't know with 100% certainty how this happens, but it seems like people can really feel or experience your limiting beliefs, even across the internet.

And these are the things that keep us from believing that the things we actually want are actually possible.

Everyone has these types of beliefs. You don’t have them just because you were masking or inauthentic in a situation. But these beliefs make it feel even more impossible to receive what is so perfect for you.

And thanks to neuroplasticity, you can always be changing and doing just a little bit better with managing these limiting thoughts and beliefs.

Ask yourself:

1. When you think about what you’re desiring in your life, what fears or tender areas come to the surface? Where do you feel this tension in your body?

2. Where are you settling for things that feel “easier” for you to achieve? It’s ok to go after these things, but are they really on the pathway to what you want?

3. How can I support myself, talk to myself, encourage myself, as I uncover more about this belief? How would I support a loved one through this belief?

Go deeper into understanding, somatically shifting, and managing your beliefs with this beautiful 3 part series:

How did this land for you? I hope you’re empowered even more to keep showing up as yourself. Because the world needs to hear more what sensitive humans have to say. Reflect privately or let me know in the comments:

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share The Sensitive Creative

Sending lots of love,

ps ~

If launching an amazing, yet manageable, website that feels like home
and growing your digital presence around your nervous system, not in spite of it, is on your “manifestation” list, I’d love to work together!

Explore web design possibilities

and maybe you cling more tightly to everything that’s “yours”

But when you start to let go, declutter, or are forced to through loss…the whole world is somehow more yours and, at the same, more for everybody.

Which got me thinking and wondering about what happens when we intentionally “spring clean” our brains. Not to get rid of stuff necessarily, but to clear space for creative thoughts and inspiration to freely flow.

To make room for your own joy and abundance while also truly celebrating the joys and abundance of others.

I’ve filled this post with some intentional prompts and questions I’ve been asking myself lately to help get more clear and aligned with what’s actually important to me and how I can better manage my energy to experience and move forward with those important things.

Anddd I have a gift I’m really excited to give you: create your own personal copy of my digital daily energy check-in + gentle planner I’ve been using to help give myself the permission to slow down when I really need to. You’ll find that near the bottom of this post.

Are you overspending your time and energy on things that you don’t really want to be?

And how can you know better what really aligns with you, your capacity, your strengths, your preferences…

Here are some kind questions and gentle prompts to ask yourself:

1. How are you being supported?

Typically, when I’m trying to figure out a problem like how to get everything done, I think of things like how I could get more actual support dead last.

But I’m trying to make a shift to allow others to support me and also give myself support when I need it, so this is my first prompt for you and for me.

Consider: Am I getting enough support in tackling all the to-dos on the list? Are there anythings I could delegate? Am I getting the right type of support? How can I plan ahead or support myself ahead of time?

2. Match your default plan to who you are now (not the ideal)

Another gentle shift that I’m getting into this week is whenever I get an idea for something bright and shiny and new, I’m pausing before jumping head first into that idea.

Instead, first I think about who I currently am and who I am currently being. Would that girl be excited to do everything that is involved in bringing this idea into being, consistently? Not my ideal self, or someone I wish I was…but who I am right now.

Not to discourage myself, but to but a few pitstops or boundaries in place before I over-commit.

Consider: Having a lot of awesome ideas is great. But do you feel like you need to pursue all of them? Where can you create a place for your ideas to live and breathe for the moment so you don’t feel like it’s your responsibility right now to bring them to life?

And remember that everything you say “yes” to doesn’t only affect itself

Take a moment to think about what impact a new idea or new commitment have on other areas of your life? Will it force or take the direction of your life different from where you really want it to go? Will where it take you be grounded in your values and priorities?

This also goes for the people asking you to do something. Before you automatically say yes, remember that your yes isn’t just a yes for that thing, but a yes for spending your energy, time, and resources.

3. Audit your must-dos and non-negotiables

How much of your time is decided for you? Or that you’ve already committed to? Is that already more than what you know works best for you?

Consider: What are the things you already have scheduled for next month before it even starts (in your mind or on paper)? Write those down to get a bigger picture of where your energy is going to go, before you’re even in it.

This cues you into your big-picture and lets you know where in general your time and resources are being spent. Where are you “spending” on things that don’t really matter to you or your loved ones? What happens to your mood when you do overspend on these?

4. Check in with yourself and your available capacity daily

And what’s helped me most recently is getting concrete feedback. To see the actual evidence that shows I really need to slow down and rest.

In a perfect world, I’d be able to allow myself and take all the time I need to rest without evidence or permission.

But, I know how tough it is to give yourself that permission to rest or slow down, even when you do have the time. Especially for people with chronic medical conditions, chronic pain, and neurodivergent people, it can be especially tricky and layered to completely understand when and why you need more rest than you’re getting. It can be tough to receive clear signals from your body or tune into your interoception.

So I’ve created this simple, interactive energy-led daily check-in for myself that I think you also will enjoy using:

Download the daily energy check-in

(free beta version of this product, opens in Canva)

Make sure to click “publish website” to save your own personal copy. When you save your own copy, the website won’t be public (unless you share the url with someone), but I recommend setting a password for added security if you’re using it as a journal (see how in the video below).

How to download and use my energetic check-in ↓

Hahahaha I’m laughing at how much I started rambling at the end of this video.
What I meant was:

• you can add this webpage you created to your phone’s home screen to use it as a password protected app (how to add a website to your phone’s home screen)

• you can alternatively create your own physical version of this by:

  • adding these prompts to a journal

  • using a dry erase board to check in with yourself daily

  • recording your answers in a hybrid digital/analog system like Rocketbook (my fave for journalling on paper: the paper and pens are erase-able, so you can reuse the paper over and over, and you can also upload your entries to the Rocketbook app or digital files for safe keeping)

Let me know if you have questions!

And this digital energy check-in planner was initially shared last December, feel free to explore the post to dive even deeper into some gentle planning inspo:

I hope this was insightful and hugely helpful for you. Let me know if you tried out the energy check-in and how it went for you! Is there anything else that you are having trouble with when it comes to balancing your ambition and goals with your available energy and capacity? I’d love to hear from you!

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, web designer, and HSP mentor and nervous system specialist on a mission to help heart-led aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

This post is sponsored by Creativity Bias Studio (my web design biz!)

My Squarespace templates and design packages can include mentorship, nervous system education, visual brand and copy guidance (or completely done-for-you upgrades), and a uniquely designed, gently strategic, website ready for you to launch with embodied confidence. Free branded Substack visuals with any 1:1 service ♡

Note 🎵 I will be on break from web design stuff for the month of June 2026 and my email and message responses may be delayed. Please still inquire or message me at any time, but thank you for your patience if it takes longer for me to get back to you:

Explore web design services

Have questions about what it’d be like to work together? Send me a message!

As of now, Substack is the only social media I’ve used in my business for any length of time (besides Pinterest if you count that - I don’t really, it’s more like a creative outlet and search engine).

Much of that has to do with just how easy and exciting and motivating it is. And how it feels in most alignment with how I want to share and express. Even though I’m a visual learner/visual artist deep in my heart, writing somehow feels like the most authentic way I can be myself sometimes.

Here on Substack, even when I’m not getting a lot of engagement, the vibes here are more comfortable and less overwhelming than other social media platforms I’ve looked at. It just flows.

But also even here, I’m starting to feel unsure.

Like the floor could just be pulled out from under me. I’m unsure about how I’m being received and perceived, and how I’m impacting the lives of others (I hope positively, if I am). Part of this is probably cuz of my lack of social media use in general and lack of experience just with how it is “being” yourself online in a social media setting (especially as a “creator” and not so much a consumer of it).

