How I Am Surviving The Crazy Energy

Well, we’re back in full throes of the silly season, AKA Christmas.

For the Empaths of the world, this time of year can affect us in some weird and wonderful ways.

I don’t know about you, but each year I seem to have a different December experience. One year might be up, and another might be down, emotionally, physically and energetically. I may want to celebrate the festive season one year, and then the next I may want to avoid it and get away to the sunshine.

This year has been a bit of a one-off. In that it has been kind of hectic, but in a positive way, with lots of socialising and meeting up with friends.  (So much so, it has been difficult to find the time to write a post.) But I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed it thus far (I know, we still have a way to go yet 😉), and I feel my daily habits are what have kept me so uplifted and in balance.

I wanted to check in with you all because I know how challenging the month of December can be. Not only with all the fluctuating stress energy of the populace, but with lack of daylight, cold weather, and with all the illnesses being passed around.

Because there is so much more stress in the air, it can be difficult for an Empath to stay centred, and things can often become overwhelming. And I know only too well what that feels like.

Within this month, many Empaths feel like they are experiencing a daily emotional and physical hangover, especially in the Northern hemisphere.

Yet, even those Empaths in the sunnier climates may still struggle with December energies.

I remember, many years ago, spending Xmas in Australia, where it is their summer, and I still experienced the similar physical and emotional sensations as I did when in the UK.

So, in case you’re wondering, here are some of the physical and emotional sensations some Empaths experience during this hectic period.

  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Becoming overly emotional
  • Stress
  • Nausea
  • Feeling flu-ish without actually getting flu

There are many more symptoms you could experience. And, yes, I understand all of the above can actually be related to other things or indeed illness. But for many Empaths, having strange physical and emotional symptoms can be a common December theme.

Why Does It Happen?

In my opinion, it is all the different types of stress energy that triggers different responses within us Empaths. Stress can cause many problems within the body.

Most adults in the world experience some type of hassle over Christmas, whether that’s financial, physical, or just having a never-ending to-do list. As you know only too well, stress energy is hard to avoid for those of us who pick up on the energy of others.

The Solution

For that reason, I am sharing with you what I do daily, in the hopes it might help you too…

The following work an absolute treat for keeping me balanced, grounded and happy. And has, so far, helped get me through the silly season.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to find a trick or two that might help you too.

Getting Morning Light

I wrote about the incredible benefits I experienced by daylighting, earlier in the year. It is something I still do every day. No matter the weather, I get outside first thing in the morning, when it’s light, for at least 20 minutes. If it’s raining, I sit under my umbrella. If the conditions are really bad, I open the patio door and see the daylight from there.

I know my neighbours must think I’m completely bonkers (still haven’t got around to telling them what I’m doing), sitting there outside in all weathers, but it has worked a treat for rebalancing, and continues to do so.

I also nip out for snacks of light throughout the day, just for a few minutes.

As a side note, studies have shown that getting vitamin D, especially when absorbed from morning light, raises oxytocin levels. Oxytocin is the feel-good hormone that is super-beneficial to have at this time of year.

Daily Earth Grounding

This is also something I do every morning when I go out to get my morning light.

I usually wear my flip flops to go outside. I flick them off, before placing my bare feet on the grass (yes, it is cold, but bearable).

I realise that the problem many of you have with external winter grounding is the extremely cold earth, especially when there’s a layering of snow or frost. This is where grounding gadgets come in, such as grounding mats or shoes, etc.

I have a grounding mat that I use when the weather is too cold or too wet. Again, I put my bare feet on it. But generally, you have to spend more time on a grounding mat, than you do on the natural earth, to get the full benefits.

You can easily buy grounding mats and products off the internet.

There is a website here in the UK that sells grounding stuff: www.groundology.co.uk Although I have not yet bought anything from them, they seem to come highly recommended. Grounding mats, Grounding Yoga and Fitness mat (groundology.co.uk)

Protective Crystals

When I am out and about in peopled places, I usually wear my crystal bracelets (when I remember to put them on 😉).

Haematite used to be my go-to grounding stone, because it is both grounding and mirroring, and is protective when in busy or stressed places (basically everywhere over the festive period). But I now have another favourite, Black Tourmaline. Not only because it is protective and grounding, but because it is great for EMF protection.

EMF is quietly causing more problems in our world than you may realise. We can’t see it, but just like negative energy, many Empaths are taken down by EMF, and it is known to cause many health problems.

If you don’t own any crystal jewellery, keeping a piece of Black Tourmaline or Haematite with you at all times is a good way to shield yourself from unwanted energy and EMF.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of crystals for an Empath, see here.

Salt Lamps

Salt is so healing and grounding for the body and mind. I am a big fan of using salt, both inside and outside the body. I even drink a couple of glasses of salt water daily.

