Renee Lorch, MA, LMFT + Reiki Practitioner at S.A.G.E. Holistic Health & Wellness Center
Being an empath means we FEEL everything! The person sitting next to us, the person on the phone, the social media post, the television program?.it somehow gets absorbed by the empath and if we aren’t careful, we won’t be able to determine what belongs to us, and what belongs to world around us.
I remember talking to my friend who was grieving over the loss of her father, physically and mentally exhausted from the whole experience. For two days, I felt completely drained, sad, and unexplainably emotional. Nothing in my life justified why I was feeling that way. My week was going well, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary and then it hit me! Those weren’t my emotions, those were HERS!
Being an empath can be a strange thing, but I’m here to tell you once you understand what’s happening, the less confusing it becomes. First, we need to recognize, be aware, and then learn what to do about it!
Areas for the empath to pay attention to:
Health: When you are constantly feeling the energy around you, it is not surprising that it can take a toll on your body and your health. Common complaints include:
Fatigue
Overwhelm
Exhaustion
Anxiety
Depression
Panic
And are often diagnosed with:
Chronic fatigue
Fibromyalgia
Migraines
Chronic pain
Adrenal fatigue
Allergies
Relationships: Empaths are GIVERS! They are loyal, loving, and sometimes too trusting of their hearts! Empaths tend to be helpers and fixers for others. Developing co-dependent relationships are not uncommon. The empath would benefit from being careful that their desire to help others doesn’t get taken advantage of by those who are takers. Because empaths can feel other people’s energies, it might be difficult to engage in confrontation or assert themselves in a romantic relationship, therefore they avoid these difficult situations, leaving the relationship unbalanced and unhealthy!
Stress, depression, or anger can easily be absorbed from partners, friends, or others, simply by interacting with them. It’s important to learn how to protect your energy to ensure you aren’t wearing their emotions like I was in my example above.
Parenting: Overwhelm and exhaustion is very common for the empath parent. Not only are the demands of parenting difficult at times, but as an empath, the parent is also absorbing the stress and emotion of the child/children.
Work: High work demands or dealing with co-workers or clients who might be projecting negative energy into your energy field could create excessive stress, burnout, or fatigue. It is also very common for an empath to require a lot of time to wind down at the end of day from the excessive stimulation endured during the day.
Social: Social burnout is an area I relate to very well. I think this area confuses me the most because I would consider myself to be an extrovert, but energetically I really feel like an introvert because I can handle socialization in small doses. Know your limits; if crowds feel overwhelming or if you are feeling drained after other social activities like being with your friends/family, trust there is nothing wrong with you. In this case, it could be helpful to practice setting boundaries and feel more comfortable saying NO.
I spend my day working as a therapist. My entire job consists of talking to people, holding space for them and their emotions. I have learned to separate myself from my client while simultaneously being connected to them as well as myself. This has helped me tremendously.
Here are some exercises I like to use to help me feel more grounded and connected to myself. I hope you find them useful too!
Shielding: Visualize a beautiful shield of white or pink light that protect you from anything negative, stressful, or toxic.
Earthing: go outside, with bare feet. Connect with the ground as you visualize all of the negative energy leaving your body. Visualize roots growing from the bottom of your feet going deep into the earth, connecting you, grounding you.
Water: Take a bath, go to the ocean (if you are lucky to live close enough) or another body of water, listen to the sound of rain on YouTube, swim, drink tea, mindfully nourish yourself with plenty of water throughout the day!
Nature: Take a walk, go to the park, play with pets/animals, get some sunlight, feel the breeze, watch the birds and animals, collect seashells/pinecones/rocks, walk barefoot outside!
If you would like someone to walk along side you and hold space for you to make some changes around these topics, I would love to help. Reach out today for a complimentary phone consultation.
