Calling all empaths
Do the moods of people around you affect your emotional and physical energy? Do you find yourself trying to cheer others up when they are down? Are you drained when people around you feel sad or upset? After being in social situations do you need some alone time to recharge?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you are probably an empath, or Highly Sensitive Person. You may already know this about yourself. But if it’s news to you, read on, because it’s going to explain a lot!
I didn’t even know the word empath until a spiritual counselor told me I was one. I was in my 40s, and at that moment a giant light bulb switched on. Suddenly, my life and my interactions with people were put in perspective.
As a kid, I was shy and quiet around others until I got to know them. Starting school was hard for me; I was afraid of the unknown, and the fear manifested in my body as stomach aches. After I missed several days of 1st grade, the family doctor diagnosed me with ‘nervous stomach’ and instructed my parents not to give me orange juice in the morning. But the stomach aches weren’t caused by too much acid. My gut was my emotional barometer, and being around so many kids and teachers with their own emotions and reactions and behaviors was a lot for my nervous system to handle.
Eventually the nervous stomach went away, but as I grew older, I noticed my energy shifting in social situations. If someone was angry, I’d panic and do everything I could to lift their mood. If that wasn’t possible, I’d retreat and shield myself. Only recently have I learned how to be around someone who is expressing anger and just let them vent!
It’s no surprise that most of my coaching clients are empaths too. People come to me because they are tired of feeling emotionally drained and pulled in all directions. They want to claim and use their own energy. They often feel out of touch with their feelings when they are around others with strong emotions, and drawing energetic boundaries is challenging for them. I resonate, because this has been my work as well.
I’ll be sharing more tools for empaths in upcoming emails, but here are three simple ideas that remind me I am aligned and in control of my energy, even when I’m around others.
Your feelings are yours, it’s OK for you to feel them, and I don’t have to make you feel better.
My feelings are valid and worthy, and I am allowed to fully feel them, whether I’m alone or with others.
I can witness your pain without having to feel it.
Are you feeling pulled around by other people’s moods? I can help you reclaim your own emotions and restore your energy! Click here to set up a free 60-minute connection call with me. May your week be filled with self-love and rich insights. With love, Amy ♡♡♡