Once I understood I was empathic (the ability to understand and share the feelings of others), I was so relieved because it explained so much! It explained so much of what I was feeling, sensing, FEARING, which did not make sense. It explained why I could become overwhelmed and panicked-feeling in Target or in public places out of nowhere. It explained why sometimes I couldn’t feel my intuition or make a decision.

I was picking up on the energy of others.

I was unknowingly tapping into a collective conscious which I didn’t know existed.

And once I knew, it was such a relief.

You see, knowing that I could tap into the emotions of others brought the awareness that I so badly needed. When I worked in an office, I would go in happy, swear that I was going to have a great day and not let anything get to me, and by lunch I was a wreck and going out to lunch with coworkers to vent and dream about how to quit. At night, I would once again wonder why I took things so personally. I knew it was a job and I was grateful for the income. The next day, same thing.

I was internalizing the energy of others.

When I worked in Human Resources, people would come into my office to vent. They vent and then I would work with them on solutions. Which is a great function of HR and helps keep people from saying/doing things they may otherwise regret. It helps employees see both sides of a problem. BUT, I would internalize the negativity. It would become mine, which is not good.

It was magnified being a stay-at-home Mom around kids! I think I absorbed all the parents fears and worries just standing at the park.

Once I knew, I began researching Empathy for some tools. Now I see it as a gift that helps me tap into energy for healing purposes and allows me to send back anything that does not belong to me. I can feel when I may be feeling overwhelmed by emotions that are not my own – like with the elections between Hilary and Trump! The collective fear was strong and I literally had to detach from it or I would fall apart.

Discovering I was empathic, being able to learn which thoughts belonged to me and which did not, allowed me to address physical symptoms I was having and get to the root cause of many blocks in my life.

Here are some tools which have helped me, and may help you, if you suspect you are empathic. Even if you are not, these tools are still helpful if you are sensitive to energy. When you think about it, we are all energy and living with each other’s energy, so it makes sense that it would be included in our self-care.

1. Invoke a light shield/energy bubble

You can invoke a light shield and remain in an energy bubble where only the highest vibrations can enter your field. I do this before I go into any public space. If you’re attuned for Reiki, it takes it up a notch and you can invoke your light shield that way (“Reiki on – I am surrounded by Reiki energy and light. Only the highest vibrations can enter my field.”). You basically ask your angels, guides, or the universe to surround you in light and visualize you are enveloped in that light. You can choose a color or have it be white. Whatever feels good to you. The important part is that the bubble or light shield has a high vibration which naturally does not allow a low vibration to enter.

If I forget, and suddenly feel overwhelmed in a public place, I first ask Archangel Michael to cut any cords that do not belong to me and transmute them to light, and then ask to be surrounded in gold or silver light. This is because we can form attachments unknowingly. When you feel the sense of being overwhelmed, sometimes this is what has happened. It’s almost like you are a magnet and energetic items got stuck to you.

Now I’m going to be honest, when I first starting invoking a light shield I did not know if I believed in it or that Angels could help me with it, but I wanted relief so I tried it out. I felt different! I could walk through somewhere like Disneyland and not feel like I was going to lose it trying to squeeze through the crowds. I didn’t understand how it worked or why, but it did work so I continued.

I’ve also taught my kids to picture they are in a bubble of light at school and tell them to pick any color they want. It has helped them not be so stressed by teachers who raise their voices or kids that are getting in trouble (both REALLY bother them). If I’m with them and see they are becoming overwhelmed, I do a shield for them. I ask for them to be surrounded in light and if they are nearby I use Reiki and put my hands on them to invoke the shield. I can see their behavior calm and change. At really crowded places I may have to do it for them more than once. Make sure to ask for your energy to be cleared first and then picture the bubble of light around you. You don’t want to seal the negative in with you!

2. Salt baths, salt baths, salt baths (or salt showers)

Anyone who knows me well knows this is my answer for everything. You are feeling stressed? Have you tried a salt bath? You are achy? Salt bath. Feeling drained? Salt bath. It really is my answer for everything, lol. If you are attuned for Reiki then my answer is “take a salt bath with Reiki!”

