Arianna Huffington's Third Metric

The icon brings to light something that HSPs already know 🙏

May 16, 2025

Quick note before we dive into this week’s topic. I’m pleased to share that Part #1 of “Spark: Build Your HSP-Aligned Copywriting Business” is now available.🌿This five-part series, designed to teach HSP Creatives how to become successful self-employed copywriters, is included free for paid subscribers.

Hello, Dear Readers.

Weird title, right? But, don’t worry, it’s not click-bait.

woman lying on grass front of sea at daytime — The Opportunity to Rest and Recharge is Essential for Highly Sensitive People. Photo by Dan Burton

Last week, I read this article about Arianna Huffington’s new outlook on life. The article focuses on how Huffington went from working 18 hour days and sacrificing sleep to “succeed” until, one day, she woke up in a pool of her own blood because she had passed out from exhaustion and hit her cheekbone on the floor.

After that incident, she changed her way of thinking and living. Huffington now includes rest, relaxation, and connecting with friends and loved ones as a “third metric” of success.

Here’s an excerpt from an associated article:

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“We're constantly being pulled away from our real priorities by work and technology and what we think we need to do in order to succeed. It's very easy to lose sight of what truly matters -- that's why it's helpful to regularly connect with others, articulate our thoughts and fears, and try to ingrain new and healthier habits in order to dislodge the stubborn and unsustainable old ones.”

Now, as Highly Sensitive People, we know that, to live full, healthy lives we must include alone time and rest into our routines. We’re just not made to hustle and, if we do it for too long, it will affect our mood, productivity, relationships, happiness, and health.

Two Things To Consider

We can say then, that in this realm (and, really, in so many others) HSPs are ahead of the game. For better or worse, we choose to infuse and prioritize rest, relaxation, and recharging. Creative HSPs need even more time to ponder and focus on their creative pursuits.
This article and phenomenon appears to be geared to Americans. Now, don’t come for me! I’m Canadian and I know we’re not perfect — we also need to look at our work-obsessed culture and over-reliance on technology. However, I feel that, overall, Canadians are better at seeing the upside of spending time in nature and prioritizing R&R.

That said, I applaud Huffington for bringing this issue to the forefront. We all need a reminder to put rest at the top of our to-do list. As HSPs, we’re still human and, like others, are often bombarded with tasks and decisions.

Finally, and importantly, many people don’t have the luxury of getting to rest when they wish — they’re working two or three jobs or taking care of loved ones or worrying about where to find their next meal.

What do you think about Huffington’s third metric? Do you think it will help non-HSPs prioritize rest and mental health and therefore positively influence the rest of the world? Share your thoughts.