If you are an empath, you will be familiar with the fact that sometimes you can become overwhelmed with negative energy and this can leave you feeling drained and, in some cases, in a very low mood. But since being an empath is not something that you can turn on and off, this can leave many people unsure what to do.
Of course, feeling the positive energy from other people and from nature can be an extremely joyous experience, but when the negative energy takes over, there are things that you can do to improve your well being and comfort level.
In this article, we are going to be looking at some techniques for empaths who have feelings of being overwhelmed and out of balance.
What Is An Empath?
An empath is someone who can feel and experience the energy of others; whether this is positive or negative. There are several types of empath, but in the main, these people can feel in four different ways.
There are empaths who feel the emotional energy given off by others. This may be experiencing their joy, sorrow and any other feelings. At times this can be very intense and it is vital that those with higher sensitivity take the time to practice self-care and protect their energy field. At times, they may encounter an energy vampire which is someone whose energy is particularly draining.
Others may experience physical empathy and this will result in them being able to feel sensations from the bodies of other people in their own body. For example, if you have a friend who has broken a bone, you may be able to feel this in your body through your sense of empathy.
There are other empaths who have a great sensitivity to intuition and these are known as intuitive empaths.
Finally, there is the empath who has a sense of empathy with nature. Some of these people are able to experience the energies of animals and plants and other things in nature.
Signs Of Empathy
There are a lot of people who might not even realise that they have heightened sensitivity to energy, but it can help to spend some time looking at the way being an empath affects your life and your stress levels.
- A main trait of being an empath is that you may find that life causes you to feel easily overwhelmed and situations that someone else might find a breeze could cause extreme stress for highly sensitive people. You may find that you are highly sensitive to noise and chaotic situations and crowds.
- Someone who is highly sensitive may also find that they struggle with relationships because they are unable to easily manage taking on the energies of those that they love. Research has shown that sensory overload can occur when talking too much with those we love in our lives or when there is a high level of touching or physical closeness.
- Someone who is an empath may find that they can judge a situation far more easily. They will usually have a far more accurate gut instinct than someone else without this level of sensitivity.
According to Dr Orloff, a specialist in the field, one might describe empaths as being energy sponges, they will absorb the energies of people and things around them. While a person who has the ability to do this will feel the emotions of others which at times can be wonderful, many people will find that their mental health suffers if they do not find a good balance between energies.
Ways To Block Negative Energy
When we look at the work completed by Judith Orloff, we can see that there are several ways that highly sensitive people can ward off negative energy which in turn will see and improvement in their mental health.
Dr Orloff gives us a variety of techniques in her book but she also has a handy website where empaths can go for advice and information. We have some excellent techniques that sensitive people can use to help stop any negativity from other people s emotions whilst retaining the positivity.
Be Open In Your Relationships
One of the most difficult things for a person who is an empath is being able to express their feelings to their partner, who may not understand how these intense energy levels can affect empaths. Therefore, it is vital that the empath is able to be open with their partner and explain how some things might affect them in ways that others would never experience.
There is no reason to feel embarrassed or ashamed about your needs and you should feel comfortable expressing them to your partner. For example, if your partner wants to go to a big event but you know that you would struggle with crowds, it is important to talk this through and express your feelings. Perhaps you feel that the thing that is causing an issue is the way in which you partner touches your body – it may feel like too much; it is vital that you address this, respectfully and calmly, of course.
Until you are able to express your emotions clearly, you may find that your moods ar drastically affected and you feel anxious or low.
Prevent Overload
One of the greatest tips for empaths is to try to prevent being overloaded and this is very easily done, especially when we are constantly exposed to the energies of other people.
A great way to do this is to take time for yourself and don’t schedule too much in your day to day life. It can be all too easy to overload yourself but grab a planner and make sure that each day, you have some quiet time that is just for you. You might use essentials oils such as lavender to calm your body and mind or take a walk in nature.
Judith Orloff reminds us that ‘no’ can be a complete sentence and when you need to avoid a situation it is OK to use it.
Meditation And Visualisation
If you find that the stresses of the energy you are picking up from people are too much to handle then using meditation and visualisation is one of the best strategies for coping.
There are two in particular that can help people who pick up on other people s emotions. Firstly, there is the light method. This involves you visualising a white or pink light surrounding your body and this will act as a shield to prevent any bad energy from entering. This can be done at any time of the day and throughout your life in a matter of seconds; just close your eyes and imagine the light covering and surrounding you.
However, if you prefer something a little deeper, there is the option to do the jaguar meditation. For this, you will need to find a quiet place and become calm and relaxed. Take a deep breath in and hold it for a few seconds before releasing the breath; notice how calm you feel. Now you can imagine a jaguar entering into your field of energy and patrolling it – this animal is an excellent guard for the empath and as you meditate, you will see how its power and patience protect you.
Set Boundaries
As we have mentioned, it is OK to say and throughout your life, you will likely come across people that drain your energy more than others. You will become familiar with the type of situations and the types of people that will affect you more and this will allow you to set boundaries.
Furthermore, you can set energetic boundaries and this involves using items such as plants to surround your physical space. This is great at work if you find that you get easily overwhelmed by your co-workers. You can surround your desk with energy-absorbing items that act as a barrier.
Conclusion
An empath is a person who is able to feel the emotions of others; but not only do they feel the emotions, they will also experience various energies of others. Sometimes, this is a wonderful experience and can mean that the person will be able to revel in the joy and positivity of other people. However, there is a downside; the empath will also pick up on the negative emotions and energy of other people and this can lead to them feeling pain, sorrow and anxiety, even if it is not theirs.
Fortunately, there are things that empaths can do to keep this negativity at bay and these are simple things that can be incorporated into your day. You might include special meditations which can b particularly effective or you may decide to address your personal boundaries with your partner and other people close to you so that they know to give you the time and space you need to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
