So you think you’re an empath? If you are, one of the most important things you can do is protect yourself. Empaths take on the emotions of others. If you don’t take control of your empathy, you’ll find yourself always being held hostage by the emotional crises and disturbances of others.
However, empathy is not all bad. With control over your empathy, you can be perceptive, insightful and downright psychic. If you can walk into a room and pick up on the emotions of others, you can be proactive about meeting the needs of people who are in your life since you’ll know what they need without them having to tell you. Since some people are not in touch with their emotions, it’s not unusual for empaths to know what’s really going on with a person before that person realizes it himself or herself.
Have you ever been in a relationship and sensed the troubled feelings of a loved one before he or she knew those feelings even existed? It may very well have been empathy in action.
So how do you gain some semblance of control over your empathy? Rose Rosetree is one of the pre-eminent voices on empathy. An empath herself, she provides practical strategies for dealing with heightened sensitivity. One things she points out is that hypochondria is common among empaths. While they may think they are focused on illnesses they don’t have because they are hypochondriacs, in many cases they’re actually picking up on the illnesses of those who are around them. In Empowered by Empathy : 25 Ways to Fly in Spirit
Another resource that may be helpful to empaths is The Complete Empath Toolkit, an ebook and Webinar package, by spiritual coach and counselor Dr. Michael Smith. Having done extensive work for the last 20 years helping empaths to recognize their gifts and use their sensitivity to thrive, Dr. Smith provides lessons on managing your energy so you’re not overwhelmed by the energy of everyone else. If you’re tired of being physically drained whenever you’re in a crowded room, you want to learn how to better manage the anxious energy of others in your office, or you want to get a better handle on your emotions before your next love relationship, this toolkit could be the solution you’ve been looking for.
Awareness that you are an empath is powerful. With awareness, you can intend clarity of emotion. When you’re unsure whether you’re feeling your emotions or those of somebody else, quietly set the intention that the baggage of others be gone from your aura. If the emotions are not yours, you’ll be free. If they are, accept and deal with them.
I am able to feel others phyaicsl AND emotional pain. I can only feel their phyaicsl pain when I set the intention to do so (for example, during a Reiki treatment session). I wonder if those who suffer from fibromyalgia are phyaicsl empaths? It would be interesting to explore.