Welcome, empath! Maybe you don’t identify with that term but are interested in the topic, or know someone who is sensitive. You will benefit from reading this blog about self-care. Even if you’re not particularly empathic, healthy self-care is essential for mental health as well as physical well-being. In many cases it also includes emotional processing and energetic practices.
Highly sensitive people experience emotions more intensely than others and may find themselves absorbing the stress or energy around them. These high sensitivities can strengthen relationships, but can also become exhausting without proper boundaries and recovery. Consistent self-care reduces overwhelm and compassion fatigue, and also helps sensitive people start to turn their focus and love onto themselves instead of solely outwardly toward others. Read on for a guide on how empaths can take better care of themselves.
Empaths are more sensitive to emotional environments than the average person. Overstimulation (mental, physical, or spiritual) can affect clarity, stress levels, sleep quality, mood, overall health, relationships, and productivity.
Supporting others, which empaths are usually drawn to and experts at, can lead to emotional exhaustion if personal needs and boundaries are ignored or downplayed. That’s why developing healthy coping strategies is so critical. They allow empaths to stay supportive and connected without experiencing burnout or resentment.
Empath or highly sensitive person (HSP) refers to a percentage of the population (estimated between 1 and 20 percent) who are extra attuned. They have strong intuition, emotions, and energy fields, and may feel overwhelmed, drained, or exhausted easily. This ability to feel and absorb so much from others and the world is beautiful and sacred, but also comes at a cost at times.
Empaths can also sometimes sense unseen or spiritual energies and be connected to higher realms (depending on your belief system). They may mistake this attunement and resulting exhaustion for other diagnoses or symptoms, such as panic disorder or chronic fatigue syndrome. To read more about different types of empaths, read this blog here.
As you probably know or can imagine, there are both struggles and gifts in being sensitive. Some of the most common challenges are:
Here are the top signs of empath burnout to be aware of in yourself and others:
As with anything, it can take some trial and error and patience to discover what works best. But the following tips will support you in enacting better self-care as an empath or kind human.
Boundaries are invisible lines or psychic structures that allow you to maintain your identity and self-respect while in a relationship. They distinguish where one person ends and the other begins, and enable trust and balance within the connection.
Boundaries are essential for creating safety, which is the foundation of healthy intimacy. They allow you to maintain integrity with yourself and still be there for others. The 3 main steps to setting boundaries are (in my view): identify your needs or feelings; communicate them; then hold firm regardless of how people react. You can be your usual kind self while doing so. Not always easy, but worth it!
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Most sensitive souls need time to release what they have taken on from the world and other people. Carve out intentional time for this, without guilt. You need to come first in order to have anything to give others. Let yourself rest and have quiet time. Naps and meditation are great if you are able to grab a few moments during the day.
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Grounding helps you come back into your body and the present moment. These types of exercises usually involve a focus on the “ground,” aka the earth or your feet/core. You can do a meditation or visualization where you imagine a root going down from your core into the center of the earth. Take some deep breaths.
Deep breathing on its own also helps the body and mind calm down and return to the here and now. You are engaging the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for “rest and digest”). Even walking, especially in nature, is wonderful, and good for trauma release. You can also try the cold water method, where you use an ice cube, cold plunge, or shower to jolt yourself back into the here and now. Check out my blog here for 10 somatic exercises for anxiety relief too.
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Do what resonates for you in terms of energy hygiene. Some people like basic routines, such as waking and getting up at the same time every day, working out, and eating balanced meals. Others like spiritual practices or breathing and meditation.
Learn a practice to help you clear out what’s not yours and gain clarity by reading this blog here. Take advantage of your gifts as an intuitive empath!
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Be picky about the people you surround yourself with and the activities you say yes to. Listen to your gut about people’s intentions and capacity to be supportive. Tolerating negative energy to protect people’s feelings will often leave you feeling worse or with empathy burnout.
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For empaths and sensitive people, or if you have trauma in your past, self-care can feel terrifying at first. You may fear abandonment or judgment in prioritizing yourself over others, or simply want everyone to be happy. This is especially true if you grew up in a family where there weren’t boundaries (codependency or enmeshment), or the message was that having any meant a loss of acceptance, love, or belonging.
However, learning to regard yourself with the same love and care you readily offer others will change your life. It will also put you in a place to actually be much more available to others, since you will be giving from a full cup rather than an empty one. You got this!
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