Energy Awareness for Empaths: Overwhelm to Empowerment

Ever felt overwhelmed as an empath? I, Kristen Schwartz, share my intimate journey from jumbled energy fields to empowered empaths, navigating the complex nature of energy absorption. 

We'll journey together through the challenges and victories of empaths like myself and listeners like Claire. 

Together, we dissect the various empath types and the consequences of soaking up too much energy from others. 

Stay tuned for practical techniques for energy awareness without unnecessary absorption.

Let's dive deeper into the world of empathetic communication and self-care. Actively listening and expressing feelings without assigning blame are just the start. 

From family dynamics to professional settings and romantic relationships, understand how to weave empathetic communication into the fabric of your interactions. 

We also emphasize the importance of self-care in maintaining our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. 

The conversation doesn't stop there; we also discuss protecting your empathic energy in social situations. 

Learn how setting clear intentions, practicing energy awareness, and developing a self-care routine can help you balance enjoying social interactions and preserving your emotional well-being.

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Transcript

Intro: 0:01

You're listening to the Realized Empath Podcast, where we get real about loving and stumbling through our sensitive lives with your host and holistic counselor, Kristin Schwartz, who helps redefine what's possible for an empath who embraces a path of self-healing.

Kristen Schwartz: 0:22

Hello, lovely listeners, welcome back to the Realized Empath Podcast. I'm your host, kristin Schwartz, and I'm genuinely excited to have you here today. Your support means the world to me and I'm thrilled to dive into another insightful episode dedicated to our empathic journey. If you're a regular listener, you notice that I didn't have an episode last week. That was because I took a week off with my family and we explored the Northeast. We went to Massachusetts and New Hampshire and Maine and Vermont, and it was an absolutely rejuvenating, nourishing seven days with my husband and my kids. Thank you for hanging out and waiting for me to come back. Before we actually embark on today's journey, I want to share a personal story that many of you may resonate with.

Kristen Schwartz: 1:22

As an empath, I've experienced this gift's beauty and challenges. Like many of you, sometimes I felt like I was carrying the emotional baggage of everyone I encountered. I know when I first realized I was an empath, it came at a point in my life where I was really needing to understand myself, understand the journey that I had been on up to that point and really understand my suffering. It took me probably a good year and a half to two years before I felt empowered. There was a lot of times where I sat with and blamed the outside world for how I felt. I blamed other people's energy for how I felt and for how much I absorbed. It was a really disempowering place to be. I felt like I was out of control, that I didn't have any say in my well-being or my peace, maintaining my peace Through this journey of healing and moving into empowerment, becoming an empowered empath. I finally got to a place now where I get to decide what I take on, what I carry, what I absorb, based on the attention I give it, based on how well I'm caring for myself and based on how well I can observe without absorbing. Here's the exciting part Through the practices we're about to explore, I learned how to master energy awareness, which allowed me to thrive as an empath. That's exactly what we're going to explore in today's episode.

Kristen Schwartz: 3:20

Let's start with the fundamentals. Empathy is an extraordinary ability. It enables us to understand and share the feelings of others. For us empaths, this experience goes much deeper. We're often fine-tuned to the emotions, physical sensations and even the unspoken words of those around us. There are different types of empaths. There's different flavors of empaths. Each has their own unique gifts. We have emotional empaths that often feel emotions intensely, while physical empaths may actually experience the physical sensations of others. How many intuitive empaths are out there? My hand is raised. We have the uncanny ability for picking up on thoughts and intentions. But here's the challenge Empaths all of us often find ourselves absorbing the energy of those we encounter, which can lead to emotional exhaustion and physical fatigue.

Kristen Schwartz: 4:40

When you see or you hear someone say that it's a blessing and a curse right and dependent on what side you're on whether it's a blessing to be in an empath or it's a curse I can almost guarantee that your answer to whether it's a blessing or a curse comes down to how well you are in maintaining your energy and staying focused on your energy, and how much of others energy are you actually absorbing? How much energy we pick up from others has consequences, and I want to talk about the consequences of absorbing too much energy. Many empaths, including myself, have felt overwhelmed, emotionally drained and physically exhausted. It's like it's like carrying an invisible weight that can be hard to put down right. I recently received a really touching story from one of our listeners, claire, and I wanted to share her experience because I think it will help to clarify the experience of energy absorption and also I'm sure her story will resonate with many of you.