But even deeper… I see it lurking, my all-too-familiar pattern:

I start something new; it feels good. I love learning about new stuff. I love experimenting and starting, and that feeling when everything just starts to click. And then everything feels like it makes sense and is actually working and feeling really great and in alignment…

In this moment, near the beginnings, there’s less pressure.
I’m just here having fun, right?

Then, all of a sudden, there comes a moment where growth stalls and doubt creeps (no, flows) in. I feel as if that place I’m deeply searching for, the place of truly belonging somewhere—well, once again, this isn’t it.

So here I am, right smack inside these vulnerable feelings.

And I’m being taught in this very moment that actually feeling like I belong cannot be based solely on something external to me.

But to tell the truth…

Read more

It seems like we all have beliefs and thoughts that just seem to get in the way of what we’re really wanting for our lives.

Call them whatever you want - limiting beliefs, self sabotage…

But something I’ve noticed so strongly in both myself and my clients is a deep fear of being overwhelmed. A fear of the possibility of overwhelm. We’ve forced ourselves to function wayyy too far outside of our capacity for too long, too many times that we’re sensitized to anything that might pose this same type of threat or possibility.

So, if you have a couple minutes, let’s soften some of that fear and tension together.

Because you cannot comfortably accept and sustain the level of success that you cannot hold.

And, hey, perhaps maybe you’d like to subscribe if you haven’t yet?

Subscribe now

Feel the fear, build some safety first, and do it anyway

Building off of last week’s post…

Bring to mind some of these unhelpful thoughts and beliefs you tell yourself that just add to your burden of overwhelm…things like:

I don’t fit in; I’m not good/smart/loud/ambitious enough to follow through on ____ dream; I don’t know why anyone would want to work with/buy from me; etc…

Or, if you’re anything like me: I don’t belong. (post coming tomorrow, May 8 2026)

Set aside just a few moments (now, or schedule it to return to when you can) to check in with your physical body.

Where can you feel some tension is held when you think about these thoughts or beliefs?

If nothing jumps out at you at first, can you pay attention to your shoulders, neck, stomach, hands, hips, jaw? These are common places that hold tension when there’s mental anguish.

Sit with that for a moment…

Then when you’re ready, here’s a simple, supportive 2 step process to soften some of this tension and release a bit of the intensity:

1. Replace tension with ease

   This exercise is adapted from one I might implement with someone dealing with chronic pain and/or sensory or motor impairments from neurological conditions, so absolutely please consult your own medical team or neuro occupational therapist or physical therapist for personalized guidance if this is you. even though I’m a licensed and registered OT, I’m not yours 😁*

   1. Bring your attention to the area(s) of tension when you think about this belief

   2. Then release that attention for a moment, letting your attention land on an area of your body that feels good, relaxed, or “happy” in some way

   3. Bring that feeling of ease, good, relaxation, happiness back to the area of tension with your attention, almost as if the ease has replaced or has been transposed on top of the tension

   4. Repeat as needed, bringing ease back to tension

2. Hold yourself

   1. Next, you can give yourself a hug, arms crossed in front of you with your hands resting near or on top of your opposite shoulder (or across your chest if this reaching is too uncomfortable or not accessible for you)

   2. Start tapping your hands, 1 at a time, back and forth

   3. If it feels supportive, repeat a loving phrase at the same time you’re tapping with your hands: I am good enough. I’m trying my best. Phrases that are empowering, but not unreasonable or unrealistic jumps to hugely positive thinking like “I’m perfect just as I am” etc if you’re not feeling that yet. See below for more loving phrases and swaps you can try out

   4. move however you need to throughout (rock side to side, breath deeply, sigh…)

So instead of…..

gently replace with these while you’re tapping your shoulders….

I can’t handle it

I’m resilient*

I’m stupid and inadequate

I am capable*

I’ll be too confused or look unsure

My authenticity and vulnerability are strengths

I’ll make a fool of myself

I don’t belong

There are people who do love me

I’m insignificant

I’m not good enough

What value could I possibly bring??

I am good enough

*Or if you want and even softer shift so that don’t maybe feel as “fake” or “forced” in the moment, try some of these variations…

I’m becoming more resilient every day

I can build my capabilities and skills as slowly and surely as I need to

I can learn from my mistakes

Whatever comes up for you….

If you’re having some trouble feeling like something is just right, or if you want another way to think about what replacement phrase might be most supportive for you, think about what might be something you would deeply appreciate and cherish being told by a loved one when you’re dealing with these limiting thoughts/beliefs?

And then…just continue hugging yourself for a few moments.

No reflection questions for now, but definitely journal if you feel the desire to process this experience through writing.

I’d love to hear what you think and feel about this practice…

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth and slowness in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share The Sensitive Creative

Sending lots of love,

PS - My new paid Substack tier is now here for 60-75% off full price. (make sure to open this link in a browser to get the full discount - doesn’t always show up in app!)

Consider it your supportive sensitive life & business side kick.
You’ll get access to deeper posts in the Inner Library and the complete Private Reserve, resources, tools, and templates for sensitive creatives and entrepreneurs.

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Katie is an occupational therapist, nervous system specialist, entrepreneur, and web designer helping highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

How I can help you:

💟 Nervous System Education & Support

How to support your nervous system and feel confident online, especially as a highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneur

💻 Web Design Services

Soulful Squarespace templates and done-for-you website design & development, made for sensitive and neurodivergent entrepreneurs and business dreamers. Free branded Substack visuals with any 1:1 service

NOTE 🎵 I’ll be away in June 2026 with intermittent internet access.
I’m so grateful for your patience with any slow responses to your inquiries and questions during this time. Nevertheless, please feel free to inquire now and we’ll schedule a chat about your project in July:

Start your project

I absolutely cannot believe this, but there have been a few people who’ve actually asked me when I’m turning on paid subscriptions on Substack. I mean, what!?? who am I to actually make any kind of money from something that’s also so enjoyable and fulfilling in so many other ways 🥹

And even though I don’t feel completely worthy yet to accept your financial contribution and support…

I do want to give you something that’s filled with more depth while I’m also learning to just let go a little more and be supported myself.

So I’ve been thinking it over for a while now, how I can serve you best and also continue to do things in such an enjoyable, sustainable way…

So I’m taking the leap…

and this is what's come up so far

My gifts to you include:

• receive monthly in-depth how-to guidance articles and/or deeplyyy personal posts (the Inner Library), paired with

• access to downloadable resources in my steadily growing, supportive resource hub (the Private Reserve), and

• help build up the Sensitive Creative scholarship (discounted 1:1 creative services to those in financial need)

60+% off monthly or annual plans for life when you sign up through June 30 💝
(which actually comes out to $3.73/month when you pay annually)

Join for 60-75% off

(make sure to open this link in a browser to get the full discount - doesn’t always show up in app!)

Welcome to the complete sensitive creative studio archive

Sooo coming up below is everything I have to offer you in one tidy place here on Substack. I welcome any and all feedback about the contents, but please be gentle for the sake of my sensitive INFJ Leo ego haha ♡

If you’re getting serious about growing a purposeful, cozy, and resonant online presence, starting a business that genuinely honors your energy and capacity, or both, I’d love you to explore what the Inner Library and Private Reserve could hold for you as a paid subscriber

1. The Inner Library

The Inner Library features a steadily growing collection of my most private pieces and posts, tucked away in this little quaint corner of Substack. Complete with the authentic, personal, and sometimes messy glimpses into the real life and inner thoughts of a very small business owner juuust as things are starting to finally make sense (and cents).

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2. The Private Reserve

The Private Reserve holds all my heart-filled resources, templates, and guides for you to explore and be supported around topics we sensitive people often need to process a bit more deeply. The beauty in this reserve is the ability to immerse yourself into where you personally need support. Absolutely no need to consume all of these content and resources, you’ll get more than enough just exploring what resonates with you most, wherever you’re at right now.

