Empathy to the Nth De

The older I get, the stronger my emotional empath vibes get. It's overwhelming and exhausting. Everywhere you look there is extreme hardship, loss, high anxiety, sadness, despair, hopelessness. Sometimes these feelings are caused by natural catastrophies, illnesses, and accidents, but so often by man made circumstances. Current politics is a heavy hitter.

I've found myself absorbing the negative energy from others lately because there's a tsunami of it out there. That's when I just want to shut the doors of my house, go nowhere, and be a recluse. I'll come back out, eventually.

Are you an empath?

Empaths don't all have the same backgrounds but I learned some interesting things recently. Does anyone of this apply to you?

1. Childhood neglect or abuse can affect your

sensitivity levels as an adult. A portion of

empaths have experienced early trauma such as emotional or physical abuse, or they were raised by alcoholic, depressed, or narcissistic parents

2. Empaths tend to be attracted to people who

are not available or create a toxic

environment for the relationship because

the empath sees the best and the potential in

them. Empaths believe and want to bring the

best out in them.

3. Being an empath comes with a lot of

positive traits. For one, empaths are "highly intuitive and emotionally intelligent," so they can read the room, pick up on other people's energy, and be very aware of their own emotions, too.

4. You might feel long-lasting negative

emotions when people are selfish, unkind, or

arrogant. People who aren't as empathetic

might be able to brush off these experiences.

but you could find it harder to do so.

5. Even on a good day, if you're an empath, you

might feel drained or overwhelmed. Empathic

overwhelm can come from energy vampires,

people who energetically feed off your

emotions, especially the more dramatic or

intense ones.

So, if you find yourself exhausted and wanting to shut out the world and take up residence in a marathon of Hallmark movies, check the above points to see if an over abundance of empathy might be the cause. Break the circuit and go for some relaxation techniques.

Breathe.

Listen to good uplifting or calming music.

Don't food binge. I promise it will not give you nearly as much comfort as it gives you indigestion and extra pounds.

You can't quit being an empath, but you can take a break.