But something I find incredibly beneficial to use, at this time of year, is Himalayan salt lamps. I have two of them in my bedroom, and use them as bedside lamps.

I turn the salt lamps on a couple of hours before bedtime. And not only do they change the ambience of the bedroom, instantly making the room more relaxing, but they infuse the air with negative ions, which are known to ease anxiety, stress and depression. I feel the salt lamps also help with sleep and overall wellbeing.

Shake it Off

Although it is a crazy time of year, exercise is still something I aim to do every day. I find it incredible, not only for keeping me grounded, but also just for feeling good and uplifted.

However, I also know how busy everyone is at this time of year, and the thought of doing exercise every day can itself cause stress. Something that we want to avoid. So, this is where shaking comes in.

Shaking the body is something I have found to help rid the body of sluggish feelings or those blah moods. The saying, ‘shake it off’ clearly has merit in more ways than one.

Here’s What to Do:

Start by giving each leg a good shake, shake your bottom and your torso, shake your arms and hands, blubber through your lips and wobble your cheeks, run your hands through your hair and give the scalp a good shake (I do not recommend shaking the head as tension is often held in the neck).

Shaking works even better if you can do it with some uplifting funky music playing in the background. The music we love can do incredible things for us Empaths when experiencing energy overload.

The shaking method also works great if you pick up on any anger energy, It clears it from your energy field.

My diet also plays a massive part in my overall wellbeing. But, as I realise Christmas is not the time for that subject, especially with all that delicious festive food around 😉😊😊, I shall save that subject for another time.

Ok, that’s it for me today.

Hope you have found something to help you get through the silly season.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and an Incredible New Year.

Until next time.

Diane

 

 

Here are some more posts that might help with Xmas stress.

If you need to relax this post will help:  Incredible Relaxation Technique for the Empath

If you pick up on other people’s stress energy and emotions cast your eyes over this: Protection for the Empath

And if you spend time around overly negative people you need to read this: Reasons to Avoid Negative People

 

 

IS THIS NEW BEGINNINGS OR IS IT THE END?

The question that is on so many minds right now is what is happening in the world?

I truly don’t think anyone has the answer.

But one thing is for sure, something big is unfolding.

Our reality is no longer what it was, and there is no going back to the old way of life. Continue reading

10 Incredible Yoga Poses for the Empath and Why You Need to Practice Them

Many Empaths come to find huge benefits in practising yoga on their journey through life. It is something that reaps huge benefits when practised regularly in mind, body and spirit.

Any of you who have been reading my blog for a while, or who have read my books, may know I’m a bit of a yoga nerd. I believe in it so much that back in 2011 I jetted off to India to do my yoga teacher training. And I am so glad that I did.

The thing is with yoga, it’s a lifelong practice that is continuously revealing. And what I mean by this is, by consistent practice not only does it work to heal ailments of the body and mind, it really does work to expand consciousness.

Photo by Prasanth Inturi on Pexels.com

One of the many things yoga has taught me over the years is we all have to practice it in our own way. What works for one won’t work for another.

Not only do we have to adapt poses for body shapes and limb lengths, we have to find a way of practising that suits our personality and energy levels. This is the case for all levels of yoga from beginner to advanced.

That said, for the Empaths of the world, we all tend to hold certain stress emotions in similar places, especially around the solar plexus, the lower back and within the hips and thighs. This often leads to problems in those areas, such as stomach issues, back pain and excessive thigh-burn when exercising. Continue reading

The Incredible Way Nature Can Heal An Empath Of Emotional Toxicity

You may have heard the term emotional toxicity, but didn’t really know what it entailed or whether it applied to you or not.

So, in today’s post, I will walk you through some of the symptoms and then discuss how spending time in Nature offers natural incredible healing.

When we become emotionally toxic, it is most often caused by either having experienced a stressful event, from having a diet and lifestyle that does not agree with us, or even from contaminants in our environments or WIFI.

On top of that, as Empaths, we can also experience emotional toxicity by experiencing or absorbing too many negative emotions.

When we become overwhelmed with emotions, whether they be ours or those we lift from others, the ability to properly filter our feelings becomes compromised. Our insecurities resurface and we often become vulnerable and emotionally intoxicated.

Here are some other ways we can be affected by emotional toxicity:

Signs of Being Emotionally Toxic

1.  We don’t feel ourself

This is the biggest sign we are emotionally toxic; not feeling like our usual self. Its almost as if our energy is stagnant and sludgy, and we lack the energy to find ways to snap ourselves out of it.

2. We lack motivation

If we become lethargic in both our body and mind, and don’t feel like trying anything new, this could be another sign of emotional toxicity. Especially if you once considered yourself as a bit of a go-getter. When our vitality diminishes, it becomes an effort to make decisions or to stay on top of everyday tasks.  Continue reading

EMPATHS IT’S TIME TO USE THIS INCREDIBLE POWER

In many of my posts, I write about techniques that Empaths can used to protect themselves from the rigours of Empath life (here, here, here and here).

