Are You a Sponge?

​Crucial to self-care is a really good understanding of yourself and your emotions.
The old axiom ‘healer know thyself’ holds true for anyone. By gaining clarity of who
you are and how you react to various people and situations, you can improve the quality of your life significantly. Living in ignorance is not bliss and only compounds the confusion, the frustration and the stress experienced.
 
In a mind set of self-compassion and refraining from any judgements, ask yourself key questions such as:

1. Do you consider yourself overly sensitive to the energies of others? Can you sense when someone is sad, happy, troubled or angry without them having to tell you? If you can, you are likely picking up on their energy.
2. Do large crowds, noisy places or lengthy social events easily overwhelm you?
3. Do you find you need regular time alone and recognize how much better you feel physically and emotionally when you get that time?
4. When you witness the suffering of others, do you instinctually feel their hurt?

 
Answering yes to any of the above could indicate you are an empath: someone with an intuitive ability to sense the mental or emotional state of others. While this quality is truly a gift, it needs to be managed with care. The first step is recognizing this quality in yourself. The second step is in managing it.
 
Dr. Judith Orloff, author of ‘Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life offers suggestions for empaths. She suggests employing centering techniques such as mini-meditations, taking time to decompress emotionally and understanding your limitations in socializing, among other ideas. Finding ways to feel grounded, recognizing when you are absorbing other people’s emotions and even eating a high protein meal can be helpful.
 
So many of us chose our career paths without a really good understanding of who we are intrinsically. I know I didn’t when I went into Nursing. And yet having that understanding would have been invaluable during my career, as would have been the knowledge about how to manage it.
 
And unless you are a hermit, it is a crucial skill in navigating life itself.