Kristen Schwartz: 5:49

Claire is your quintessential empath and she also struggles with absorbing energy like a sponge soaking up water, and I know I've given that example before. What would happen is she'd walk into a room and, bam right, she'd pick up on everyone's energy the good, the bad, the chaotic and her focus would move from her own body and experience and then she would be focusing on the energy that she was picking up on. And one specific day, claire was invited to a party and she went to the party and the party was brimming with excitement, just like any good party would be. But within minutes she was overwhelmed and she felt her energy plummet as she absorbed the anxiety and the joy and the stress of the crowd. And here's the twist Claire didn't want to leave the party right. She didn't want to be a party pooper. She didn't want to retreat to a quiet corner or even make an early exit, which I have many times in my life. She wanted to enjoy the party just like everyone else.

Kristen Schwartz: 6:55

But the story that Claire sent to me, you know the main focus, the foundation of the story isn't about her struggle. It was more about her resilience and her growth because she started practicing energy awareness and honing her ability to observe without absorbing. So she learned to set energetic boundaries, like shielding herself to protect her energy before she went to parties. So Claire's journey can remind us that being an empath isn't always a walk in the park, but with the right tools and mindset, we can thrive not just survive, and it doesn't matter. We can survive in a world full of all kinds of energies, and it's stories like this that you all share with me that really underscore why we need to make a change and how we can actually live a life that we want to. We can feel the way that we want to, no matter our sensitivities. So how do we become more aware of energy without absorbing it? What I want to do now is explore some practical techniques that have been transformative for many empaths, including myself.

Kristen Schwartz: 8:11

So first up is mindfulness. So mindfulness is about staying present and observing the energy around us without attaching to it. And so how do we become attached to it? Adding stories to it, try to decipher where the energy is coming from, looking around and trying to pinpoint right or trying to dissect the energy. That's when we become attached to when we make it our job to understand it, explain it, blame it away. We have then made it ours and we've attached to it. Mindfulness allows us to witness without absorbing.

Kristen Schwartz: 8:54

Next is grounding exercises. So what grounding does basically is for most highly sensitive people and impasse. We spend a lot of time in our heads and we can. It can be easy for us to kind of step outside of our body, because it's within our body that we feel the discomfort, right. So grounding ourselves into our body brings us back to the present moment and it's only in that state that you can make sound decisions that are going to aid your well-being. So grounding exercises, such as visualizing roots connecting you to the earth, or carrying grounding stones, or when you go out to get the mail every day, you take your shoes off and walk in the grass, they can all help you stay rooted and centered. And there's also some amazing grounding, especially guided meditations that you can get on YouTube or any that you can find online that are focused on protection and energy cleansing, and they can really work wonders.

Kristen Schwartz: 10:07

And this segment wouldn't be complete without me mentioning the power of knowing your limits and using visualization techniques to create energy shields. Now, creating energy shields through visualization is a practice that can be a game changer for empaths when we are looking to protect our energy, and it can be in various situations. Imagine energetic shields as your personal force fields. It's like a barrier that allows you to interact with the world while you're filtering out energies that may not serve your well-being. It's basically like a protective bubble that keeps the energy that radiates at love or higher in right and it keeps any unwanted energies or those lower vibrating energies that are going to vibrate lower than love. It keeps them out.

Kristen Schwartz: 11:05

So let's go through how you can do this. So what you can do is you can start by finding a quiet space where you won't be disturbed. And here's the thing when you're visualizing protective bubbles or barriers, you can practice doing it at home in a quiet space, like I'm going to talk about right now, but eventually you're going to get good enough where you can be out in the world and like you're going to create this bubble around you while you're around 30 people. You don't have to be alone while you're doing it, but for this specific example, I'm treating it like you've never done it before. So to get good at it and to practice it we'll find a quiet space where you won't be disturbed and you want to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths and make them calming breaths. Right.

Kristen Schwartz: 11:52

I want you to picture a radiant, shimmering light that's surrounding you. The light can be any color that resonates with you. It doesn't matter. Often, what I will do is I'll picture like a calming blue or a vibrant white. Sometimes it'll be more of like a yellow white, like a softer white. Again, up to you. As you envision this light, visualize it becoming denser and more impenetrable. It's as if you're creating a solid shield of light around you, one that only allows positive, loving, supportive energy to pass through, while repelling anything that doesn't serve your highest good.