What I probably haven’t mentioned, in many of these posts, is that several of these protection techniques also act as powerful forms of distraction that work in so many empowering ways.

Distracting the mind from pain, whether physical, spiritual or mental, is an incredible tool which we often forget about using to our advantage…

Examples

There are many occasions when we use techniques to distract the mind without necessarily realising.  When experiencing hunger pain, for example, if all you think about is food, you’ll remain hungry. If you engage your mind, with work or some tasks, your hunger quickly vanishes.

Another example can be seen in yoga: Whilst moving through the poses we might focus on ujjayi breath and holding bandhas (physical and energetic locks). By doing this, not only does it help direct prana, but the mind is focused and taken off the physical challenge of the pose. This also has the effect of taking the attention away from the stresses of everyday life. Which in turn contributes to a calm yet uplifted mindset after practise.

There are many other examples I could discuss, but, instead, let’s get straight to the easy distraction techniques you can use in your everyday life to stay empowered and on top:

1. Stay in Your Passions:

Doing what you love is so empowering during these challenging times. Not only does engaging in your passions work as a powerful distraction, but doing things that lighten your soul, and bring a sense of peace and joy to your life, will lift you up like nothing else.

If you don’t feel like you have anything to fit that bill, it is the perfect time to start experimenting with hobbies and pastimes, or just get creative.

In a world of rules, routine and restrictions, people seldom get time to be creative. But spending time creatively is one of the easiest ways to revel in the feel-good-factor. When you feel good you also feel grounded and centred. When creating from your passions, or interests, it has an uplifting effect and keeps the mind away from dark thoughts and feelings. A must for all Empaths.

2. Listen to Uplifting Music and Sing!:

Listening to the songs that move you in all the right ways can instil such a sense of joy and euphoria. If you know the words, sing along. It is incredible how much you can be uplifted by the music you love. It envelops your body and mind in the most powerful vibrations and distracts the attention in all the right ways. Singing along can itself be meditative. (Researcher, Gunter Kreutz, also discovered singing increases cortisol and other chemicals involved in healing.)

Music can go both ways. My advice would be to avoid music that encourages melancholy or brings back difficult memories, even if you enjoy the song.

UNCOVER THE SECRETS OF AN EMPATH

3. Use Your Pen and Paper

This may sound strange. How can pen and paper help distract the mind? Well, when you write things down, for example with what you want to do going forward in life, you connect with your right brain which helps keep you in creative mode. There is something about handwriting, as opposed to tapping words out on a computer, that helps activate our creative mind. When the creative mind is activated, as opposed to the logical left mind, you also receive more revelations in regards to what is currently happening in your life, or in our world, and can help you see the ‘bigger picture’.

In regards of to what to write about, either let your heart-mind guide you to what is right for you, or make notes on how you would like your future to be.

4. Get Near Trees:

This might sound like the hippiest statement ever, but spend as much time around trees as you can. Gaze upon them. Even go as far as hugging a tree. This not only has the effect of distracting the mind from the darkness in the world, but it takes you into a place of calm and healing. Let’s face it, we wouldn’t be alive if we didn’t have trees and greenery. There is so much wisdom and healing energy around trees (this post explains more), and that is exactly what many of us need right now to clear, rebalance and reset from the demands of Empath life.

5. Stop Doing Things That Bore You:

This isn’t so much a form of distraction. More a form of empowerment.  Feeling bored or unengaged by things that you used to enjoy, or were once an interest, is going to bring you down fast. If you are finding hobbies, lifestyles, or even people, you used to love, have stopped being pleasurable, maybe it’s time you stopped engaging in them, or at least have a break and see if you miss them. Perhaps try a new hobby instead.

6. Exercise:

Engaging in physical activity is a brilliant way to distract the mind from overwhelm or uncomfortable feelings. It’s also a fantastic way to keep the body and mind healthy. Depending on how you feel should depend on what is the best form of exercise to create balance within the body and mind.

If you are feeling lethargic and tired, some type of HIIT training (High intensity interval exercise) is super beneficial. It is also the best exercise for releasing human growth hormone.  HGH is a hormone that naturally elevates our moods, raises physical energy and keeps the mind in a more positive space. I have attached a link here to a 20-minute HIIT video on YouTube that can be done by most fitness levels (it is even beneficial to do if you suffer chronic fatigue). Just be sure to start slow, at your own level and don’t force your body into anything it’s not ready for.

If you are the opposite of being lethargic, and feel wired or hyper, then breath-and-bandha-focused yoga will help bring you back to a state of equilibrium, whilst also working as a distraction for the mind.

