I’ve curated a list of apps, authors, and lifestyle support that I have used personally, and find myself recommending often. This is not to be taken as therapy or medical advice, and not supposed to be used in place of therapy or medical care. I am not receiving any compensation for my endorsement.

lifestyle

YNAB (You Need a Budget)
Software/app for budgeting. Finances are in the top 3 stressors for adults. This software and brand is so user-friendly - fun, even! - to bring awareness and intention to your finances. You do not need to like numbers, pie charts, or spreadsheets to grow in your financial wellness.

https://www.strugglecare.com/
KC Davis provides resources (including her to-the-point book How to Keep House while Drowning) for compassionate approaches to home care and self-care tasks, aimed for neurodivergent, depressed, postpartum, grieving, struggling people.

I love MLK Jr’s definition of power, “the ability to achieve purpose and effect change.” I have found that having the skills of habit-change and routine-building are ways we can feel powerful in our lives and live with intention. My favorite resources for habit-building skills include:

Atomic Habits book by James Clear
You can access support materials and more information at https://jamesclear.com/

The Plan: Manage your Life Like a Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi
She remembers the realities of common female experiences (hormones, life phases, care-taking) when guiding you to manage and organize your life.

Fabulous app
Life-coaching app that has a “hero’s journey” theme and offers wisdom and inspiration from a variety of fields.

Finch app
Client-recommended app that “game-ifies” habit-building and wellness routines.

5 Calls app
Politics and social issues bringing feelings of overwhelm and helplessness? Your voice matters! This app makes it extremely quick and easy to use your voice and make a difference. The app gives background on issues and connects you with your members of Congress. NOTE: This is a left-leaning app. I am not trying to be partisan or exclude, but I have not been able to find a right-leaning counterpart. If you know of one, please let me know!

Clever Fox
Beautiful guided journals, trackers, and planners with a wide range of topics.

PHYSICAL

https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/
Bio-mechanist and author Katy Bowman offers a wealth of paradigm-shifting information for how to bring more movement into our daily lives and many reasons why it’s important for ourselves, our children, our communities, and even the planet. Her books offer many “entry points” into her ideas, from Grow Wild for parenting, to Movement Matters that links movement to social and eco justice issues, to Dynamic Aging that challenges expectations for our elder years, or specific pain points addressed in Whole Body Barefoot and Diastasis Recti.

https://tuneupfitness.com/
Jill Miller’s system for self-massage and myofascial release. Our bodies store experiences and express emotion in so many ways - including muscle and fascia tension. Her system of self-massage give you the tools needed to connect and soothe yourself!

https://www.intuitiveeating.org/our-books/
If you are frustrated with diet culture and judgmental language around foods and eating choices (eg “good/bad, clean/dirty, right/wrong, naughty/good”) this paradigm-shifting method explains how to center mindfulness and compassion in your dietary choices.

https://www.myhormonology.com/
For any person with a natural menstruation cycle. They don’t teach this in school or at the GYN, unfortunately! When I learned about my natural hormone cycle and what’s normal at each fluctuation and phase, it was life-changing. I felt more aware, validated, and prepared for the gifts and challenges of moving through moods and perspective-shifts throughout each cycle.

ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES

(HSPs take note!)

HSPs often need a less intense treatment or lower dose than non-HSPs and the norms of Western medicine, and can experience more negative side effects to medications. We are often drawn to alternative remedies for their subtler effects and/or connection to nature. Here are a collection of my favorites:

https://www.apothekary.com/
Organic mushroom and root remedies for a variety of common ailments. They offer consultations and workshops to help guide you.

https://www.edensgarden.com/
Women-owned essential oil company. Ethically and sustainably produced with excellent customer service.

https://mountainroseherbs.com/
Ethically and sustainably produced teas and herbs with educational tutorials. First recommended to me by a medical provider.

https://thorne.com/
Vitamins and supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so it can be difficult to trust the quality. This brand has been recommended to me by at least 3 medical providers.

emotional & Relational

https://brenebrown.com/ Researcher and storyteller Brené Brown has a body of work that has shaped my professional and personal life. Any and all of her books share information to support ourselves and our relationships with others across all domains of life: work, friendships, partners, and parenting. Her site includes guides and materials to some of her most significant books.

https://www.estherperel.com/ Iconic marriage and family therapist who additionally supports are “dyads” including coworkers, parent-child, and friends. Her site includes her books, products, and online workshops.

hsperson.com/ Dr. Elaine Aron began researching the Highly Sensitive temperament in the 1990s, establishing its current definition. Her site includes her self-assessment, books, blog, and a wealth of resources including a directory of HSP-educated providers.

Permission to Feel by Dr Marc Brackett shares his research-backed model for teaching emotions skills (and why they are so important) in homes, classrooms, and workplaces.

Generation Mindful offer products to support implementing Brackett’s model of emotions skills with young children (3-12) at home and in schools.

https://self-compassion.org/books-by-kristin-neff/ Self-compassion is a keystone practice for resilience and well-being, within ourselves and our relationships. Dr. Kristin Neff is a pre-eminent researcher and writer on the subject, and her site includes her books and resources, as well as her self-assessment scale.

How We Feel app. Emotions journal based on Brackett’s model of emotions skills

Headspace app. Meditation, mindfulness, and sleep support with resources tailored for a wide range of populations: LGBTQ+, people of color, allies, parents, children, women, as well as applications for stress, grief, work, life transitions, movement, eating, finances…everything!

Fabulous app. Research-grounded habit-tracker with engaging ‘hero’s journey’ theme. Inspirational and educational content drawn from philosophers, spiritual thinkers, and successful people from a range of vocations.

podcasts

10% Happier with Dan Harris. Mini guided meditations and mindfulness exercises, interviews, and information on many aspects of happiness and well-being.

Conversations with Alanis Morissette. An HSP herself, the icon brings her insight, empathy, and close listening to meaningful interviews.

I Have ADHD Podcast. Client recommended for ADHD coaching.

Invisibilia. NPR produced where they explore in long-form “the invisible forces that shape our world.” Entertaining and thought-provoking.

The Science of Happiness. Client recommended for research-backed information to improve wellness and happiness.

Unlocking Us with Brené Brown. Need I say more?

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel. Hear a master at work. Recorded couples therapy sessions with romantic partners, and occasionally family members. How’s Work? is another of her podcasts with recorded sessions for work-colleagues.

Wiser than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She brings earnestness and humor to interviews with old, powerhouse women.