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Covid-19 is taking a physical and emotional toll on all of us right now. Empaths, however, are not only dealing with their own fears and insecurities, but also everyone else’s. Because there are so many strong emotions out there, it can be tough for an empath to block all of these feelings out. So how can one survive being an empath during a Pandemic

For more information on being an empath read my post https://metaphysicalmama.com/how-to-thrive-as-an-empath/

Although it is exhausting, and only partially effective, it is still imperative to try and block these emotions out. Limit your news and social media intake. I know we all want to be informed, however pick and choose your information carefully. It is important to balance the negative information with positive information. They say that it takes eight positive stories to offset one negative. So, what constitutes a positive? It doesn’t necessarily have to be a news story. It can be a funny cat video, an episode of your favourite sitcom, stand-up comedy, a good, positive book or even calling a friend. Need more ideas? I’ve created a list of feel good places online to help you out at the end of this post.

Check-in With Yourself

What about the stuff you can’t block? It is critical for empaths to check in with themselves on a regular basis. This may be the most important thing for any empath to do. I can not stress this enough. By checking in and identifying your feelings throughout the day, it becomes easier to recognize when you have picked up feelings that do not belong to you.

Checking in with yourself can be as simple as taking a few cleansing breaths and asking yourself what you are feeling right now and why. If you can’t answer why you feel a certain way, there is a good chance that it is something you have picked up from someone else. When you find you have picked up something that is not yours, sometimes just recognizing that it isn’t yours is enough to let it go. If not, you can try visualizing those feelings being sent down deep into the earth where they can be transformed. At this point you may want to bring in some healing energy. I find visualizing myself surrounded in white, healing light is effective. Finally, spend a moment grounding yourself. There are many methods for grounding. One of my favourite techniques is to imagine roots going deep into the earth, supporting me. Keeping me grounded.

Self-Care

Sensory overload occurs when you’ve taken on too many emotions from sources outside of yourself. This often leads to feelings of mental and physical fatigue, depression, social awkwardness, and emotional turmoil.

With all of the scary news, fear and uncertainty around us right now, it is easy to become overwhelmed and emotionally drained. Self-care is key for an empath during a pandemic. So how can you practice self-care? It depends on what makes you feel good. Bubble baths and manicures work for some. Other people find creative ventures to be more healing. So find the things that work for you and do them whenever you are feeling out of sorts.

Meditation

Meditation is a good idea for everyone, but for an empath during a pandemic it is imperative. It helps us to ground, reset, recenter, and to bring us into the present moment. When we’ve picked up too much sensory information we can overload. Meditation can help us release this, and assists us in being more aware of ourselves and our surroundings. It helps us to be in the present moment, where we are not relieving our past or worrying about our future. We are simply living in the now.

A simple meditation to try…

• Sit with your back straight and close your eyes.
• Become aware of your breath. Don’t try to deepen it at this point, just be aware of it.
• Imagine sending roots down deep into the earth from your base.
• Focus on your feet and feel them relax. Move up to your legs and feel them relax. Repeat this pattern all the way up to the top of your head.
• Once your body is relaxed, choose a focal point. Some people like to focus on their breath others choose a mantra such as Om. You could also choose relax, calm or even joy. Whatever mantra works for you is fine.
• Repeat your mantra to yourself slowly, if a thought comes in, acknowledge it then let it go and continue repeating your mantra.

Even five minutes of meditation can be beneficial, so don’t feel like you have to sit in for an hour. Trust your intuition to tell you when you are done. When you are finished with your meditation, once again take a moment to ground yourself. Send your roots deep into the earth. Feel the ground beneath you, supporting you. Stand up and stomp your feet a few times. It is also a good idea to have some water and even a bit of food after meditation to help ground you further.

Create a Sanctuary

Empaths need a safe calming place to retreat to when they become overwhelmed. A personal sanctuary that can help them recharge, relax and find their centre is extremely helpful. Your sanctuary doesn’t have to be anything too elaborate. A bedroom, a corner in your living room or even a small area in your yard. What is important is that it is somewhere you can be alone and that it helps you find some calm and joy.

Your Sanctuary should be free of clutter. Clutter creates stress and chaos. Keep it out of your sanctuary. Decorate your sanctuary with colours and images that you love. It should be things that make you feel peaceful and inspired. You don’t want it to overstimulate you, think soothing colours, calming images and decor, soft fabrics and pillows, quiet music and warm light. 

You want to create a space that helps you unwind and recharge, so how you set it up can be determined by how you choose to relax and restore your energy. For example if you find reading is restorative for you. You may set up a quiet spot with pillows and blankets where you can spend some time comfortably reading. If being creative is more your thing, set up an easel, sketch books or whatever medium you work with in a spot with warm natural light. You may want to set up a meditation space with candles and cushions. Maybe you prefer journalling while listening to some calming music. Perhaps you sanctuary will incorporate a combination of relaxing activities. Set up the space to suit your needs. It’s your sanctuary. Whatever makes you feel good is how you need to set it up.