Because you can only sustain growth, success, expansion at the rate you can hold.

Private Reserve (value: $850 and growing) topics include

♡ Befriending, supporting, and working with your sensitive nervous system (bundle sold separately for $37+)

♡ Cultivating grounded confidence around being gently seen online

♡ Building safety and security during both periods of lack and expansion

♡ Beautifying your Substack template library: banner, logo, graphics, and more fully-customizable Canva templates

♡ Guides to structure, plan, and write your full website content (sold separately for $97)

♡ Gentle tech how-tos and video walkthroughs: plan and design your first website, how to update your Squarespace website in less than 30 mins/week, etc

♡ Growing your gentle business without relying on social media (SEO, blog strategy, and more)

♡ Access to exclusive discounts, including 20% off any of my premium Squarespace website templates

♡ Plus, more being added as I feel (and you tell me) they are needed

Get immediate access to both the Inner Library and the Private Reserve when you become a paid subscriber

Introductory sale:
60% off both monthly and annual plans

Access the sensitive life & biz sidekick

(make sure to open this link in a browser if you don’t see the full discount - doesn’t always show up in app!)

How to access the Private Reserve

Bookmark or save this post to easily access every resource within the Private Reserve

Explore the reserve

I’ll also include a link to this page right in your paid member welcome email for easy reference :)

This reserve, much like the Inner Library, will be steadily added to over time.

I want to provide you with truly supportive resources, so absolutely please do let me know what would help you most and I’ll put it on my list of things to create or talk about more in-depth. Let me know in the comments where you find yourself getting stuck when it comes to working with your sensitive or neurodivergent nervous system, sustainable authentic entrepreneurship and growth, and/or aligned branding and web design.

Leave a comment

Anywhoo, thanks for reading or listening. Thanks for being you.

And if you’re not interested in a paid subscription right now, I’m still so thankful you’re here and reading. You can still expect value-filled weekly-ish free posts from me.

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share The Sensitive Creative

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, nervous system specialist, entrepreneur, and web designer helping highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

Purpose, impact, freedom, creative expression, feeling like I actually belonged for once….

All I had to do was start to move one block.

Then I lifted and moved another, then another. Until an open space was created and I was able to walk through and into what I truly wanted was formed.

Ok, so this didn’t actually happen.

But this did “happen” when I was drifting off into a state of meditation this morning.

I wouldn’t say I have a formal meditation practice. Instead, I set some intentional “brain play” when I can just sit with no pressure to do anything specific and let my mind wander if that’s what it wants to do. Which, truthfully, is probably some type of meditation, but it feels more accessible and impactful to frame it this way for my neurodivergent brain. It also seems to me like meditation has become one of those things that’s in everything now from healthcare to pop culture. Which is awesome to an extent. But practices/theories/frameworks that spread like this can often become dangerously close to being a “cure all” and maybe do more harm than good. so like really anything, I don’t want to completely recommend it as a blanket “things everyone should be doing” or say “you have to try this, it will change your life!” if that makes sense.

But, I digress (sorry, one of my favorite hobbies). This is all to illustrate the nuances and grey areas and emphasize that just because something works for me, doesn’t mean it will work for your situation. I know what its like to force something just because so many people say you should…and then it’s just so discouraging and disappointing when it doesn’t work for you (not to mention if it actually makes your situation worse).

Which is why I do recommend checking in with yourself before and after any exercises or nervous system tools or somatic practices I offer you.

My favorite ways to do these pre- and post- check-ins are laid out
in my free safe visibility guide ⇣

Sooo perhaps maybe you’d like to subscribe if you haven’t yet?

Subscribe now

Becoming a stranger to yourself

In this post, I’ll explore some personal limiting beliefs I’ve struggled with, walk you through gently exploring yours, and what you can do to somatically shift some of these.

Sound good? Alright, let’s dive into the deep dark depths and fears of overwhelm and responsibility (and how these beliefs and emotions can prevent sensitive people from having the genuine impact we’re capable of)

If you’ve been here for a while, you might know that I love to help others, be creative, and write.

You might not know that I’m also incredibly rebellious (for a recovering people pleaser at least) and contrarian (or is that just an elder millennial thing?) at my core and enjoy doing things a bit differently

In high school, I was friends with “everyone” and loved being active in academics, sports, and the arts. I was in every musical and play, every music ensemble (trumpet!), ran cross country (because I was a natural sprinter?? Don’t know why I did that except to become more “well-rounded”) and played a bit of soccer. I was somewhat quiet (except with my best of friends) and yet also found my way into leadership positions.

I say all this because 5 years ago that girl was suddenly not who I was being…

At that point, I was in the midst or recovering from burnout and felt like every single request someone had of me, no matter how small, was a threat to my wellbeing. I just felt done helping others. Creativity was the last thing on my mind.

I shrank and hid, not wanting any more responsibility or step into any leadership role whatsoever.

It wasn’t until I took some serious steps that I started to rebuild and feel less overwhelmed and fearful of responsibility so that I go after what I actually wanted behind that “concrete wall.”

Before the burnout, there was a dream

I’ve written before about my story of 10+ years of dreaming of starting a business. TLDR There was a time I felt so paralyzed by fear that I couldn’t even bring myself to draft a new blog post on my website. A website that no one even knew about yet (a fact that didn’t matter to my nervous system).

And yet…I had a dream that I could help people - truly help them - in ways that also aligned with my sensitive strengths and energy needs. Not only to feel more confident and comfortable in my work, but also so I could actually do the work that I was good at and passionate about. And in turn, do my little part to make the world a better place.

But for the longest time, it was comfortable and enjoyable to keep this dream only as that: a dream.

It was more fun to imagine the possibilities and it was certainly less scary to keep everything in my head.

Until it wasn’t comfortable anymore and I had no choice but to actually start.

I took the smallest steps, the littlest actions, that I could muster (then, later even smaller steps and littler actions while recovering from burnout).

But I also noticed I was also telling myself and believing things like:

I can’t handle it

I’m stupid and inadequate

I’ll be too confused or look unsure

I’ll make a fool of myself

I don’t belong

I’m insignificant

I’m not good enough

What value could I possibly bring??

Maybe you’ve noticed these types of beliefs flutter around your own mind? What harmful things do you tell yourself to believe?

wow, this is a lot.

Take a moment to pause and reflect. Think about how you’ve really talked to yourself when you’re already going through a hard time or an intense period of change.

How can you start to speak a bit more tenderly to yourself? Take some deep breaths or a physiological sigh (without forcing too much) to release a bit of the tension that may naturally build with these thoughts.

Part II of this post, filled with some supportive practices to help shift some of these thoughts and feelings, is coming next week, so please stay tuned!

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Have you experienced something similar before? That point when you’ve just had enough and your usual self felt buried under to-dos, responsibilities, overwhelm, or just the weight of the world? And when you start to judge that, how can you start to speak a bit more tenderly to yourself? Reflect privately or let me know in the comments:

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth and slowness in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share The Sensitive Creative

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, nervous system specialist, entrepreneur, and web designer helping highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

How I can help you:

💟 Nervous System Education & Support

How to support your nervous system and feel confident online, especially as a highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneur

💻 Web Design Services

Soulful Squarespace templates and done-for-you website design & development, made for sensitive and neurodivergent entrepreneurs and business dreamers. Free branded Substack visuals with any 1:1 service

NOTE 🎵 I’ll be away in June 2026 with intermittent internet access.
I’m so grateful for your patience with any slow responses to your inquiries and questions during this time. Nevertheless, please feel free to inquire now and we’ll schedule a chat about your project in July:

Start your project

Feel free to take the poll below or just leave a comment with whatever would be most helpful for you

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth and slowness in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share The Sensitive Creative

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, nervou…

Read more

It’s currently all here on this page!
Bookmark or save this post to easily access every resource

I’ll also send a link to the Private Reserve main page in your paid member welcome email for easy reference.

