Last Updated on October 27, 2019
Any type of psychic ability takes a little getting used to, but empaths have a particularly tough way to go. Empaths can literally feel like they are carrying the weight of world on their shoulders — and in a way they are.
Empaths have the gift of clairsentience. They take on the emotions of others and they can feel others’ energy. This can be a thrilling experience when the other person’s energy feels good. But when someone’s energy feels bad to you, it can be suffocating.
A friend of mine who is an empath recently shared how he avoids interacting with family and friends because in his words, “I don’t want to suffer.” When he’s around certain people, it literally feels to him like they are turning their energy toward him and that energy is attacking him. I know many others can relate.
While you can choose to cut yourself off from others, do you really want to miss all of the joy that relationships can bring? Think about it: The world we live in is a social one, so it’s not always possible to avoid energy-draining situations. Here are some steps you can take if you find yourself weighed down by someone’s energy and you’re in desperate need of relief.
Get some distance from the person.
I know empaths who will always take their own car rather than carpool even when they are going to the same location as friends or family members; that way they ensure that they have the option of leaving if the energy becomes too unbearable. If you can’t leave a setting altogether, you might take a quick break by excusing yourself to go to the bathroom or walking outside to get a breath of fresh air. If you’re at a multi-day professional event such as a conference, a trip to your room can give you time to catch your breath and regroup. Squirting the room with some smudge spray may also help.
Find someone with easier eneregy.
Empaths often focus on the negatives of their gift (and yes, it is a gift). They often hone in on the fact that they can feel suffocated by the energy of others. Empaths are also more vulnerable to psychic attack than others. However, empaths can also more easily recognize energy that feels good than others can. Empaths are often quick to know they’ve met a friend for life or run into a soulmate.
Sure the bad energy typically seems to stand out more, but if we focus on identifying the type of energy that we want, we can become good at picking out the good stuff too. If you’re in a public space with someone whose energy is overwhelming, set the intention to attract someone in the moment whose energy feels better. Scan the room and allow yourself to be drawn to that person. Walk over to them and engage them in conversation. Or steer your conversation with the energy draining person to a group where the energy of others may be able to help dilute the offending energy’s intensity.
Create your boundaries before any interactions.
You may have heard the saying, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ The saying also holds true when it comes to avoiding stifling energy. If you are an empath, you know there is always a chance that you could feel smothered by someone’s energy. One way to prevent that from happening is to set the intention that the energy of another person does not cross the line.
There are a number of different ways to set such boundaries. One of my favorite ways is to visualize a clear bubble of protection forming around you. Set the intention that the bubble keep out any energy that you don’t want to feel or experience. If you’re new to working with energy, you may have to repeat this exercise after you’ve been around people for awhile as it takes energy to keep your psychic defenses up and you may need to replenish it.
Take a shower.
This remedy is a good one if you leave a person’s presence and you still feel their energy dragging you down. (Yes empaths have been known to take someone else’s energy with them. You can leave a party and still feel the stench of the person or persons who drained you.)
When you get under the water, visualize the droplets washing off all traces of negative energy. This is one situation where you’re better off taking a shower than a bath because if you’re in bath water, you’re sitting in the negative energy for a longer time. Make sure the drains in your shower are working properly. If the water is slow to drain or there are blockages in your plumbling system, that could inhibit your ability to release negative energy easily.
