Wellness | Whose emotions are these? - The life of an Empath
Do you ever feel like your feelings are out of your control? Sometimes you enter a room and are hit by an overwhelming wave of emotions? Maybe you feel that you know everything about a person after just one conversation with them, or are profoundly moved to tears by something beautiful? As a child, you had a hard time assimilating in new situations, had strangely in-depth thoughts or asked elaborate and unusual questions? Your friends call you over sensitive and at times you think you may even have a mood disorder? Well guess what, you’re not weird, you’re just an empath!
An empath is a sensitive person with heightened awareness. It’s a curse and a blessing all in one. The best we can do is identify characteristics, acknowledge that you are special and develop ways to cope. Here are some common traits shared by those with gifted empathic abilities:
People point out that you are highly sensitive, and you are. You have a sensitivity to stimulants, medications, sounds and sensations. You excel in creativity and are very imaginative and loving. You spend a lot of time pondering important things, such as the meaning of life, and you are especially sensitive to selfish people.
You feel other people's feelings. You are heavily affected by the energy that surrounds you and easily develop symptoms of those around you. Because of this, people feel comfortable unloading their feelings on you. You can tell when someone is lying and you easily feel fatigued.
Negativity overwhelms you. Crowded places are your worst nightmare and you avoid negative mainstream media images. You are easily rattled by multi-tasking, have a low pain threshold, and actively seek out calm, loving and peaceful environments.
You have a powerful intuition and a strong physical awareness. You consciously manage your environment, are in tune spiritually and are a great listener. You value yourself and intently consider the outcome of the decisions that you make. You tend to be an introvert and as a protection mechanism, may avoid intimate relationships.
Now, how can you deal with being an empath?
Physically move away. If you randomly feel overwhelmed by emotions, it could be that they belong to someone else. Try removing yourself from the situation, walk away and see if you can separate your feelings from others’.
Breathe. Feeling overwhelmed can easily spiral out of control, so take the reigns and focus on your breath. That is something you can always connect with and regulate.
Meditate with the intention to shield and set boundaries. Find a quiet place and take time for yourself. It can be exhausting dealing with emotions, let alone, trying to differentiate yours from those of people around you. Meditation can serve as a restart button, giving you a fresh perspective. For those new to this practice, try out this guided meditation.
Set boundaries. If there is a place where you know you’re susceptible to feeling overwhelmed, limit or eliminate your presence there. It can be difficult, but if there is a person that triggers you, examine the impact they have on your life and consider making a change that will benefit you in the long run.
Visualise energy protection around you. This is called an aura, when you close your eyes, what colour is yours? Picture a hazy glow hovering around you, guarding you from negative energy. We find this video helpful in facilitating this practice:
Allow yourself time to be outside. We can truly feel a sense of disconnect when we surround ourselves in nature. Connect with your roots and admire the beauty in what brought us creation.
Set up a daily ritual to rid yourself of negative energy. Not a day goes by where we don’t burn palo santo, sage and frankincense, all of which cleanse our home and body of unwanted energies. Healing crystals are also something to consider, so much power can come from those pretty little rocks.
Finally, and most importantly, honor your empathic abilities. You have a huge heart, so own it! Be confident in yourself, your decisions and your abilities because you are destined for greatness.
Each of us at Consciously Connected Travel have individual gifts, specialties and interests. Our ever growing CCT tribe welcomes you with open arms. Our women only retreat in Morocco is a place for you to rediscover yourself and what makes you special. We practice responsible travel and sustainable ecotourism while discovering all that the world has to offer.