Don’t Forget to Breathe

Breathing exercises help us to reduce stress and bring us into the present moment. Most are relatively easy, can be done anywhere and their effects are almost instantaneous, making them a great way for an empath to recenter themselves. 

A simple breathing exercise you can try is:

• Sit up straight, take in a deep breath in using your diaphragm.
• Starting from your abdomen push all of the air out.
• Continue this pattern of filling your lungs and emptying them while imagining yourself breathing in calm, relaxation and exhaling stress and negativity.
• You can visualize yourself breathing appropriate colours in or out or simply feel the positive coming in and the negative going out. Whatever works for you is fine.
• This exercise helps to relieve stress and bring you back to centre.

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Another exercise to try is:

• Sit up straight and take a deep breath in through your heart centre. Imagine all the air coming not through your nose, but directly through your heart centre.
• Press your tongue to the roof of your mouth and purse your lips as you force the air out through your mouth.
• Continue this pattern for three breaths.
• Doing this breathing exercise will help you get into the present moment and quiet the mind. This is also a great breathing exercise for when you want to connect with your intuition.

Quick Ways to Clear Your Energy

There are a lot of different ways to clear your energy. Here’s a couple quick ones for you to try. A sea salt bath is a quick and easy way to clear all negativity from your energy field. Add a herbal tea and some calming music to completely recharge. 

Smudging is another easy way to clear your energy. As an added bonus, while your smudging yourself you are also clearing the energy of the room you’re in. Don’t forget to open a window to allow the smoke, and negative energy, out.

You can also use sound to clear your energy. Bells, drums, rattles or singing bowls work well. Chanting is usually used to clear a space, but can be used in combination with one of the other methods to clear your energy as well as the space your in. For an extra kick, you can dance while playing your instrument. Dancing can be a very effective way to clear your energy and lift your spirits.

Spending time in nature is a great way to clear your energy and raise your vibrations. Going on a nature hike or spending time in or near a natural body of water are preferred, however sitting under a tree in the park or in your back yard can also be effective. If none of those are an option for you, just having some plants and fresh flowers around you can be beneficial. I highly recommend having plants and flowers in your sanctuary as an added boost.

One of my favourite ways to clear my energy is to spend time with animals.  Petting your cat, playing with your dog, or even feeding the birds can be an incredibly healing experiences. They are great ways to clear your energy and get grounded.

We Are In This Together

Which ever methods you choose, it is so important that you take the time to recharge and clear your energy. For empaths, this should always be part of your routine. During this pandemic it is even more important. Everyday your systems are being overloaded. If you do not take the time to take care of yourself, the negative energy can start to manifest itself physically. Colds and flus are the most common, but more serious illnesses may develop. Especially if the negative energy is allowed to continue to build up. So stay safe, take care of yourself and remember we are all in this together. If you need a little extra help during this difficult time let me know, I’m available for private sessions via phone, Skype or Zoom. For more information contact me https://metaphysicalmama.com/book-with-me/.

Feel Good Places Online

Finally here’s a list of ‘feel good’ places online to help brighten your day and make being an empath during a pandemic just a little easier:

• Pleated Jeans  https://pleated-jeans.com – feel good and funny stories 
• Huffington Post Good News https://www.huffpost.com/impact/topic/good-news – lots of good news
• Some Good News https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGug – Nothing but good news put together by John Krasinski
• Karma Tube http://www.karmatube.org – inspiring videos
• Daily Good http://www.dailygood.org/ – inspiring news
• Live Life Happy https://livelifehappy.com – inspiring quotes
• Marc and Angel Hack Life https://www.marcandangel.com – professional coaches give advice and tips on how to live a better life
• Not Salmon https://www.notsalmon.com – articles on happiness and wellness
• Oprah http://www.oprah.com/index.html – it’s Oprah, need I say more?
• Brainy Quote https://www.brainyquote.com – more quotes
• Purpose Fairy https://www.purposefairy.com – personal development articles
• Project Happiness https://projecthappiness.org – everything about being happy
• Positively Positive https://www.positivelypositive.com – articles on living a positive life
• The Art of Simple https://theartofsimple.net – a site about living well
• Only Good T.V. https://www.onlygood.tv/  – feel good videos
• Good News Network https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org – nothing but good news
• Bored Panda https://www.boredpanda.com – funny, interesting and ridiculous stories to amuse you
• Today Good News https://www.today.com/news/good-news – all good news
• Awkward Family Photos https://awkwardfamilyphotos.com – exactly what the name says
• Comedy Central Stand-up https://www.youtube.com/standup – stand-up clips and full specials
• People of Walmart http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/ – some of the worst and funniest things people have been seen doing at Walmart
• Fail Army https://www.youtube.com/user/failarmy/ – funny videos

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