10 Tips for Self-Care for Empathic People

10 Tips for Self-Care for Empathic People

1. Listen to your instincts

If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. As an Empath, we are given signals of danger before it actually happens.

I remember when I was eight years old, I was given a warning like this.

I was at my uncles baseball game and we were playing by the parking lot with a group of kids, when this new kid walked up.

He was about my age and from the outside looked like a nice kid.

My sister was about to invite him to play with us when I felt like I was punched in the stomach.

Something inside told me to get as far away from this kid as possible. I didn’t know him and had no logical reason to think this.

When I made eye contact with the boy, I felt certain I wanted nothing to do with him.

In that instant, I whispered to my sister that I did not want him to play with us. He could hear me because he was still too far away.

My sister disagreed and walked over to him to tell him to join us.

He joined us and all seemed good except the knot in my stomach.

After playing for quite some time, I looked up to see the boy looking at me.

He picked up a rock and the scene turned into slow motion as he threw the rock in my direction.

All I could do was watch it come straight for my head.

The next thing I remember is not being able to see.

I was grabbed by my sister and cousin, one on eachside as they dragged me forward.

My eyes were burning and I couldn’t breathe. I heard voices and I felt them lifting me onto the hood of a car.

I heard adult voices and thought one of them was my grandpa. They were wiping my face that was covered in blood.

The boy had hit me right between the eyes with the rock.

I was rushed to the hospital and luckily avoided stitches. They were able to close the wound with butterfly tape.

There have been numerous more stories like this throughout my life where my instincts have warned me.

Being an empath can be difficult at times but it can also save you the trouble of walking blindly into a situation that you would have rather avoided.

We can often see a person’s intention before we are told. This can be a valuable gift if we choose to listen and follow our instincts.

2. Say what you mean and mean what you say

When we are afraid of hurting someone’s feelings, it is sometimes easier to be polite rather than completely honest.

It can be in little ways but these add up and end up hurting us. We might not even realize it when it happens. There is a small niggle inside after we have a conversation with someone.

Only after do we realize we were not honest. We said we’d love to go to the party, but we really wanted to go to our yoga class.

It can be in little ways but these add up and end up hurting us.

We might not even realize it when it happens.

There is a small niggle inside after we have a conversation with someone.

Only after do we realize we were not honest. We said we’d love to go to the party, but we really wanted to go to our yoga class.

It might be difficult at first and we may even have to backtrack to admit our dishonesty.

The more mindful we become the more we align with our own integrity.

3. Honor yourself in as many ways as possible

Watch your self-talk and stop putting yourself down, even in joking ways.

Reward yourself for being consistent in making healthy choices.

This is effective in rewiring your brain. As a highly sensitive empathic person, it is easy to absorb energy and it is not always positive or healthy.

It can at times feel like we are pushing against the current in trying to be positive and healthy.

It is important to reward ourselves and be gentle with ourselves in the process.

4. Do not participate in gossip

It is draining even if it feels harmless. Since empaths feel others’ pain like it is their own, it is especially important not to speak negatively about others.

It becomes more self-harm than just idle talk. This moves in the opposite direction of self-care.

We need to be mindful in this area.

5. Be kind to yourself and others

If you were a small child standing in front of you, would you treat the child like you treat yourself? Pay attention to what you are feeding the child.

Are you eating junk? Are you telling yourself negative stories? Are you bullying yourself with your inner dialogue?

You’ll be surprised at what comes up.

6. Do something you love every day

Empaths can become easily drained so it is important to find what is fulfilling. This can be practiced as a daily ritual.

What feels fun to you right now? Go do it.

Yesterday afternoon, I went for a short jog in the sunshine. I hadn’t planned it but it sounded fun.

I’m not even a jogger and yet it felt so good.

It was what my body wanted so I did it. It doesn’t mean I love jogging so I will become a marathon athlete.

I had the desire to do it for myself and I loved it. Stay in touch with what makes you feel good.

Then this can be expanded into a purpose or life path. The more you listen inside, the more you will get in touch with.

When you find what you want to do all day every day without tiring of it.

Expand on that and find a way to serve others doing it. That is your purpose.

7. Become aware of pleasing others over yourself

Because we are so sensitive, we can get trapped in pleasing others and neglecting our needs.

We must learn to be a bit selfish in making sure we care for ourselves first.

Otherwise, we become so depleting that we literally have nothing to give.

8. Find Ways to Ground & Protect

Your Energy Field is often like a sponge soaking in all that we come in contact with. As an empath, we run all of this through our bodies and feel EVERYTHING!

When we consistently ground and release what is not ours, we are able to distinguish it as “not ours.”

As an empath, I would have a difficult time knowing what I was feeling and why.

I would just be hit with waves of intense emotion at random times. For many years, I owned it all, thinking I was crazy.

After learning to ground and protect my energy field, I realized just how much of other peoples’ energy I was running through my body unconsciously. Read more about effective grounding and protection techniques here.

9. Move Your Body

Empaths are very in tune with their bodies and feel more than the average person at times.

This can make physical activity much more enjoyable and effective.

Any type of movement is good and can ground the body as well.

I particularly love dance, yoga, and tai chi. You may also get a lot out of swimming (as water is cleansing), running or more strenuous movement.

I find the combination of movement that opens creativity is rewarding in expressing energy that may have become trapped or blocked inside.

Movement allows energy to move out of the body which is extremely important for Empaths. Keep the energy flowing.

10. Accept that some things are out of your control

We all feel like we need to take care of issues problems or obstacles. After all, if we don’t how will anything get done?

Remember that it is impossible to control everything.

Sometimes, the best choice we can make is to let go of what we have no control over.

Breathe and focus on what is good around you. Look for small things to appreciate. Right now. Then, repeat.

We also do not always have control over what energy flows through our bodies but we do have a choice in how to move it.

We can either grab onto it, ignore it, try to stuff it down with food or other substances, or we can let it go.

If we learn to let it go before it gets lodged in our body, it can be a constant flow of energy like a waterfall.

It does not have to stop and take root, wreaking havoc in our luminous field, emotional body, or physical body.

It can just pass through and we don’t have to be affected by any of it. We can accept what we do and do not have control to change.

This is where our power lies. This is where the curse can turn into a gift.

Empaths can be great visionaries and healers if they are able to observe what is flowing through without owning it.

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