How to Self-Care Like a Pro with Human Design

I wish I had learned this as a kid. That’s why I’m teaching my kids—and anyone else who’s interested—because self-care isn’t one-size-fits-all. Your self-care is YOURS. Own it.

Human Design & Self-Care: What You Need to Know

Your Human Design chart reveals how you best digest life—literally and figuratively. From food to mindset to your environment, it's all connected. Let’s break it down:

1. Determination: How You Digest Food & the World

Your Determination is how you best take in nourishment—both physical and mental. Some people thrive on routine meals; others do better eating intuitively. Some need quiet while learning, while others absorb information best in high-energy environments. Understanding your Determination can be a game-changer for your energy levels, and well-being.

🛠 Example: If you have a “Cold” Determination, you might feel better eating room-temperature or cool foods instead of hot meals. Sounds simple, but honoring this can make digestion smoother, and energy levels more stable!

🙋🏽‍♀️ Personal Testimony - I am a consecutive eater. Very ancient. One ingredient at a time - just broccoli, a one-fruit smoothie or plain rice. I'll add seasonings, but I keep it to a minimum. I also LEARN this way. I stay on one topic before I move onto the next.

🔥 Society Tip - The traditional "Standard American Diet," and Food Plate Map is garbage. Learn your correct diet, and watch how many of your problems go away. 

2. Active vs. Passive Body & Mind

• Active bodies thrive with movement—daily workouts, walking meetings, or stretching breaks keep them at their best.
• Passive bodies don’t need forced exercise. Restorative movement (like yoga or gentle stretching) might be all that’s needed.

Same goes for the mind:

• Active minds need stimulation—reading, conversations, and learning new things.
• Passive minds do best absorbing information without forcing it.

🛠 Example: If you have a passive body and feel drained after intense workouts, ditch the guilt and embrace gentler movement! 

🙋🏽‍♀️ Personal Testimony - I have an active mind and an active body. I need to move and eat 3 meals a day period, or else it's giving HANGRY, but also stalemate. I need snacks on deck because the mental activity is real. 

🔥 Society Tip - The traditional "schooling system" is not built for passive learners. Similarly, if you have a passive body, the "fitness narrative" does not apply to you.

3. Your Ideal Environment

Where you live, work, and spend time matters. Your ideal environment (listed in your Human Design chart) is where you’ll feel most aligned and energized.

• Caves: You thrive in cozy, enclosed spaces and feel safest in your own personal space.
• Markets: You love bustling environments where you can interact and exchange ideas.
• Mountains: Higher elevations or perspectives (like a rooftop office) help you gain clarity.

🛠 Example: If you’re a Caves person, open-plan offices might feel overwhelming. Honor your need for quiet spaces when you can!

🙋🏽‍♀️ Personal Testimony - I am artificial shores. "Artificial" means border or a boundary. The "in-between." For example, the edge of a city, neighborhood or park. The outskirts. 

🔥 Society Tip - You're never going to meet who you're supposed to meet if you're not in the correct environment. You're also not going to feel how you're supposed to feel if you're not in the right environment. 

4. Your Sense: Your Built-In Safety Signal

Your Sense or Cognition is how you navigate the world and recognize what’s right (or wrong) for you. It’s your internal GPS!

• Smell: If a situation “stinks,” trust your instincts—it probably does.
• Taste: You’re great at discerning what’s “right” for you in life.
• Feeling: You pick up on the energy of a room before anyone else does.

🛠 Example: If your cognition is Feeling, and you walk into a room that feels “off,” don’t ignore that gut reaction!

🙋🏽‍♀️ Personal Testimony - I have smell cognition. I can smell bullshit. I can smell a lie. I can smell money too. I also ALWAYS smell my food. If it smells bad, I won't digest it well period.

🔥 Society Tip - A lot of folks confuse touch cognition with Autism. Others harp on sight (outer vision) as your main line of defense and key to safety, but in Human Design, it's only one of them. The others are taste, smell, feeling, touch and inner vision.

5. Motivation & Transference: Your Drive vs. Your Distraction

Your Motivation is what fuels you. When you're aligned, you feel clear and inspired. When you're in Transference (the opposite of your Motivation), you might feel stuck, lost, or frustrated.

🛠 Example: If your Motivation is "Hope" but you find yourself constantly skeptical, you might be in Transference. Shifting back to your true Motivation can change everything!

🙋🏽‍♀️ Personal Testimony - I have innocence motivation. I play, innocently. I have no expectations and do what feels most authentic and aligned. When I start to feel desire or a specific drive/ambition, I know I'm not aligned. I need to fall back & come back to exploration.

🔥 Society Tip - Similar to your Signature which depends on your HD Type (learn more here), your Motivation and Transference act as a check and balance system. You're either working with Fear and Need, Hope and Guilt or Innocence and Desire.

Ready to Create a Personalized Self-Care Plan?

Self-care isn’t just face masks and bubble baths—it’s about learning who you really are and what you truly need. Your Personal Health System.

✨ Want to dive deeper?

• New to Human Design? Join my Free 3-Day Human Design Challenge to learn the basics.
• Prefer self-study?: Take my Human Design courses at your own pace.
• Want a personalized plan? Book a 1:1 reading with me and let’s create a self-care routine designed just for YOU!
• Looking for long-term support? I offer coaching & consulting solutions to help you align personally and professionally.