Last Updated on March 9, 2020
It’s kind of hard to avoid being sucked into coronavirus anxiety. This is one news story that is not only affecting the entire world, but it seems to be propelling forward in slow motion with rising infection numbers and death counts commanding all of our attention. For empaths, the flood of information and fear that comes with it can be overwhelming.
If you’re an empath, you don’t need anyone to tell you what it’s like to be totally overcome by feelings and emotions. Empaths are those who take on the emotions of others. We feel what those around us are feeling, whether it’s their joy and excitement, or their anxiety and dread.
While the odds of any one person contracting the coronavirus tomorrow are dismally low (unless you are in one of the hot zones affected by an outbreak), it’s normal to wonder if the coronavirus is lurking in the person standing next to you, waiting to not only infect you but leave you dead with holes in your lungs.
Yes, the fear is real. And if hundreds of thousands of people around the world have this fear lurking in the back of their minds, empaths can be overloaded with the stress of it.
Empaths and the coronavirus
Sometimes empaths physically feel what others are feeling.
For example, an empath might have a stomach ache when the person he or she is standing next to is experiencing stomach pains. (This site is in no way providing medical advice. If you are experiencing medical symptoms, please see your doctor.) There are even cases of empaths believing they were hypochondriacs until they realized that they were experiencing their psychic gift.
Other empaths will simply feel the emotion of others as if it is their own. One might find herself feeling suddenly depressed for no logical reason, and later realize that the depression was actually that of a family member or a co-worker who happened to enter the room.
Understanding coronavirus anxiety
Whether you are an empath or not, coronavirus anxiety is a real thing. It is not uncommon to have some fear that you might become infected with the coronavirus; you may also worry about loved ones who are elderly or who have underlying health conditions. Fear and panic could make it difficult to concentrate and go about your daily life, let alone sleep.
However, empaths not only may be holding onto their own fear, but they may be experiencing the fear of those around them. Here are some signs that you may be an empath who is experiencing the coronavirus anxiety of others:
- You have quickly rising and falling levels of anxiety depending upon the anxiety level of those around you.
- You aren’t as stressed out by watching coronavirus updates on the news (which tend to be more objective) as you are by reading tweets and posts about it on social media.
- When you read about or hear about the stories of those personally affected by the coronavirus, you feel the pain of those who are suffering whether it’s extreme sadness for those who’ve lost loved ones or physical sensations in your body that coincide with the symptoms of the coronavirus patient. (Again, if your physical symptoms persist, see a doctor.)
How empaths can cope
So what should empaths do to minimize these feelings? Nobody wants to walk around all day carrying someone else’s stuff, and anxiety that does not belong to you is particularly debilitating. So consider the following tips:
Channel the energy into healing
Empaths are lightworkers. Truth be told, there’s a reason you’re feeling everyone’s stuff. It’s a gift and the insight you gain can be used to identify those who need help or extra caring.
Try going into meditation once a day and visualizing yourself directing light from the crown of your head out into the world. Visualize people who are suffering with the coronavirus feeling healthy again and taking control. Visualize scientists celebrating over perfecting a treatment or vaccine. Visualize newspaper headlines proclaiming the coronavirus crisis over.
Limit emotionally-laden news
Stick to the facts. Check out a news broadcast once or twice a day to get the latest facts or check in with one online news source you trust a couple times a day. Forget about checking for updates; you’ll find out what you need to know during your next check-in. Also stay off of social media where there are a lot of people panicking and spreading false information.
Set the intention to shut out everyone’s stuff
When I’m feeling the emotions of others, I close my eyes and set a quick intention that any feeling or sensation that does not belong to me falls off of me. Then I take a deep breath and I will feel a lighter sensation take over me.
I may have to repeat this exercise more than once depending upon how rooted the feelings are inside of me. But in time, I’ve found that this allows me to quickly see what emotions belong to me and emotions are the leftovers of someone else.