This reserve, much like the Inner Library, will be steadily added to over time.

I want to provide you with truly supportive resources, so absolutely please do let me know what would help you most and I’ll put it on my list of things to create or talk about more in-depth.

Let me know in the comments where you find yourself getting stuck when it comes to working with your sensitive or neurodivergent nervous system, sustainable entrepreneurship and growth, aligned branding and web design, or anything more about how to build your most authentic creative life:

Leave a comment

Ready? Ok, so here’s everything in the Private Reserve, organized into general topics and categories.

Take your time to browse, look around, and explore (warm drink optional, but encouraged ♡)

Read more

Monthly Reflections 🌧️ April 2026 edition
Here’s to inhaling simplicity into your week
and exhaling overcomplicating and overthinking things
for the 1000th time hahha

What do you currently do with those beautifully unstructured, open spaces and quiet corners of your day? of your week?

If you’re anything like me, you might be thinking “um, what open spaces??”

But lately this is something I’ve been intentionally and fiercely working on cultivating more of. Not just because I know how crucial it is for me to have downtime and just space to breathe, think, and process as a sensitive person.

But also because what I’m doing with those open spaces (including somehow always doing something and therefore unintentionally getting rid of this breathing room altogether) doesn’t reflect who I want to be and how I want to feel and operate in my life.

So definitely keep reading if you’re interested in increasing the amount of open space in your day with my “breathing room recipe.”

First, we’ll explore how to expand the amount of open space you have/perceive, then how to invite in more soft curiosity.

Hey, perhaps maybe you’d like to subscribe if you haven’t already?!

Subscribe now

This post is sponsored by my little web design business, Creativity Bias Studio. Squarespace templates and 1:1 design packages can include business mentorship, nervous system support, visual brand and copy guidance (or completely done-for-you upgrades), and a uniquely designed, strategic website ready for you to launch with embodied confidence. Free Substack visuals with any of my services

1-2 total openings left before June 1

Explore web design possibilities

First, expand the open space

If you want a bit more breathing room in your day and week, the first and best place to start is to add a bit more to what you already do. I definitely know it can feel strange at first to add more of “nothing” to your days, especially if you’re an ambitious, curious person. The more you’re used to always going, probably the weirder it will feel.

Practical application: If it helps, you can literally schedule small snippets of extra breathing room. Put free space in your calendar before and after an already scheduled thing, during periods of transition like at the end of your work day, and/or times you know your mind frequently starts to wander.

If this feels too restrictive, you could also set reminders throughout the day to check in. Are you feeling more restless, brain-foggy, or fidgety? Could be a good time to take a 5 min break to do nothing.

For me, what’s worked best to help intentionally have more open space is to make rest a non-negotiable on my to-do list. I can’t feel guilty resting if it’s something I have to do, after all haha

Your mind, body, spirit, nervous system will thank you.

Side note 🎵 you can apply more open space to your digital presence too: The use of open space in the design world is also really crucial for balanced, unrushed, and calm and clear structures. That’s one of the first things I look at, especially when auditing or editing a website design - where does this need a little bit more open (white) space on the digital page to really flourish?

Supportive somatic shift: deep, diaphragmatic breathing is one of the best ways to expand in your body and relax your nervous system, supporting more of an unrushed, expansive, communal, and quietly focused feeling in your body and mind.

Add on to deep breathing by playing around with a physiological sigh (2 inhales followed by 1 long, slow exhale - I love this to encourage deep breathing and a release of extra tension at the same time)

And take your expansive breath one step further by trying a gentle side bend, intentionally, softly breathing into the lengthened side of your body as you slowly stretch.

Then, invite in soft curiosity

Or awe, or wonder, or fascination…these states can promote more joy, satisfaction, and creativity within your “open space” moments.

Practical application: With your added open space, try resting outside with no goal other than to observe what you find beautiful. That’s it.

Supportive somatic shift: *If you know you have cerebellar dysfunction or deficits, or feel dizzy when attempting these following practices, please do not proceed and talk to your medical team*

Scan your environment (outdoors) slowly looking side to side, a moderate distance in front of you. Play around with doing this by first letting your eyes move and explore in the distance.

Then, hold a thumb at arm’s length, focus on it, and move your head, eyes, and arms together from side to side. Try keeping your eyes still while just moving your head and thumb slowly side to side, allowing your eyes to gently refocus as you go (this is a VORc exercise, a gentle brain exercise that helps you focus and inhibit your VOR reflex and can help promote better body awareness and balance). To take this one step further to help foster more grounded calm in your brain and body, try to actively focus on your peripheral vision and the world around you while keeping your eyes still during this VORc exercise.

When you scan your environment, your brain knows you’re safe. When you “exercise” your vision, you strengthen skills and have experiences that are deeply nourishing and regulating for your nervous system.

Let me know how this feels and goes for you, I’d love to hear from you!
How do you know when you need more open space in your day? What do you do to support yourself with this need? Or do you tend to judge yourself for needing more down time? Guiltyyy. Reflect privately or let me know in the comments:

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth and slowness in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share The Sensitive Creative

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, nervous system specialist, entrepreneur, and web designer helping highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to purchase through my links, at no cost to you. At the moment this post is published, all of the linked products and services (whether affiliate links or not) are things I would or do use myself and would recommend to you regardless of said commission.

How we can work together:

💟 Nervous System Education & Support

How to support your nervous system and feel confident online, especially as a highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneur

💻 Web Design Services

Soulful Squarespace templates and done-for-you website design & development, made for sensitive and neurodivergent entrepreneurs and business dreamers

Start your project

Have questions about what it’d be like to work together? Send me a message!

Related reads:

I’m thinking about and trying my best to implement more of less these days…like: making sure to include more time to do nothing, going outside and just looking around nature when I’m not sure what else to do, leaning into habits and rituals that actually make my life calmer and better, and not trying the hottest new morning routine even though it looks so cool (ahhh but it looks so! cool!)

So this post’s gonna be an informal and gentle guide with some ways I like to holistically support my overall well-being as an HSP with ADHD, EFG, HIJKLMNOP (Ha!).

If you’d like to apply some of these to your life and situation, an FYI that at the moment, I’m not dealing with too many health concerns or chronic conditions. I’ve also used these similar practices to support recovery from burnout/long covid/chronic fatigue/exercise intolerance, but this is by no means prescriptive or implying that you should do these exact things. Please consult your medical team*

Holistic to me means more than a woo-woo flavored view at someone’s health (although that plays a part with me too! Absolutely love a bit of woo to balance out the science of everything). But coming from my occupational therapist/medical perspective, holistic just means to take into account your whole self (your needs, preferences, strengths, weaknesses, desires, goals…) and then implementing the practices, interventions, exercises, that support you best.

A side note 🎵 occupational therapy (OT) is, in my opinion, a hugely overlooked resource that can help you holistically support your health and wellbeing. One of my favorite definitions of OT: it’s a profession that helps you do anything you need or want to do throughout your day (your “occupations”) in a better/safer/more independent/etc way. Could be so supportive to so many people!

Wow, I didn’t really anticipate my Substack acting as an advocate for occupational therapy as a whole. But there you go, what a beautiful unintentional addition. I’m gonna keep it in to spread some awareness. (more on my OT-web designer professional journey in this guest interview with if you’re interested)

Finding balance to me these days means actively and actually resting when I need to. So the most important thing I’ve intentionally added more of this year to support my health and growth is actually taking things away.