I’ve even spent time researching the types of salts and have this favorite dead sea salt. I sit for at least 20 minutes, preferably by candlelight, and I don’t wash it off when I am done. If you have a favorite relaxing essential oil, add a few drops. I like Balance, Serenity and lavender.

If you are not a bath person, you can use salt in the shower. Put a little salt in a dish and rub it carefully on your skin. It is abrasive so you want to be gentle.

Both the salt bath and salt shower have the same effect – it washes the unwanted energy away. It feels so good for us sensitive folk! My boys love it too. They play in the tub rather than relax, but they end up so calm after and will ask for salt baths which lets me know that it does do something for them too.

3. Meditate and cut draining cords

This is key. Through visualization you can cut energetic cords that do not belong to you. I relax, tune into where I feel drained. The first place that comes to mind, I go with as the spot where there’s a cord. I picture an Angel, with a gold sword, cut the cord and transmute it to light. I picture the entire cord is pulled out of me and then I imagine a green, healing salve of light rubbed into the spot where the cord was. It’s okay if you don’t understand cords, but if you picture it and you see it, go ahead and ask that “all cords that do not belong to me are cut” and see if you notice a difference. After you do this for a while, you may start to feel the difference. Especially if you have walked through crowded airports or amusement parks. Even Target on a weekend (agh!).

4. Unplug!

This is a big one. I realized that I unknowingly tap into a collective conscious. For example, in CA we received a 7-day warning for earthquakes. When I read the warning I could feel the collective fear. My own fear but times a million! I had to picture myself detaching from the fear. It didn’t mean I didn’t use caution, or prepare if I could, it meant that I didn’t need to internalize the fear and be almost paralyzed by it. Once I detached, I didn’t feel I was in danger and wondered how they could suddenly predict a quake? Thankfully the period passed and we have the same risk we’ve always had.

Same thing with the Trump/Hillary elections. When I talked to people or watched the debates I could feel the fear. People were very fearful of whoever they think is the opposing candidate and what would happen to the U.S. if the other person won (or really either person). I pictured myself unplugging a cord. Like pulling a lamp out of the wall. It didn’t mean I wouldn’t vote, or that the information wasn’t important, it means that I couldn’t hear my own thoughts when I was plugged into the fear of others. Basically, I couldn’t hear myself think!

I feel strongly that more and more people are shining their light and that it will continue to grow, and being in a place of fear does not allow for that. Fear is helpful if you need to be warned to go another way or avoid a person who feels creepy, but I can downward spiral if I’m not aware that I’m taking on more than my own feelings.

So I limit my exposure to the media. I watch happy shows. I take time to really hug my boys and tell them that I love them and joke with them so life doesn’t seem so serious. I put on music in the house and dance around to stir things up. To lift the energy of the room. Then I read and watch sparingly to get enough information to make an informed decision.

5. Cleanse your space

I cleanse the space in the house at least once a week. I use either sage, or Frankincense and Myrrh, and love to play Tibetan gong music throughout the house via YouTube. It feels like it keeps things light. With four people and a dog, along with the many neighbor kids who come and go, it’s a lot of energy in the house. It feels nice to start fresh every week and I repeat it whenever things feel heavy or if someone has been sick.

6. Energy healing and/or Reiki

No matter how hard I try to keep my energy cleansed and cleared on my own, I still find the support of energy healings removes attachments and unwanted energy every time I do it. There are group healings, reiki, individual sessions you can do and I’ve found it feels amazing. Especially the gentle group healings with sound gongs. I consider it energetic maintenance.

If energy healing is not your thing, massage or any form of pampering you can do from yoga to sitting at the top of a mountain is helpful. Your energetic pampering is so important to your overall wellbeing. I used to think it came last. If I had time. If I had money. Now I think it comes first. So I am well. So I feel relaxed. It makes me feel recharged and like I released the crap I cannot see.

How about you? Are you empathic? I’d love to hear from you in the comments and any additional tips you have to support yourself.