Identifying Your Own Energy

Recognizing that you’re an empath is the first step in taking charge of your emotions instead of constantly drowning in them. The most challenging thing about developing and honing empathic abilities is learning to discern what energetic stuff is yours, and what belongs to someone else. Chronic anxiety, depression, or stress wears down our defenses and makes us even more susceptible to the negative energy of others, especially those with similar unresolved emotional issues. In some cases, you may be dealing with a combination of your own stuff and someone else’s.

Here are some ways to identify and distinguish your own energy from that of another person.

1. Ask. If you are feeling overwhelmed by emotions, the first thing to do is ask yourself if the feeling is yours or someone else’s. If you are angry with someone, the feeling is probably your own, but you could also be participating in the energy of the person you quarreled with. Try to resolve the situation, forgive, and let it go. If the energy is not yours, try to determine the obvious originator. For example, if you are feeling out of whack and you’ve just witnessed an accident or have been in a crowded public setting, you may have picked up the feelings of other people. Center and ground your energy using the techniques discussed in Chapter 9 of my book.
2. Observe. Pay attention to the feelings and impressions you receive wherever you go. You may have a feeling that you don't want to go into a certain place, or you don't want to connect with a certain person. You are wise to trust those feelings; they come to us for a reason, whether it makes rational sense or not. Intuition does not come from the rational side of our brain; it comes from a place of higher knowing that is meant to guide us and keep us safe.
3. Spend time building a relationship with yourself. The busier we get the less we are likely to take time to sit still and listen to the voice within, but this is a very important part of learning to sense your own energy and honing your intuitive skills. We may be doing something wonderful for someone else, but if we neglect taking time to renew our own energy, we put ourselves at risk of being overwhelmed. Self-healing and self-care is a wonderful gift we can offer ourselves as empathic healers. Taking a break, spending time in meditation, and relaxing are some of the best ways to get to know how your energy feels, raise your vibration, and avoid taking on other people’s symptoms.

For more help, see Chapter 8 of Whose Stuff Is This? There, I give an exercise to help you practice listening to your own inner guidance to make wise decisions. Another great technique for sensing your own energy is given in Chapter 9 under the heading “Aura or Body Shield.”

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PURCHASE paperback book, Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings,and Energy of Those Around You at http://tinyurl.com/EmpathAmazon. The e-book version is now available for Kindle, iPhone, iPad, and other digital reading devices.