Empath Abilities ... Act III ~ Protect Thy Self

Sooner or later I have to end this blog and think of a new topic to discuss. So in this final 'act # III', I will discuss ways to help protect your empathic self! But let me say I am pretty good about giving advise and darn it if I don't learn to take it myself. Practice what you preach and all that! But now that I am writing this and trying to get over being sick physically with this inner ear infection I realize more then ever I must heed my own words and take more self care!

Steps for protecting your Empath self as recommended by the Book of Bia' Aletheia and most other folks dealing with life as an Empath:

1. Shielding ~ Create a shield of protection between yourself and all those feelings out there. You can do this through visualization exercises. My friend the Rainmaker has turned me on to some energy classes which he offers for free to the pagan community and let me tell you I can see its relevance in so many ways, especially in psychic self-defense 101. It should also be mentioned here that grounding is important and to me should go hand in hand with shielding.

2. Set Boundaries & Limits ~ I believe I had mentioned this in a previous blog and that it's okay to say 'no', especially when something pains you or causes you discomfort. Many of us Empathic Folks feel obligated to help others in need; and though this is most noble, sometimes you may not be able too. If you are not in any condition to assist, offering to assist may cause more harm then good for both the helped and the helper.

3. Know Thy Self ~ Its important to know how you would react in certain situations vs someone else. This where the 'gift' comes in handy, if your dealing with a crisis situation (I.E. aggression, potential violence, etc) and you are normally calm under pressure but all of sudden you feel some deep anxiety or fear it is very likely you are picking up on the feelings of others involved … knowing what your feelings should be and sensing others' feelings can help you figure out your next course of action. This skill has helped me tremendously with the youth I work with because it tells me how I should react to alleviate their stress for a better nonviolent outcome.

4. Cleansing and Removing Negative Energies ~ Thanks to my OCD friend and my friend who is deeply into sage smudging aura/etheric cleansing I have learned the importance of refreshing and recharging by eliminating and disposing of those negative unwanted energies. Empaths are likened to emotional magnets and can attract all kinds of (don't' laugh Jesi & Steph at what I am about to write) 'cling-ons', bad vibes and intense emotions and if we allow this stuff to build up we can get overwhelmed, physically ill and become depressed and incapable of functioning ourselves. Meditation is a good way to get rid of this negative stuff and doing Chakra exercises as well.

5. Avoid Negativity ~ You all know now that like attracts like and if you allow yourself to be exposed to negativity for too long you yourself can become negative. So its critical to shield up if you can, especially if you have no choice to go to work with a bunch on negative folks, it pays the bills and its kind of necessary you keep the job! But if you find yourself in a situation where you feel the negativity and it brings you down do one of two things: you can leave or confront the negativity head on. Don't give into its power. Both Gaelyn and Thor talked about this on their most recent podcast earlier today. They said to tell the folks who gossip to stop in their tracks and if their gonna gossip tell them upfront to stop, and be prepared that if you tell me anything about what someone else has allegedly said be prepared for me to confront that person and tell them where I heard this stuff from. Its a sure way to end gossip. Well its kind of the same idea, tell folks that they need to lighten up and you cant handle their constant 'pitty me party' and 'soap box life' all the time. I am not saying we can't be sympathetic to our buddies troubles but to be in trouble all the time and to have a negative outlook all the time can play havoc on your Empathic friends. Tell your friends about your Empathic abilities and that you can't always handle their woes 24-7. You can also tell them that all social events cannot be about the bad stuff in your life cause its a bummer to be exposed to that constantly. If your friends can't take the hint get knew ones! Allowing folks to think of you as a 'dumping ground' will play havoc with your psyche and eventually leave you defenseless for being exposed to more negativity (the like attracting like syndrome/cycle).

6. Trust Your Instinct and Intuition ~ Many Empaths have problems with distinguishing their feelings as something real or accurate and wonder if the feelings experienced are indeed their own or someone else's. Over time with the right practice and self-care protection techniques you will see for yourself where the feelings are coming from and if they are your own.

Wow 918 + words folks! Guess I had a lot to say about protecting yourself as an Empath! Well ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoy the blog, meanwhile I will set the hamster in motion on its wheel to figure out the next topic I would like to blog about!

BB ~ Bia' Aletheia