Just don’t do it

Easy for me to say, reaallyyy hard for me to do. I sometimes genuinely feel like I want to do everything. I’m generally so curious and love to learn and explore…so there really does feel like there’s a level of authenticity to my inclination to always being doing something.

but, on the other hand, there’s also imposter syndrome, fear of rejection, fear of missing out, and feelings of scarcity and shame also hiding behind my drive to always be doing.

Doing less of what isn’t helpful to you really is a beautiful practice, a habit, to form. And can help you be more clear-minded, discerning, and productive when you need to be.

This is also a somewhat privileged thing to be able to practice. I can really empathize with the fact that a lot of the things you would do less of if you could - like working in a toxic environment, spending less time always being “on,” taking on less responsibility - are really tough to let go of. And sometimes you just have to power through because of your life circumstances. If this is you, I’m thinking of you right now and hope more ease is just around the corner ♡

And whatever your situation, is there somewhere, some way, you can do less this week?

All this being said, even though doing less is one of my goals right now, there are also habits I’ve added that have a huge impact on my energy, creativity, capacity, joy, and just overall feel-good-ness, like:

Lymphatic system support

Didn’t expect that to be top of the list, did ya?

Extra gentle self-lymphatic drainage massage was one of the most supportive practices for me while I was recovering from long covid symptoms a couple years ago. At that point I was so fatigued I couldn’t even wash my hair without needing to sit down in the shower. It felt like torture to someone who loves being physically active (and, as you probably know by now, loves to do a lot of things!)

In general, I intuitively feel like someone who gets stuck and sluggish - emotionally, physically - and adding in some gentle support to help my physical body get flowing lets the thoughts and emotions get flowing and processed in a way too.

There is some research on the use of lymphatic drainage for long covid and chronic fatigue, but like everything I recommend, please ask your doctor and own medical team about any interventions you’d like to try!

But even now, gentle lymphatic drainage and simple practices that can be supportive to the lymphatic system (like shrugging your shoulders, little jumps up and down on a trampoline or just the ground, walking, deep breathing, qigong) are a part of my weekly wellness routine. Just starting with these simple practices is great.

If you want to go deeper and you’re new to self-lymphatic drainage, I highly recommend the knowledge and approach of Cancer Rehab PT on YouTube. I also like QiYoga with LuChin for beginner Qigong practices, which can be great for getting some gentle movement that also supports your lymphatic and nervous systems.

Daily walks

Simply just done in whatever way has the least amount of resistance for me, which means some days it’s going to be outside and some days it’s going to just be walking circles around my kitchen.

Current research suggests that around taking around 7,500 steps daily is “ideal” for overall health. But really, what you can do right now is the perfect place to start, then consider upping your walk speed and/or distance slowly every week.

Strength training - if I can, at least three times a week

Lifting weights can be incredibly regulating to your nervous system, meditative, empowering, and can support overall hormonal health and bone strength in addition to muscle strength. I’ve even noticed I have an easier time with setting boundaries and speaking up when I need to when I stick to a strength training program.

Like most things, it’s important to start slowwwwer than you think when you’re first starting out. You can always do more next time.

If you want to follow along with a program, highly recommend Meg Squats. Her stronger by the day program is one of the easiest-to-follow programs and fitness apps where progressive overload (making things tougher little by little to help you get stronger) is naturally built in. You can choose 3, 4, or 5 day/week programs that you can do in the gym with typical equipment or at home with body weight and band-based exercises. Start for $1 for your first month with code 1C2BA7921. (I don’t get any money if you use this code but I do earn free months, just FYI)

I’ve been paying for this program for years; it’s pretty awesome and really helps me feel so strong, confident, and capable as an HSP. She has an awesome YouTube channel too if you want to check out her training methods and mindset.

Nervous system hygiene

This doesn’t have to be fancy, you can just start out with implementing a few daily habits that support your nervous system.

Things like:

• observing natural beauty

• looking at a sunset

• staring into the distance

• deep breathing

• singing and dancing

• deep conversations and telling stories with loved ones

Can be SOOOO supportive to your own little nervous system.

For many of us, though, there are real “deficits” (for lack of a better word) in our nervous systems that makes the natural processes of regulation tougher overall. These could be deficits just based on your experiences or trauma or even a lack of certain sensory inputs. Even just looking at things for too long up close (like your phone!!) can literally engage more of your “fight or flight” sympathetic branch of your NS…even if you aren’t otherwise stressed for other reasons.

Here are my 3 favorite regulating things I do every time I step away from my computer throughout the day to keep overwhelm and sensory overload at bay:

Gentle regulation support for your highly sensitive or neurodivergent nervous system

Free writing with no goal in mind

Done dailyish if I can. The “morning pages” or 750 words project is a great practice, if you’re familiar with that, but I’m trying to remove even more barriers and just giving myself the goal of writing - something - typically first thing in the morning. Even if it’s just a sentence.

This also goes in line with my intention to always “create before consuming” content from others and often helps spark some creative ideas!

Scheduling time to do absolutely nothing (and actually following through)

Ok, so this is really related to my practice of doing less.

But it’s so important I’m actually going to put it on this list kind of twice - but this time with a twist…I actually schedule time where I need to do nothing. Make it a non-negotiable thing in my day.

Because rest is not a reward, it’s something on my to-do list that needs to get done, just like everything else.

The actually following through part is truly the hardest part for me.

But I’ve noticed as I improve and start to follow through more on the things I told myself I would (including and especially rest), I’m strengthening my self-trust and giving my brain more breathing space to play and be creative

Gentle prompts to apply each of these to your own life:

What do you like to do to support your overall health? Do any of these practices resonate with you? Reflect privately or let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear anything you’d like to add!

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth and slowness in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share The Sensitive Creative

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, nervous system specialist, entrepreneur, and web designer helping highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to purchase through my links, at no cost to you. At the moment this post is published, all of the linked products and services (whether affiliate links or not) are things I would or do use myself and would recommend to you regardless of said commission.

How I can help you:

💟 Nervous System Education & Support

How to support your nervous system and feel confident online, especially as a highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneur

💻 Web Design Services

Soulful Squarespace templates and done-for-you website design & development, made for sensitive and neurodivergent entrepreneurs and business dreamers

Start your project

Have questions about what it’d be like to work together? Send me a message!

Monthly Reflections 🌱 March 2026 edition
a casual dip into the thoughts that are sticking with me

I’d consider myself a naturally very curious person.

I love learning even just for the sake of it. School was so fun - days filled with learning, friends, reading, art, music, sports??! Perfect.

On one hand, I think it’s generally a positive, supportive thing about myself. And I’ve definitely used my desire to always be learning and improving as a “pro” during job interviews, that’s for sure.

But I’ve been reflecting recently…

where’s the line between collecting facts and hiding behind them?

It’s such an exciting experience for me to discover new facts, thoughts, and connections between sometimes unrelated info.

But it also feels a bit humbling to realize that despite all the knowledge I’ve stockpiled and life lessons I’ve experienced, the answers to our deepest questions are more often than not so much simpler than what all the facts, and that insatiable drive to have all the information, seem to indicate.

And that’s also a bit exciting and freeing and even regulating, if you let it be.

A couple years ago, I noticed a seemingly strange but wonderful thing happening as I felt more grounded and quietly confident while recovering from burnout: I also didn’t feel the need to learn as much.

Not that I suddenly believed I had all the answers, but that I was more confident and trusting in my own values, knowledge, beliefs as my nervous system was returning back to functional resilience.

When my system was more dysregulated, I compulsively would use learning, researching, and diving online courses galore as balm for my fried, overwhelmed mind and body.

