There was a time in my life when I felt responsible for the emotional pain of others. I thought if I didn’t share their burden, I was a bad friend, sister, daughter … human.
Being acutely aware of, and feeling the pain of others can be a blessing and a curse — often it’s both.
If you are a highly sensitive person, empath, or clairsentient, here are eight things to help you navigate through life as a sensitive soul.
1. You can be present with the pain of others without taking it on. Hold the hurting person in your arms without holding their emotions in your heart.
2. Teasing apart which emotions are yours and which belong to someone else can be confusing – sitting in silence and tuning into your body helps.
3. You are not responsible for the pain of others – practice empathy over sympathy.
4. Staying mentally healthy and emotionally in tune is a never-ending process. Establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries will make everything easier.
5. You don’t need to wait until the people around you are out of pain so you can feel peace. You can feel it right now.
6. Don’t numb out. In the long run, it makes the pain worse.
7. Every day, lift the emotions of others off your heart – they don’t belong to you, and you were never meant to carry them.
8. Reflect on how you want to feel in your life and do what you need to do to feel that way.
Photo Credit : Kelly Hofer