Empaths, not everything you feel is yours.
Because we soak up the emotions of those around us like a sponge, we tend to assume everything we experience is our energy, but that’s not the case.
Imagine a scenario where you’re going about your day, feeling settled and cheerful. Then a dear friend calls. She’s struggling with a difficult situation and shares with you what she’s going through. You listen to her and feel yourself getting heavier, more tired, and maybe even developing a headache. You were fine before the phone call. As you ponder what happened, you realize that you took on your friend’s sadness.
We’re not stuck going through life feeling everything around us. We can learn tools to have healthier energetic boundaries.
When we first start to feel an uncomfortable energy or emotion, it helps to pause and take a centering breath. Then we can ask ourself: “Is what I’m feeling mine or someone else’s?” Often, the awareness that this does not belong to us is enough to set a healthy boundary: “This is not mine, so I’m not going to take this on.”
This work is real, and it matters.
September 1, 2021