Being an Empath During a Global Crisis
Today I woke up with a pounding headache, nausea, and an overwhelming urge to go straight back to bed.
I went through the normal first thoughts: I’m sick. Or am I pregnant? I’m still dreaming. I need coffee.
But then I checked my phone and saw the enormous amount of chaos and strife that my country is currently in. A deadly virus, a race war, grief, anger, and sadness.
No wonder my head hurts.
As an empath, I’m quite used to being a sponge for other’s feelings, thoughts, and energies. However, I don’t think I’ve ever felt it to this scale.
This is the first time in my life that I’ve witnessed such solidarity and camaraderie over not one global issue, but two. This combination of anxiety and fear of getting sick, plus the intense anger and injustice being protested, has created a massive sense of unrest that I’m sure we are all feeling currently.
Every emotion has its purpose
Emotions like anger and fear have a way of ruling us unlike any other emotion. They make us irrational, desperate, defensive and childish. They also make us brave, loud, decisive and gritty.
In a unique global crisis like the one we are in, anger and fear can be both helpful and harmful.
Highly sensitive people and empaths are especially susceptible to “negative” emotions like anger, sadness, and fear. For me, feeling another person’s anxiety is the worst thing ever. I already have GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), so to add more anxiety on top of what I deal with daily is never fun.
The way I deal with these overwhelming energies is to take a step back, center myself, and remind myself that every emotion has its purpose.
Even if you don’t see it in the moment, every feeling you’ve felt has served a purpose for you or for another. When you’re angry, you see injustice. When you’re sad, you feel a loss. When you’re scared, you sense a threat. The human body is a complex machine full of logical, purposeful systems that help us to survive and grow. Emotions are a part of that.
Whenever I feel overwhelming emotions - whether they’re my own or not - I try to ask myself: What is my body trying to tell me? What should I be processing right now?
This helps me to deal with my feelings and let the energy pass so that I don’t get stuck in a spiral of stress and avoidance. And hopefully it helps you too!
Take a break from social media
Yes, I’m saying it. Ignorance is bliss. A huge contributor to emotional overwhelm for empaths is social media, news, and the internet. It makes sense, since it’s the greatest place to find millions of people, each with their own problems and emotions. Trying to gather all that information and remain unaffected is nearly impossible, especially for highly sensitive people.
Now I’m not saying you should ignore the state of the world right now or not participate in protests or activism. I’m saying if you can’t do it anymore, if you need a day away to take care of yourself, do it. You can help others best when you take a step back and come from a loving, healthy place.
A scroll through Instagram, at least for me, is just like going to a concert. It’s a bunch of snippets of other people’s lives and issues, all wrapped up into one giant mess of energy. Just because you’re not physically with those people doesn’t mean you can’t absorb their energy.
You shouldn’t be afraid to take time for yourself to recharge and process. Imagine going to a huge concert with thousands of people, dancing and talking all night, and absorbing all the chaos of the people around you. You’d need a day to rest afterwards, right?
My Favorite Ways to Combat Emotional Overwhelm
Ground yourself. The main reason Empaths can get emotional overwhelm is that they are often floating in the psychic realm. We spend most of our time picking up on unseen patterns and listening to our inner world. Getting grounded in the physical world can take us out of that head space and allow us a break from all those energies.
Take some alone time. Taking time for yourself is critical as an Empath. Go on a walk, take a long shower, do whatever you can to separate yourself from any negative energy around you. While you can’t run away from things forever, sometimes it’s important to take a break and recharge.
Create a shield. When I know I’m going to be in a situation with lots of chaotic energy I like to create my own “shield” of sorts by imagining a bright light (or my aura) surrounding my whole body and protecting me from any negativity. This can also be used to cleanse yourself of negative energy.
Ask for help. Call on your spirit guides, deities, whatever you believe in, and ask for them to help protect you.
I hope this helps all you fellow Empaths out there. I know how troubling it can be sometimes, but being a highly sensitive person is a gift! It’s a beautiful thing - being able to feel and sense what others don’t. When it gets too much, remember that you are gifted with a wonderful tool capable of great healing and compassion.