What a sneakyyy vice to attempt quell the discomfort with the incontrollable uncertainty of life.

Learning is important, but it can also easily get away with dressing itself up as a productive pastime. To feel like you’re doing something when you’re avoiding something else. And in the short term, can be a productive way to at least soothe some overwhelm and build a bit more safety and confidence before acting.

Not to mention, of course, the crucial importance of learning certain skills for the safety and benefit of others (like what you’ve learned to safely practice your profession).

But much like any other vice, I would rely on learning to manage or repress feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, fear, low self-esteem…

…to trust information from others before I listened to my intuition.

And not just trust information, but actively seek it out to quell those feelings of not knowing enough, not doing enough, not being enough…

I don’t want to admit how much I’ve spent on online courses over the years.

Part of this I truly believe is my genuine love for learning and reflects my personal values of curiosity and growth. But also...I was addicted.

Please forgive me if this seems minimizing to the very. real struggles of addiction, this is not at all my intention…but I can’t un-notice the similar patterns of compulsion for learning when I became overwhelmed and the grip that it had on me. It was a way to comfort myself, to feel safe, and to avoid feeling the tough things.

The shift to experiencing more

I’ve touched on it a bit in my previous posts (especially those built around nervous system-supportive practices), but one of the best things I actively did to help myself recover from burnout was to gently strengthen parts of my nervous system.

Much like the phrase “use it or lose it,” when it comes to keeping and cultivating strength and endurance in the body, this same general principle can be applied to your mind, thoughts, and parts of your nervous system.

For example, if a lot of your job is to be working on the computer for most of the day, your visual system (an important, impactful part of your central nervous system!) might not have the varied experiences and inputs that would in a sense “work out” this system. So giving your system these “inputs” that it’s missing (for example, resting the eyes and gazing far into the distance at regular intervals throughout the day) can be more supportive to the overall ability of your nervous system to function smoothly than you might think.

So, definitely, I often share my favorite nervous system-regulating practices and tools with you here on my Substack, but the truth is that these practices are just one small piece of what actually can help you become more grounded, regulated and calm.

Like actually calm, not just masking and pretending you’re calm and focusing on how you can be calm at every moment of every day. That’s not realistic or even supportive to yourself or nervous system.

So, in the theme of experiencing more and over-learning less, I’d like to introduce a little weekly-ish series I’ll share in posts and notes (currently available for free, that may change in the future) on simple ways to support your nervous system well-being:

Simple nervous system balm

Gentle ways to invite in more grounded confidence and simplicity into your life this week

I intend to have this be a somewhat regular mini series involving a “do less” practice, a “back to basics” practice, and a “somatic shift” practice for the week ahead

1. Do less: take an intentional brain break. Schedule it in at least daily and one full day of “no work allowed” if that’s supportive for you.

2. Back to basics: sit in the sunshine for at least 5 minutes every day while you do absolutely nothing else

3. Somatic shift: Frontal lobe support for improved concentration, attention, and creative thinking (whoops here are 2 practices to try)

   1. Practice the “stroop test:” your goal is to say the color of each word out loud (and not the word itself) as quickly yet relaxed as possible:

      

   2. Get coordinated: If you’re colorblind (or want to try another frontal lobe practice), my absolute favorite mind-body exercise for attention and presence is a gentle coordination drill: march in place while touching your opposite hand to your opposite knee. You can switch this up and touch your right, then left knee with one hand while continuing to march for example, to get some juicy coordination practice and frontal lobe engagement and input

Both of these are great exercises you can do to gently engage your focus before sitting down to speak or write.

I’m posting this the last Sunday of March, 2026 - a little note that these gentle practices can also be veryyyy supportive during this time of the waxing moon heading into the full moon later on this week (also specifically during your follicular and ovulatory phase for all you cyclical humans out there). Both of these periods of time can be closely associated with renewal, gentle learning and brainstorming, watering your seeds of intention, and gentle growth after starting fresh 🌱

I hope to make this simple nervous system balm segment a kind of weekly thing, whether within a full post or as a short note or both. Please let me know if you like it and share with anyone that could use a little more simple somatic support and care!

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth and slowness in a sometimes fast-paced world

Share

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, web designer, and HSP mentor and nervous system specialist on a mission to help heart-led aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

This post is sponsored by Creativity Bias Studio (my web design biz!)

My Squarespace templates and design packages include mentorship, nervous system education, visual brand and copy guidance (or completely done-for-you upgrades), and a uniquely designed, gently strategic, website ready for you to launch with embodied confidence. Plus free Substack visuals with any of my services ♡

Explore web design services

Have questions about what it’d be like to work together? Send me a message!

A continuation of my journey to combine my occupational therapy and nervous system knowledge with a lifelong love of scrapbooking, art, and design into a holistic, creative, and purpose-filled way to support my fellow HSPs.

“Wow, you have such a great eye for composition”

“I didn’t know you could draw like that!”

“That’s amazing, why aren’t you an artist?”

For years I let compliments roll off my back without ever letting them sink in and really let them be savored (and then wondered why I felt almost starved for praise…that’s a story for another day, though).

I thought of my artistic hobbies and creative strengths would stay only as fun pastimes. I loved being creative, but told myself I wasn’t creative enough to ever pursue anything creative as a “real job.”

Until I started to dip my metaphorical toes into graphic and website design, which actually started when I was recovering from a period of intense burnout (read part of my burnout story here ⇣)

One of my absolute favorite hobbies as a child (and even now as an adult) was scrapbooking. I loved layering items, adding soft details, and designing intricate pages…and I could get sucked into flow for hoursss.

Now, I have the wonderful pleasure of designing “digital scrapbooks” for my fellow sensitive biz owners.
It’s such a fun, purposeful creative outlet for me.

And I want to formally introduce some design packages that I specifically crafted to best support new entrepreneurs.

I’ve been thinking for years about how, when you’re just starting out, there’s a lot of great DIY advice out there, which I think is truly wonderful and supportive.

And technology is always improving and there are ways to even build a complete website with AI now. whoaaa. And I’m not going to discourage you if building a website with AI is something you’re interested in and/or the most accessible option for you right now. I will say that we’re just probably not the right fit to work together at the moment.

But either way - DIY resources or AI-assisted ideas - most of the resources available to newbies are just packaged information without much personal or individualized guidance.

What there isn’t much of is 1:1 services for people at the beginning of their entrepreneurship journey.

And on one hand, I can totally understand why that is and it makes sense, especially from a financial perspective of both the client and service provider.

But I also know, through working with clients and experiencing it firsthand back when I was completely overwhelmed and unsure of the actual steps forward in my business dreams, that having the guidance and help exactly when and where you need it at the beginning of your journey can be incredibly valuable and kickstart something beautiful in your life.

Below you’ll find a soft tour of the homepage I created for one of my beautiful clients, Lori (Gentle Business Starter Kit design package + copywriting + custom graphics). Lori came to me after wanting a website for many, many, many years. I was so honored to help her finally bring her vision to life.

The little things that bring you joy, the small things that you maybe deem insignificant, are often the things that set you apart and really make you, you.

It’s my job to create the gentle prompts and hold the space for you to discover these for yourself as I also discover who you are and uncover the unique magic of your business - and how to organize and express this all in sometimes abstract ways via your website.

Especially for deep feelers/thinkers like sensitive and neurodivergent people, having the time and space to actually process our deep thoughts is priceless.
When we work together, I intend to provide you with thoughtful prompts and, more importantly, the gentle guidance and breathing room to make aligned, grounded decisions.

Half a lifetime in the making

I think it’s beautiful how we can take our knowledge, expertise, and experience and truly forge our own path in life and in our careers. What if our supposed “mid-life crises” are actually mid-life re-awakenings, re-processings, and re-evaluations?

