Strategies to Deal with Empathy Overload
An empath absorbs the emotions of other people into their own bodies. As an empath and psychiatrist, I know that feeling well.
If too much is coming at an empath too quickly it can lead to exhaustion, anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome and even fibromyalgia. Once an empath begins to recognize common factors contributing to the overload, it is easier to take charge of their sensitivities.
Even though empaths may set excellent limits with energy vampires, it’s common for us to experience “emotional hangovers,” an energetic residue left over from the interaction. Toxic emotions can linger long afterwards which make you feel exhausted, beset with brain-fog, or ill. When dealing with drainers at work or at home, empaths often need time to recuperate later. In addition, try the following suggestions from my book “The Empath’s Survival Guide” to remove any hangover symptoms from an energy vampire encounter.
How to Cope with Emotional Overload
• Enjoy the Shower Meditation. In a shower, stand under the stream of water and inwardly or aloud practice this affirmation: “Let this water wash all the negative energy from my mind, body, and spirit.” Feel the shower cleansing you, making you fresh, positive, and rejuvenated.
• Use gemstones. Carry or wear a crystal, a black tourmaline, amethyst, or black obsidian to ground yourself and remove emotional hangovers.
• Use negative ion generators or salt lamps.
• Light a white candle. This sets a meditative mood and quickly removes unpleasant energy from any surrounding. White contains all colors of the spectrum and creates comfort and calm.
• Spray rosewater or utilize other types of aromatherapy.
• Get out in nature. Hug a tree. Do some Earthing to connect your bare feet with the ground.
• Create a sacred space for meditation.
• Seek emotional support. If you feel negative energy lingering from a toxic interaction you may need some extra help to remove it.
Whenever you suspect you’ve absorbed emotions from someone else and feel an emotional hangover coming on, practice these strategies. They’re a way of clearing unwanted energy and emotions from your body.