Empaths, not everything you feel is yours.
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 you took on your friend’s stress.
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.
Many empaths also take on the suffering of animals, plants, and trees. And also global unrest and dis-ease when there’s war, natural disaster, or famine happening elsewhere on the planet.
It is not our job to take on other people’s suffering. We can do more good by staying in our center, connected to our own being in a place of neutral compassion. Taking on someone else’s suffering never has the intended effect. It doesn’t lighten their load – and now there are two people who are in pain.
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, or realize we are carrying the weight of the world, 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.”
And then take a few deep breaths and let go of the energy you’ve taken on. Or go for a walk in nature and let your grounding cord help return the heavy energy you’re carrying to Mother Earth for recycling.
This work is real, and it matters.