Kristen Schwartz: 12:32

Here's a tip for impasse on the go, when you're heading into a challenging or energetically charged situation, like a crowded event or a stressful meeting. I want you to take a moment and quickly reinforce your shield, like become aware of it and strengthen it right, mentally strengthen it and set the intention that will safeguard your energy throughout that interaction. Remember that creating an energetic shield is all about intention and the visualization. You want to believe in its power to protect you and what that your intention is so powerful it will serve as a reliable ally in your journey toward energy awareness. Now let's shift our attention for a minute and let's talk about communication, which is a crucial aspect of managing and not absorbing energy as impasse. We can actually develop our listening skills to truly understand others without shouldering their emotional burdens. Empathetic communication is about creating a safe space for sharing without feeling responsible for fixing everyone's problems. So let's learn a few techniques for empathetic communication.

Kristen Schwartz: 13:49

First, we have active listening. So active listening is a cornerstone for empathetic communication. It's about truly tuning in to the speaker and what you're doing is you're demonstrating that you're fully engaged. And here's how you can practice active listening. Number one, you have eye contact. So when someone is speaking, maintain eye contact to show that you're present and focused on them. Number two, you have nonverbal cues. You can use nods and smiles and other nonverbal cues to acknowledge right that the speaker is speaking and you can encourage them to continue sharing. And third, you have reflective listening. So after the speaker has shared their thoughts or feelings, you want to reflect back what you heard. So, for example, it sounds like you're feeling really frustrated about the situation. So with active listening, it not only helps the speaker feel heard and valued, but it also prevents us, as impasse, from absorbing excessive emotional energy. Right, you're keeping your focus on them, but you're keeping it about them. Right, you're not taking on the energy of their story.

Kristen Schwartz: 15:18

Next, we have using eye statements, and if you've been around a while, you've probably heard eye statements through like therapy, psychology talk, or if you've been to a counselor, or like a marriage therapist or any type of relationship therapy, you've probably heard eye statements. So using eye statements is a powerful way to express your feelings without blaming or accusing others. What it does is it takes ownership of your emotions and then it fosters empathetic communication. And here's how it works. One you want to state the feeling, so you want, to begin with, I feel, followed by the emotions that you're experiencing, for example, like I feel anxious or I feel hurt, and then next you want to describe the situation, so explain the situation or behavior that triggered the feeling. You want to keep it objective and avoid judgment, for example, when we had that disagreement, right. And then next you have, you want to express the impact. You want to share how the situation or behavior affects you personally. Of course, you want to be honest and vulnerable. For example, it made me feel unheard and invalidated. So using eye statements can help empaths express our emotions assertively, right and authentically. What that does is it promotes understanding and connection in our relationships.

Kristen Schwartz: 16:54

So great segue into how we can navigate empathic communication in our relationships and various types of relationships. So empathic communication is. It's a versatile skill that can be applied to various situations and various relationships. So it can be whether it's friends or family or colleagues. Even we can use it in all kinds of different contexts. So, basically, in friendships, empathic communication means being a good listener, offering support without judgment and sharing your own feelings honestly. For instance, I'm here for you. How can I support you through this? With family, we have dynamics. So in family dynamics, empathic communication can involve setting boundaries, expressing your needs while respecting theirs. You might say I love you, but I need some space right now. Then we have work. So in a professional setting, empathic communication can help build positive working relationships. You might use active listening skills during team meetings or when a colleague is facing a difficult challenge or something.

Kristen Schwartz: 18:08

You might say something like I understand this project is stressful, how can we work together to make it manageable? And last, we have our romantic relationships. So in romantic relationships, it's vital to openly share your feelings and your needs. So you could say something like I feel vulnerable when we argue, and I'd appreciate it if we could discuss things calmly, bringing empathic communication into our relationships. What that does is it allows Impass to connect authentically while maintaining our own emotional well-being, and here's where self-care enters the picture.

Kristen Schwartz: 18:46

So self-care is not just a buzzword, it's a lifeline for impasse. So it's about nurturing our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, and there's various self-care practices tailored just for us, and it can be anything from meditation to journaling, to immersing ourselves in nature or indulging in creative pursuits. Whatever it is, it's essential to create a self-care routine that aligns with your unique needs. So here's what I say. I say what lights you up, what nourishes you? Like? What are you curious about? What feels good to you? What I want you to hear me say is don't be afraid to drop what isn't working when you're entering a new season. It's like you're in a new season of self-care.