For me, I guess I’m not quite “mid life” at 37 years old, but it does seem like I’m at a point where my strengths (art and design), knowledge (occupational therapy*), and topics I completely nerd out out (nervous system) have converged into one thing that I’m so proud to offer others now.

*Occupational therapy practice, for me, involves taking a completely holistic view of a person and the interactions between them and their circumstances, roles, life stages, environment to determine how they can better do anything they need or want to do

Here’s how I can help you (even if you’re a new or aspiring entrepreneur):

💻 1:1 Website Design Services

Work with me to launch your first website

• Website VIP Days: Perfect for launching small 1-2 page sites or designing/redesigning a single page for the biggest impact (officially coming soon, please inquire now for more info)

• Gentle Business Starter Kit 1 Week Website: A hybrid gentle mentorship, nervous system support, and done-for-you design experience, and 4-5 page website, crafted to help you launch confident and feel safe being seen online

• All my services now come with free branded Substack visuals to match!

💟 Support for Sensitive Self-Starters + personalized guidance and 1:1 support if and when you need it

Soulful Squarespace website templates crafted for the heart-led DIY-er who also wants a bit of structure and support. Complete with:

• supportive somatic practices to step into the role of grounded founder

• self-paced guidance to help you create your aligned branding, write your website copy, and connect all the tech things

• website template and Squarespace discounts

• discounted branding, copywriting, and/or website VIP day upgrades exactly when or if you end up needing more support!

💗 Fully custom packages, including done-for-you branding, copy, creative direction, and website design/development, also available

Explore all my web design options

I’d love to know more about what you think when it comes to your own website. Are you overwhelmed about creating and launching one? Does it seem to always stay on your to-do list? Are you worried it won’t really feel like “you”? Or are you opting to skip a website altogether at this stage of your life/business? I welcome any and all of your thoughts and feedback!

Thank you for being here, and for choosing depth and slowness in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, web designer, and HSP mentor and nervous system specialist on a mission to help heart-led aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

Have questions about what it’d be like to work together? Send me a message!

• how some little fixes can decrease unnecessary burnout, fatigue, and injury while improving comfort and productivity

• the unique needs often faced by sensitive entrepreneurs and how to best support these at work

• the most important areas to address in your physical and energetic body and work environment - even if you don’t have a typical “office”

🎉 I’m also celebrating 1 formal year of designing websites for sensitive entrepreneurs & their heart-led audiences this month! 🎉
My Squarespace templates and design packages include mentorship, nervous system education, visual brand and copy guidance (or completely done-for-you upgrades), and a uniquely designed, gently strategic, website ready for you to launch with embodied confidence. Let me know you saw this post to get free Substack visuals with any of my services.

Explore web design possibilities

Have you ever been working and suddenly realized how much your back or neck is aching? Or realized just how long it’s been since you last drank or ate something or even went to the bathroom when you’re busy working?

I’m an occupational therapist (OT)* with experience working in hospital and community settings, and all too familiar with the pressure and culture of working through and neglecting your own needs when at work (both internal and external pressures). Kind of ironic considering OTs have the training and skills to promote good work environments and functional ergonomics. whoops.

And as an entrepreneur and web designer, I’m also all too familiar with forgetting about these simple eating, drinking, stretching, etc. needs when I’m getting really into flow. It’s sometimes as if I forget I have a body when my mind is excited and full of too many ideas.

So, especially as someone who deeplyyy feels the impact of neglecting these needs, I’ve needed to become really mindful of my work habits and environment. Especially since my experience with long covid, utter depletion, and burnout.

These past few years have been a journey to find a better balance with my work. I’ve gently incorporated into my routine: making a to do list and then only picking 1-2 things to do instead of trying to do everything, redefining completely what consistency and productivity means to me, using timers and reminders (still haven’t found the just-right personal rhythm for these though!), and setting up my environment in the most ergonomic and best possible way for my health, comfort, inspiration, and happiness.

The science of ergonomics (stick with me here!) explains how your workspace’s ideal set-up and design promotes a safe and efficient interaction between you and your environment. Ergonomics can provide a great framework for working productively without sacrificing our own needs and comfort.

“Home ergonomics”

I don’t know about you, but when I’m reallyyyyy inspired and motivated, remembering to think about my posture or ideal ergonomic set-up is the last thing on my mind when I want to jump straight into a task. I’m usually just really excited to get my ideas down and catch and ride the motivation wave when it shows up.

Especially when we have so many other responsibilities and important things in our lives. Sometimes we just want to get work tasks done and over with as soon as possible, hoping to move on quickly to things we consider more important: our families and significant relationships, hobbies, free time, downtime, and freedom.

So having a good set-up before you ever sit down to work not only can improve or prevent things like pain, stiffness, stress, mental and eye fatigue, but having good ergonomics also plays a part in your psychological well-being (2).

Having a good environment can also increase your productivity and work quality. If you’re comfortable, you don’t have to spend energy finding a better position, look for distractions or ways to procrastinate.

You can better enjoy the work you’re doing and produce better quality work.

Not only is your office set-up crucial for your comfort, happiness, and productivity, but it’s also important to prevent any actual injuries from forming.

Especially for people who sit at a computer and spend a lot of time writing and typing, common symptoms of poor ergonomics include neck and back pain and stiffness; RSI (repetitive strain injuries) such as tendinitis, carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, trigger finger; and visual fatigue and dry eyes, among others.

So first step here - take some time to think of the tasks you do throughout your day where you often make repetitive movements (especially with your elbow, wrists, fingers, and smaller joints like when typing) or frequently catch yourself in an uncomfortable posture in order to prevent these repetitive strain injuries.

*If you’re already having pain or symptoms like these, please talk to your doctor and seek out a physical therapist (PT) or occupational therapist (OT) for specific exercises and modalities that can help, as well as personalized environmental modification recommendations.*

And even more so than the general population, sensitive and neurodivergent entrepreneurs may need to be especially aware of their office set-up and the impact their ergonomics have on their overall well-being.

Being uncomfortable, cramped, using your close-up vision for too long without breaks, etc can all contribute to sensory overwhelm.

The ideal workspace for sensitive people

Many people, but especially sensitive people, may struggle to be productive in environments that just aren’t compatible with them.

I recommend you take a quick overarching inventory of what your typical work environment is like. Assess your home office (and/or office at your job) and consider looking into each of these areas that greatly impact sensitive people:

1. Environmental factors

• Look out for: noise level, light, temperature, clutter, distractions

• Ideas to improve these: use noise canceling earplugs, change lightbulb tone and/or position lights for more optimal viewing, reduce clutter, reduce or set boundaries for both internal and external distractions (see more about these in the next section about areas to optimize)

2. Personal space

• Look out for: open plan offices, shared workspaces, and/or no doors or clear boundaries of your workspace

• Ideas to improve these: adapt your work environment as best you can to allow for more personal space and quiet so that you can feel more secure and focused while working

  Getting really into a project can start to feel very vulnerable, especially if you don’t feel comfortable with your amount of personal space - having and keeping personal space boundaries are critical for your happiness and productivity when working, not to mention maintaining attention when you want to

3. Time factors

• Look out for: a culture or pressure to work through breaks or mealtimes or to be excessively productive, or maybe an internal “motor” and/or a forgetfulness that doesn’t allow you necessary breaks throughout your day to reset

• Ideas to improve these: add timers or reminders to incorporate specific breaks throughout the day if that’s something you typically forget to do naturally, remove less important/urgent tasks from your daily to-do list or schedule, and make time and space to recharge to manage your energy levels effectively

  
  You can also take steps to strengthen your interoception, which can also make it easier for you to realize your internal needs for breaks, hydration, food, etc. without frequent reminders or before a need is too strong. Interoception is often a difficult skill for many neurodivergent people, but like most anything, can be improved with practice, attention, time. The more you can check in with yourself and your body, the more these skills and the practice of checking in will become a habit.

