To be honest, the world feels pretty chaotic right about now. There are wildfires up and down the West and the smoke is thick here in Montana. There are political rallies and parades downtown. Daily disputes about wearing masks. Too much contradictory information. Signs on doors. New mandates, restrictions and protocols to follow and an underlying sense of dread amongst many of those who are paying attention. It's a lot to handle, especially if you are an empath.
To me, being an empath is a superpower. Most days. To be able to recognize what another person is feeling gives a certain depth to relationships. An understanding that goes far beyond words. This superpower aides one's ability to help others feel understood. To show others they are not alone. A capacity to know what to do to help someone feel better. Pretty cool in my opinion.
I would describe my experience of being empathic as an unspoken deep gut feeling of what another person is going through. Somedays this feels like too much information, especially when the other person is struggling with feelings that resonate with my own challenges. It's like a giant magnifying glass on my own wounds. So what do you do when the world at large feels chaotic and anxious? On occasion, I have desperately looked for the 'off' button, which I have yet to find. But I do have a few survival tips that help me stay afloat.
Right now for me, given the state of the world, it is really freaking hard being an empath. So much fear and unsettledness. Walking around the grocery store or being on social media can feel like an energetic obstacle course, oftentimes leaving me feeling depleted and overwhelmed. Does this sound like your experience?
Here are my survival tips that help me navigate life during the pandemic.
I encourage you to practice with wild abandon and make up your own!
TIPS FOR MAINTAINING SANITY IN THE CURRENT SITUATION ON EARTH:
Get outside. I bought a respirator mask that I wear on walks to protect my lungs from the smoke. The smoke still freaks me out but I find moving my body in nature is medicinal.
Organize. Having an organized space helps calm your mind. Eliminate clutter, clean out your car, donate extra stuff to the thrift store.
Make social media work for you. Don't get lost in the easy habit of mindlessly scrolling ~ this opens you up to an onslaught of images/news/articles that are potentially anxiety inducing. Unfollow anything that brings up anxious feelings. Use your accounts as a way to connect with uplifting, loving, encouraging resources.
Food. Feed yourself beautiful food that you love. Honor that things are weird right now and nourish your body with grace and generosity. For example, I bought two packs of the expensive organic raspberries. Sharing these with my family is blissful.
Boundaries. Similar to the social media idea, you are in charge of your habits and what/whom you let into your life. You are allowed to say yes and to say no to events, visitors and expectations you have for yourself.
Sleep. Prioritize sleep. Just do it. You will feel so much better! No screens after 8pm. Read a book, soak in an epsom salt bath, light a candle, cuddle. Aim for 8+ hours.
Pray. In whatever form or fashion is comfortable. Remember we are spiritual beings having a human experience.
Basically, my unsolicited advice that I am learning as well is this:
To treat yourself as if you were a child. Nourish yourself well, be gentle, slow down, lower expectations and love gracefully. You are a beautiful human doing your best during an unsettled time in the world. We are all in this together. This too shall pass and what could be better than learning to love yourself a little more all the way through?
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