Kristen Schwartz: 19:43

A lot of times we have this pressure as, just as human beings like to the longevity of it. The commitment right. Keep doing the thing that you've been doing and don't quit right. But there's nuance. So the goal is to stay tuned to your body, in tune with your body and your needs, and offer yourself what feels best. And we all go through seasons, just like right, just like the planet does, and so I may have a season where I'm doing cold dips, or I may have a season where I'm wanting to run, and then I might have a season where I'm meditating, I'm doing more guided meditations, or I may have a season where I'm doing more red light therapy, like I stay in tuned and I'm very intuitive in terms of what my body needs, very sensitive to my body and any changes or fluctuations that happen inside, and so I go with the flow and I take care of myself in ways that feel good. So I want to make sure that you allow your space, allow yourself space to be curious and try new things, and don't prematurely give up on something, but also be open to maybe it's time to try something new.

Kristen Schwartz: 21:06

So, before we wrap up, I want to hear from you. I want to hear from my incredible listeners. So I've received some amazing thought-provoking questions and heartfelt comments from you, and I'm so excited to share a couple of them right now. I think that I mean I love when questions come in, obviously, but I really love when they come in and they align with the episode that I'm going to do. So I wanted to share a couple questions that I got from listeners, and the first one is from Tina, and here's her question.

Kristen Schwartz: 21:41

I often find myself overwhelmed in social situations, especially at gatherings or parties. How can I use empathetic communication and energy awareness to navigate these situations without absorbing too much energy? So it's an excellent question and I want to thank Tina first for sending it in and this is a question that many impasse can relate to. So to manage social situations more effectively, you can employ a few strategies. Number one you want to have clear intention. So, before you attend an event, I want you to set clear intentions on how you want to feel and the energy you want to maintain, so you can visualize yourself in like a protective energy bubble that allows only those higher vibrating energy vibes to enter. And two, you can, while you're there, you can practice active listening, what we were talking about today. You can engage in active listening by focusing on the speaker and showing genuine interest. This not only helps you connect better with others, but also keeps you grounded in the present moment. So we're not off in our thoughts, trying to dissect energy. We're actually staying in the present moment and we're focusing on the speaker.

Kristen Schwartz: 23:01

My next tip for Tina is using eye statements, like what we just talked about. So, tina, when you start to feel overwhelmed, you can use eye statements to express your feelings. For instance, I'm feeling a bit drained right now, so I'm going to step outside for a breather. So what this communicates is your. It communicates your needs assertively, without blaming others, which is key. You can take breaks, right, so don't hesitate to take short breaks during social events. Find a quiet spot to recharge, practice deep breathing or use grounding techniques whatever you need to do to center yourself and know your limits. So it's perfectly acceptable to set boundaries with others, even in social situations. So, for example, if someone is sharing heavy or negative energy, you can kindly say I'm here to have a good time tonight. Let's keep the conversation positive, right? There's nothing wrong with that.

Kristen Schwartz: 23:53

Next, you can practice energy awareness. So I want you to continuously check in with your energy levels throughout the event. If you notice your energy dropping, that's when you can take proactive steps to protect it. You know, like in reinforcing your energetic shield. And last, make sure that you're choosing your social engagements wisely, right. So consider the types of social events you attend. Opt for gatherings and activities that align with your highest self, that align with your energy and interest. When we're aligned, then we're going to be more likely to feel comfortable and at ease. What I want these strategies to help you with. I want you to be able to enjoy social interactions while maintaining your energy and emotional well-being. I want you to remember that it's all about finding a balance that works for you and honoring your empathic nature. So thank you so much, tina, for sharing your thoughts, and I want you to know that your engagement truly enriches this community.

Kristen Schwartz: 24:55

So the next question came in from Lindsay, and Lindsay wrote I'm an empath and sometimes I feel like I'm absorbing the stress and negativity of the people around me, especially at work. How can I protect myself in a professional setting and maintain a positive mindset? Great, great question. It's a common challenge for impasse in the workplace. So here are some practical steps that can help you protect your energy in a professional setting and also stay positive. So my first recommendation is create a workplace sanctuary. Everyone has different workspace. I understand that and others. Some people have offices, some people have cubicles some people maybe have less space than that but whatever you have, if you can personalize your workspace with calming elements like plants or even soothing colors. So what this does is it helps you create a more positive and uplifting atmosphere. It gives us something to focus on right, to actually use our senses, our vision, to focus on things that help us feel good in the moment.