If you’re experiencing physical discomfort, headaches, increased stress or anxiety, fatigue, exacerbated health issues or flares, etc. worsened by your work, chances are there are some of these factors that are really affecting you.

If you have a day job, I know it can be nerve-wracking and feel shameful and impossible to bring up your requests for environmental changes to your employer.

It’s important that you speak up - not only is your productivity (and therefore your employer’s possible profits) at stake, but so is your own health and wellbeing. For tips on how to explain your sensitivity and how to start these conversations, check out this free example letter♡ from Julie Bjelland, LMFT.

With these overall office considerations in mind, let’s get into the 5 specific areas to optimize when you’re rearranging your immediate workspace for improved ergonomics…

Simple tweaks to create a more comfortable workspace

Just by changing up a few aspects or areas of your workspace can make all the difference, even if you don’t have an official “office” or consistent area that you work in. Here are some of the most impactful areas to look at that can have the best positive impact:

1. Posture

Your environment should work around you, not the other way around.

Ok, quick check in right now - what’s your posture like? Can you feel yourself hunching or leaning forward, squinting, tensing your shoulders, neck, abdomen, and/or hips?

First make sure your feet are flat and comfortable on the floor, right underneath your knees. If your feet can’t touch the ground, either adjust your chair if you can or place a sturdy step or box under your feet.

Next, how are your hips? Do you feel somewhat grounded through your hips in your chair, if not, experiment with rolling your hips back slightly into your chair, just a little bit, or maybe you need to roll your hips a little bit more forward, depending on your personal anatomy and resting position. Feel a bit more stable and grounded in your chair.

Then relax your stomach; can you melt any tension in your midsection just a bit more? With this beautiful balance of being both grounded and relaxed, can you also sit up a bit taller, shoulders back a bit more, and crown of your head lifting just a bit higher?

2. Computer

Many of us use a computer at least for part of our work tasks. The height and angle of the computer monitor is crucial to comfort at work.

Your monitor should be straight ahead at eye level and approximately an arms length away from your body. Eye level is considered the position where the top 1-2 inches of the monitor is level with your eye.

If you use 2 or more monitors, position the monitor you use most directly in front of you. I don’t recommend placing the monitors next to each other so that neither is in front of you, unless you have the ability to comfortably position your entire body, chair, keyboard, etc. directly in front of each monitor separately at a time.

Another good rule of thumb is to limit laptop use to less than one hour at a time if you can. Laptops often promote misaligned posture and arm positioning. If you do use a laptop for all of your computer work, investing in an external or detachable keyboard can be helpful so that you can position both the monitor and keyboard at different appropriate heights for your eyes and arms.

For me personally - the biggest positives happen when I limit screen time as much as I can, simple as that. Even my days that I’m wearing my web designer and writer hats, I spend as much time brainstorming, drafting, and writing on paper and take much of my computer work outside (weather permitting…!) or next to a window to encourage me to rest my eyes, gazing into the distance, and enjoy nature frequently.

Here are my 3 favorite regulating things I do every time I step away from my computer throughout the day to keep overwhelm and sensory overload at bay:

3. Chair

Your chair should support your upper legs, hips, and back so that your hips, knees, and feet are also comfortable: Adjust your chair so that your back is supported by the back of your chair at the same time your feet are flat on the floor. Reminder if your seat does not adjust enough for your feet to touch the floor, you can also consider positioning a sturdy step stool under your feet while you work.

It’s best if your knees are bent at around 90 degrees with the height of your hips equal to or slightly above the height of your knees. Make sure your hips are not lower than your knees! This isn’t a good long-term position for your pelvis or back posture.

A question I get a lot from other sensitive entrepreneurs: What about using an exercise ball office chair?

Probably not the best idea for you. They can be helpful in keeping you present and attentive to the task at hand and are fun and great for short 5-10 minute increments. But any longer, they also require an already very strong core to be used effectively for long periods of time. It’s tough to maintain an effective upright position for the duration of the work you might be doing and might not be the best option for office seating. If you find that having something like this really helps you, especially if you find yourself fidgeting while you work, I recommend sitting on a sturdy, comfortable chair with a “wiggle cushion” instead of an actual exercise ball.

4. Lighting

Of course you want to be able to see what you are working on haha. But is your light too bright or too dim? Do you frequently have eye strain or fatigue? It’s best to work with light in the room that provides an indirect source of light that reduces glare. Some ways you can do this include: pulling the shades to reduce direct light from sunshine and arranging your workstation so that you are not sitting or working directly below an overhead light source.

Also consider adjusting the brightness on your computer screen. 40-60% is typically a safe range for your monitor brightness, although this may be a little more or less if the room you’re in is very bright (in that case, increase monitor brightness) or dark (decrease monitor brightness).

5. Clutter

Try to keep your workspace organized and tidy as much as you can. I knowww, easier said than done. But not only can clutter physically get in the way when you’re trying to reach for items throughout your day, but clutter can also be be draining mentally. Clutter adds to stress when you can’t find something you’re looking for or when you’re trying to concentrate on one topic at a time while surrounded physically by 10 other topics. It can make your job - and make doing your best work - unnecessarily harder.

6. Body-environment intersection

There are a few things to keep in mind that you may be able to easily adjust before you go out to buy all of the ergonomic gadgets, keyboards, and mice to support your computer work and arm position.

• Keep your keyboard and mouse at the same height so you are not continuously lifting your arm up and down between the two.

• Modify your desk/chair height and keyboard positions so that your wrists are slightly lower than your elbows and you can comfortably type and use the mouse with your arms close to your body and wrists straight.

• If you frequently talk on the phone while completing computer work, definitely consider using a headset or headphones instead of frequently reaching for and holding the phone during conversations.

• And I’ll say it again - work outside! or take frequent breaks outside if and when you can! Really makes all the difference for sensitive people like you and me.

How do you manage (or how can you better manage) the sensory demands of work? How to do set yourself and your environment up for success? Any helpful boundaries you’ve put in place recently? Reflect privately or let me know in the comments:

Leave a comment

And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth and slowness in a sometimes fast-paced world.

Share The Sensitive Creative

Sending lots of love,

Katie is an occupational therapist, nervous system specialist, entrepreneur, and web designer helping highly sensitive aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.

*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.

♡ This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to purchase through my links, at no cost to you. At the moment this post is published, all of the linked products and services (whether affiliate links or not) are things I would or do use myself and would recommend to you regardless of said commission. Affiliate links are indicated with a heart (♡).

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References for this post:

1. Besharati, A., Daneshmandi, H., Zareh, K., Fakherpour, A., & Zoaktafi, M. (2020). Work- related musculoskeletal problems and associated factors among office workers. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 26(3), 632–638. https://doi.org/10.1080/10803548.2018.1501238

2. Dr. Veena Christy and Dr. S. Duraisamy, Ergonomics and Employee Psychological Well Being, International Journal of Management, 11 (3), 2020, pp. 435- 438. http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJM?Volume=11&Issue=3.

3. Dropkin, J., Kim, H., Punnett, L., Wegman, D. H., Warren, N., & Buchholz, B. (2015). Effect of an office ergonomic randomised controlled trial among workers with neck and upper extremity pain. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 72(1), 6–14. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2014-102160

4. Office Ergonomics - Environment, Health and Safety. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2020, from https://ehs.unc.edu/workplace-safety/ergonomics/office/

5. Office ergonomics: Your how-to guide - Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/office-ergonomics/art-20046169