Empathic Escape Plans!

Do you sometimes feel like you are drowning in a sea of emotional energy and need some positive ways to stay afloat? If you tend to feel overwhelmed around negative people or as if you feel like you are suffocating in crowds or large groups of people, you may be empathic. Empathic people, or empaths, tend to be more sensitive to other people, and are often more spiritually aware. They can feel more deeply, hear more sensitively, and even smell more acutely. If you relate to this and are around others who are loud, angry, opinionated, or boisterous, you may notice that you feel exhausted, as if you are being smothered and can’t catch your breath. Please know that you are not alone.

We just returned from a wonderful family reunion with nearly 100 relatives and lots of eating, drinking, game playing and reminiscing. I come from a family of 50 first cousins, dozens of aunts and uncles, and numerous second and third cousins. After seven days of total family immersion, it was interesting to hear several cousins express feelings of exhaustion, they were more than ready to go home. For some of us, it was just too much of a good thing. Mixed with the joy of seeing family again, there was also too much intenseness, loudness, drama, demanding personalities, and way too much emotional energy. Reflecting on the week, those who actively expressed the need to escape were most likely the empaths in the group. Interestingly, each of these peaceful, gentle people felt the drama of the others just a little too much. We felt overwhelmed by the over-stimulation and found ourselves needing to escape from the crowds on a regular basis. I was lucky that I had my own cabin and could do just that. I also realized that there is absolutely nothing wrong with healthy escape! This is a survival skill that empaths need to develop to stay afloat… to breathe without drowning in a sea of emotional intenseness, negativity or chaos.

Some people thrive in the limelight and can be very entertaining. However, I regularly encounter clients who think there is something wrong with them because they cannot be around highly energized people for too long. Extreme fear of crowds is called agoraphobia and needs professional assistance to release the pattern. Many of us are simply sensitive, empathic people. In addition to being somewhat introverted, we are acutely aware of feeling other peoples’ energy and need to have an escape plan.

In my corporate training days, I often traveled with a team of very interesting yet intense people. I found that I performed better if I spent one night alone, away from the powerful conversations. That way, I could regroup, re-center, and replenish my energy. I would be more on top of my game and better prepared to continue the work on our journey together.

When sensitive people are around others who are domineering, egocentric, or demanding they tend to feel this energy drain even more intensely and it depletes them like a strong power surge to your cell phone. In this case, it is best to take a breath, step away, and escape to rekindle your energy. You need to reconnect with your sacred space and reset your connection with the Divine positive energy that sustains us. Find time to meditate, or pray and know that in spite of all the intense energy, the best thing you can do is to keep your energy clear, strong and peaceful.

Try this Positive Three Step Empathic Escape Plan:

1. Step away… remove yourself from toxic exposure… limit to small controlled doses.
2. Take a breath… escape into nature… go for a walk… find your own sacred space.
3. Reset… make time for self… pray, meditate, reconnect with your spiritual self.

Understand that these boisterous people do not consciously choose to cause you to choke on their caustic energy. They have simply developed what to empathic people are loud, overbearing, harsh habits. They are usually completely unaware!

You can know yourself though. Empathic people are simply too sensitive to be chronically exposed to toxic energy. Although we would like to feel we can tolerate anything on a regular basis, the strain can become too great and we suffocate. Use these tools to develop skills to protect yourself. Enjoy the extroverted, overstimulated crowd in limited doses where you can maintain control of your own energy.

If you struggle with exposure to chronic negative energy and would like to clear yourself to be more upbeat and positive, I can certainly help. Schedule a consultation at www.LoisHermann.com/contact or give my office a call at 603-402-9134.

Many Blessings,

Lois Hermann

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Charlie said…

I was feeling very down. I wasn’t happy about anything. Even though I knew I had many things to be happy and grateful for. I came in looking for my old self, that happy-go-lucky positive guy. I just wanted to find my old happy self.

With these sessions, I found that guy again. I can now see there is light at the end of the tunnel. There’s even more than I thought I had. There’s something to reach for, and there’s more than I ever thought to be happy about. At first I was skeptical. The first session was more like a baptism by fire! From there the sessions smoothed out and were easier. I am seeing things that I knew were there, but now I’m able to acknowledge them, and bring my dreams to fruition.

This was wonderful. I highly recommend this to others. Lois helped me get my life back!

 Charlie M. – Firefighter

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