Kristen Schwartz: 26:06

Next, you have to have energetic boundaries. So mentally, you want to establish boundaries between yourself and your colleagues. You can visualize that energy shield around you that filters out negativity while allowing the positivity to flow through. Now remember, it's really hard to have boundaries with others if you don't first have boundaries with yourself. There's a level of self awareness needed in this, when you're establishing the energetic boundaries, and a lot of times we have to take a good hard look at our focus and how easily we're drawn in and how much we allow right. Next, you can ground yourself regularly at work. So if you can take short breaks during the day to ground yourself, you can stand up, you can stretch, you can take a brief walk to reconnect with Earth's energy. Whatever you need to do, you can visualize the roots coming out of your feet while you're sitting in your desk. So this helps release any absorbed negativity right, and it brings that focus back to your energy. Mindful breathing is another great one, because you can do this without disrupting a meeting if you need to. So deep belly breathing is one of those techniques that are considered mindful breathing, so it not only relaxes you but also helps clear any negative energy you might have absorbed. I know one that has an immediate calming effect on me is taking two short breaths through your nose and then slowly exhaling out of your mouth. So it sounds like Right, and I do that until I notice an energetic body shift.

Kristen Schwartz: 27:55

Next, we have empathetic communication, so we want to be able to express your feelings and your needs assertively. So, for example, you can say I appreciate your input, but I need some quiet time to focus on this task right now, right. So that's a boundary. That's also empathetic communication, asking for what you need. So we talk about what to do at work. But very important that your self-care routine at home, outside of work, is going to directly impact you at work. So you want to develop a self-care routine outside of work that includes activities that you enjoy, right. So we talked about there are certain things like meditation, yoga, spending time in nature, whatever you need to do to help you recharge and release any accumulated energy.

Kristen Schwartz: 28:43

Next, we have limit exposure to negativity. I know this can be hard sometimes in a work environment. You don't get to choose your cubicle mate, sometimes the person who sits next to you. You don't get to choose your boss most of the times. But, if possible, you want to limit your exposure to negativity or draining individuals. Right. You want to seek out positive, supportive coworkers or friends during breaks or your lunchtime. And, last but not least, positive affirmations. You want to use positive affirmations to maintain a positive mindset, right.

Kristen Schwartz: 29:19

So, reframing and this takes being mindful of your thoughts right. Bringing your awareness back to yourself. What is going on inside of your mind? What stories are you telling yourself? Remind yourself of your strengths and your ability to navigate challenging situations. Remind yourself of your choices. Remind yourself that you do have a choice, okay.

Kristen Schwartz: 29:46

So what I would love for you, lindsay, is, by incorporating these strategies into your work day and daily routine, I'm hoping that you can protect your energy and maintain a more positive outlook, even in a stressful workplace environment. I want you to remember that your empathic nature is a gift and with the right tools, you can thrive in any environment. If you guys have any more questions, stories or insights to share, please reach out to me on social media at Realized Empath, or through email, or through my website, or even by leaving a review on my podcast. Whether you listen to it on Spotify or Apple or any other place that you can listen to it, just keep this conversation alive. So, as we wrap up today's episode, I want you to remember that mastering energy awareness is not just a skill. It's a transformative journey of not only self-discovery but also empowerment, and you can control how you interact with and respond to the energy around you. You do get a choice, I promise you you do May not feel like you do, but that's only because we get used to the patterns of behaviors and how we react. So we are just in this automatic pilot for most of our lives.

Kristen Schwartz: 31:06

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for joining us today. Your presence and support mean everything to me and if you enjoyed this episode, will you please consider subscribing or sharing or leaving a review? I would really appreciate it. Stay tuned for our next episode, where we'll dive into another fascinating topic to help you thrive as an empath and a reminder. On my website, realizeimpathcom, you can find more information about our podcast. You can find information about my programs on private sessions. You can find details about our upcoming retreat in Costa Rica, which is going to be six fabulous days of empaths connecting and healing and learning. Until next time, lovely empaths, remember to embrace your unique gifts, keep shining your beautiful light and take care of yourselves until we meet again. Bye.

Intro: 32:03

Thanks for listening to the Realized Empath podcast. Revisit past episodes or contact Kristen at RealizedEmpathcom. Did you love this episode? Please share it with a friend. Thanks for tuning in, Until next time. Sensitive souls.