A finely tuned perception is one of the main characteristic of empaths and sensitives. They pick up on very subtle non-verbal clues, feeling the energy and emotions of others, even if they are not obviously displayed. Body language, facial expressions or simply the energy of a person are enough to perceive what is really going on. Sensitives notice when someone is inauthentic and are not easily fooled by outward appearances.
Empaths and sensitives don’t necessarily have to work things out in their mind. Often they just know. They may not be able to pinpoint how they know, but their inner radar receives information beyond the five senses. It makes many of them highly psychic or at least very intuitive. Their ability to tune into others at a very deep level is useful if they are working in a helping profession.
But often there is a price to pay for those gifts. What allows empaths and sensitives to be finely tuned to environmental and finer energies is also a source of potential problems.
Their extreme sensitivity can create a kind of energetic overload that is hard to handle. They are also susceptible to absorbing other people’s energies. Especially negativity can clog up their receptive channels and drag them down into fuzziness, feeling heavy and ungrounded. Many only feel well - and safe - in their own space and limit their exposure to the outside world.
From a psychological perspective, boundaries are about knowing how to set limits, say no and stand your ground in an assertive way. Interlinked with the psychological boundaries are invisible (to ‘normal’ perception) layers of electro-magnetic energies. They have been described in many religious traditions as Aura and in modern science as Biofield. Like an energetic spacesuit in the form of an upright egg, it surrounds the physical body and acts as an important interface between your own energies and those of others.
In less sensitive people their ‘spacesuit’ is quite cohesive and defined. But empaths and sensitives tend to have a finer, more permeable and fluid aura resulting in foreign energies to penetrate and attach more easily. This makes it very important to adopt measures for regular physical and energetic self care.
Honour who you are.
Practice self-awareness and become aware of how you tick.
Accept yourself - be realistic about your wonderful attributes and those that could do with a tune-up.
Don't deny your perceptions - even if people tell you otherwise.
Trust your intuition - it is your most powerful inner compass. In their early years, many empaths and sensitives have been discouraged and programmed to override their own wisdom. Later it requires special effort to overcome this and regain a true sense of self.
Avoid or remove yourself from negative influences.
You will be more affected than less sensitive people. Sometimes it’s best to put distance between yourself and whatever impinges on your peace of mind. This might even include limiting your exposure to the news, horror movies or anything else that acts as bombardment of negativity.
Manage your own emotions.
Learn to ride out emotional storms, a technique described in earlier posts. Even if they are not turbulent, recognise and name your own negative emotions, then challenge your self-talk associated with them. Are your thoughts realistic and true or is there a more rational way of looking at what upsets you? The way you manage your thinking about a situation will greatly affect your emotional wellbeing.
Take care of your auric field.
Develop regular clearing and strengthening routines. Make sure the energies in your home are positive and light. Feng Shui, sage, incense, space clearing sprays or other methods you find useful will keep them as pure and supportive as possible. For clearing your aura, use sprays, essences, essential oils, self healing or whatever else you find effective. If you still feel out of sorts, you may need help from a healer.
Strengthening your energetic boundaries can be achieved through specific exercises. For example, Energy Medicine (check out Donna Eden’s Youtube video: Daily Energy Routine, original version, add the ‘Celtic Weave’), yoga, chi gong, are just some of the effective ways of knitting your energies together.
Recognise your needs.
As an empath or sensitive, you may be an introvert and find it exhausting to be in the midst of a frantic life for long time. Make sure to create quiet time alone to refresh and rebalance. To be functioning to the best of your ability, you need to master the balance between being in the world while also honouring your need for recuperation and contemplation.
Find your tribe who can support and encourage you in what is sometimes a difficult way to be. Love and celebrate who you are - not out of vanity but with appreciation and gratitude for the special gifts you have - for yourself and for others who may benefit from your deeper insights.
Are you an empath or sensitive? How do you use it in your life? What are your specific difficulties? What helps you overcome them?
Help yourself and get started now by downloading the free ebook "10 Keys to moving forward when life has changed” and checking out other articles at www.christianastar.com
Christiana is a registered psychologist and writer with strong focus on self-help, personal growth and empowerment. Combining professional experience with a spiritual outlook on life, her work offers new perspectives, insights, practical tips and easy strategies that can be applied straightaway. When she is not writing, Christiana can be found in nature: tending her fruit and vegetable garden with various degrees of success or exploring Sydney’s beautiful Northern Beaches with her very quirky little dog.