Anxiety, Empaths & Moods
Empaths & Picking up Moods
If you are an empath, or highly empathic, you feel things deeply and can pick up nuanced information in your environment. However, it’s important to note that not all the information picked up is a fact. Part of this gift is learning how to carefully craft your intuitive gifts and learn how to interpret information from your environment. This takes time and support and is often the work I do with my clients in session.
Do you pick up on the moods of others frequently?
For example, you might walk into your office or social event and immediately pick up that a friend is in an awful mood. You feel it and it can may become entirely overwhelming. Maybe your stomach starts to hurt. This is where boundaries come in.
Feel into the following common responses/ inner thoughts… Do any of these responses resonate?
Common thoughts…
This person is mad at me. I did something wrong and that is why they are in a bad mood. I need to try to fix this problem.
What the heck is wrong with this person, they are so rude and awful.
I am now totally depleted and anxious and I have to go withdraw or accept a chronic state of anxiety for the day.
Maybe this is about me, but probably not. I can let them have their experience while caring for my own mental health. Then I can offer to help or talk with them.
Healthy Boundaries…
Healthy boundaries look like coping, taking deep breaths and reminding yourself that this feeling is coming from an outside source. It does not necessarily have to do with me. I am not causing this person discomfort – it is not my fault. I can self-regulate and move through this situation differently.
How to self-regulate in these situations:
There are several ways to cope and move through these experiences differently. It takes time, practice and support. It’s essential to find like minded people to explore your sensitivity with and who can engage in healthy coping alongside you.
Check in with yourself: Is this feeling mine or someone else’s?
Take a deep breath and ground into your body using sensory experiences.
Visualize a light around your body that functions as a protective barrier. This visualization helps activate self-support by functioning as a symbol for boundaries.
If your sensitivity and deep empathy feels like it is huge – and drains your energy, I highly encourage you to reach out to a skilled therapist who specializes in HSP or empathic populations. This is your gift, your superpower… without boundaries though, it can show up as anxiety symptoms and sometimes depression.
Wishing you the best of health,
Meghan