5 Hacks to Relieve Anxiety and Blues for the Empath
I have been told that I needed to chill out occasionally on the stress…which is kind of funny considering that is what I teach others in my yoga classes. Here’s the thing though, if you walked around like a piece of Velcro picking up the feelings of every anxious person you came in contact with, you might understand.
I am going to go over the 5 hacks that will help you relieve anxiety and help you through the blues, but listen. I give you permission to let it all go right now. It’s not easy being an empath. << to read later if you don’t know if you are one. The world doesn’t fully grasp how we came into existence and they think it’s lots of woo-woo stuff that can’t be explained. Don’t worry, that’s not your job, or mine really, to explain this to them. I used to think I had to explain this “gift” or curse as some say, but the truth is, we don’t owe the world an explanation. We only need to take on our own problems, and that is half the battle.
What’s happening to me?
So here is what is going on with us. We can read other people just like they read the news, but the difference is, when they close the article they are reading, the words stay there. With me? When we close our reading, the words jump onto us and follow us home…or in the case of anxiety, they somewhat merge with us. As we go about our day, we can’t help but ponder why so and so was acting the way they did or we just wish we could help them because we know they told us they were fine, but clearly they aren’t and what if they do something stupid or worse. Ack. What if I am solely responsible for their bad decisions because I knew what they were thinking and I didn’t stop them. Does this sound like a situation your brain has pondered?
Now you are anxious about things that haven’t even happened yet.
Trust me, I get it. Your stomach hurts, you get a headache, you don’t want to see anyone and your brain is replaying things. Nothing has even happened. Quite possibly a few days go by, and you seem to let it go. Trying to have a great day when out of no where, feelings of sadness overtake you. You are already emotionally worn out and exhausted and now this. What is going on now? How can you stop this roller coaster of feelings?
5 Hacks to Relieve Anxiety and Blues:
- Focus on yourself. I get that you are stressed, but let’s stop replaying what is happening with this other person. It is time to focus on your needs. As we focus on them, we are likely attracting more of their “stuff” our way. Here is a tip from my new Guide. Take the path of least resistance and sit in stillness for a round of 3 deep breaths. You might want to be barefoot and put both feet flat on the floor. Feel your toes on the ground or carpet. What sensations can you feel? What sounds are you listening to? Continue to breathe and focus on the feeling of the air moving in and out of your lungs. You are in control of your breath. You are in your body. Visualize a brilliant bubble surrounding you as you breathe. Only what you allow to come in, gets in, and that is only positive energy to refill you. You have now come back to your body.
- Follow that urge. Do you have that itchy feeling sometimes that you need to get away and be alone? Maybe read a good book or journal quietly? That is your natural intuition telling you what you actually need to refill your depleted energy stores. Energy is always changing and when it is in fatigue, it must be refilled. Even more so for the empath. Sadness might be telling you that your stores have reached a really low-level. As we learn to let go from the other person’s emotions, we start to heal. Getting back to nature can also help this process, going by the sea, or getting yourself to yoga where the energy is really high right towards the end of class and then everyone melts into savasana. This is the most healing part, so try to follow your intuition here.
- Boundaries are your friend. It is very important that you don’t take on too much and that the moment, and I am not kidding here, the moment you start to feel anxious in someone’s presence, you don’t question it. That is your internal compass telling you who to steer clear of and it is time we stopped questioned it saying things like “Could it just be me?”. No. Your body knows. If you are unsure how to set boundaries, practice using this article. Everything we do has to be practiced so that it becomes like a reflex to us and we move into feeling instead of thinking. That is actually our gift, and we need to recognize it and use it. If someone causes a feeling that bring you down, recognize that as well.
- Take note of your own personal feelings. Keeping a journal will be very useful for you so that at night, you can download what is really yours and yours alone to paper. Not sure how to do this or want direction? I recently was asked by well let’s say everyone who knows my journal practice for myself, to write a guide that would help empaths. You are more than welcome to check it out, but the most important thing to remember here in all of these tips is that you have to do the work inside your head in order to make it become a habit that is second nature to you. That is where the power lies. It’s all inside of you already.
- Ground it out. It’s time to put down the burdens of others. Take your shoes off. Feel through all four corners of your feet and lift your toes. Walk outside on the ground or on your carpet if you prefer, but really focus on the feeling. Being in nature is key here, but you can also take a shower and visualize the water cleansing the stagnant energy off of you. Use sense of smell to make you feel safe and secure. Do you know what the number one smell is that helps clear your head? Fresh baked cookies. I know, I know, but it’s true. It invites feelings of warmth. Last, but not least, make a list of 5 things that you like to do that soothe you. Refer to that list often and re-evaluate it if something changes.
I hope you really use these tips and refer back to it as needed. As we start to make taking care of our feeling first a routine, we will be less likely to fall into the trap of overwhelm, anxiety and sadness. Need more? My monthly Club is always available with open doors. The content changes monthly, but I know you will enjoy it!
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