The reason I recommend breath-and-bandha-focused yoga is because, speaking from experience, it can be easy for the mind to wander and remain unfocused in yoga practice. When practising using the breath and bandhas simultaneously, however, it takes your yoga practice to another level. Here’s a couple of links to videos, of how to engage yogic breath and bandhas, on YouTube:

Breath and Bandhas

Yoga Breathing

Walking, whilst engaging your focus on your scenery/surroundings, is also fantastic for both high and low energy levels. Out near trees, even better!

The Biggest Obstacles

One of the biggest hurdles we face, when empowering the body and mind, is that when we are stressed or feel out of sorts, by the happenings in the world or indeed just Empath life, we often don’t feel like doing anything. We get so wrapped up in what we feel that we don’t think about anything else. But, when in a state of unease, this is the perfect time to use the power of distraction to engage the mind.

If you want to use clever distractions to your advantage, my advice would be to engage in them the moment you feel your mind wandering into ‘darker territory’ or, even better, find something you can do daily that keeps you in a state of empowerment…

Hope this helps you on your journey.

Until next time.

Diane

©Diane Kathrine

Why are Emotional Reactions in Empaths on the Increase?

Being an Empath means having emotional reactions is part of everyday life. Whether that be having a reaction to someone else’s emotional energy, having a reaction to what someone said or did, or just being triggered by what is going on in the world at large. But when emotional reactions become excessive and controlling, to the point of ruling our happiness, thoughts and decisions, we need to take back control.

What is an Emotional Reaction?

Emotional reactions can be both good and bad. Feeling incredible joy and happiness are of course emotional reactions. But the type I am referring to, that seem to be on the increase, are the all-consuming darker emotions such as: anger, rage, hurt, etc. All of which can lead to an anxious state or depression.

Having emotional reactions is part of human nature. They are a huge feature on the journey of life. However, having near constant negative emotions, triggered by our own reactions, not only makes us unhappy, it can hold us back from reaching our true potential. We can become so wrapped up in all that we feel that life passes us by. We miss out on so much joy and we become a slave to our thoughts and emotions.

Something I have noticed in recent years is that as humans we are not handling life well. And I am not just talking about Empaths and HSPs. As a species, we seem to be in more emotional pain than ever before. We are offended and upset over things that might not have touched us at one time. People are struggling with mental health issues such as depression, panic attacks and anxiety to such a degree that it is ruining lives.

The Epidemic

A couple of weeks ago, whilst out and about, we bumped into a friend of my husband who has worked in the fire service for over twenty years and is coming up for retirement. He was telling us about how many ex-servicemen, whether that be the forces, police or fire brigade, are struggling with mental health issues and PTSD, especially after retirement. He also noted how twenty years ago this was not the way. Stress related illness was hardly heard of within the services. Now it is rife. I asked whether this was because people didn’t talk about their issues all those years ago. He disagreed. Apparently, after leaving the service most just got on with life and enjoyed retirement. Now they are dreading the time when they come to step down.

‘Over-feeling’ certainly seems to be a modern-day curse. That is not to say mental health issues are a recent thing, but it is obvious people aren’t coping well with life. Is this because times have got harder? I’m not so sure.

We don’t have to go too far into our history books to see how difficult our ancestors had it. Even looking at the history in my local area there were extremely difficult living conditions such as: dangerous working environments in coal mines and cotton mills for both adults and children, a scarcity of food, poor sanitation, extreme poverty, etc. Many women died in childbirth. Workers would die young because of work-related illness. Young men lost their lives in wars and witnessed atrocities that scarred them for life. Sufferings existed back then that most in the modern Western world will never know.

When we study our past, it makes modern day problems pale in comparison. With all the technological advancements and wealth we have today you would think we were living in a golden era compared to one-hundred years ago, but it has not bought happiness and balance with it.

What is Happening?

Trauma, in one shape or another, is something humans have faced for an eternity. Why is it now we are not handling it? Clearly, something has shifted.

There are obviously a number of explanations for the current unsettled mood epidemic. Hormonal imbalances caused by diet, plastics and environmental factors play a part, as do having too many choices, social media toxicity, not being in touch with our truth, not knowing what we are here for, feeling alone and losing faith. Also Earth changes.

I have discussed Earth changes over the years, moving from one epoch to another and how these changes impact humans (read here, here and here). I do believe that the ascension process is also a major reason behind what we are seeing today. Almost like a mass hysteria triggered by ‘the shift,’ as we adjust to the rules of a new reality. There are many others out there who write about Earth changes and the ascension process. I prefer to focus on offering the tools that help make transitions easier.

But whatever is causing this dark emotion epidemic, I think you would agree that people have suffered enough. It’s time to take back control.

We have to take part in making positive changes happen, by getting back in control of how we each experience life. The problem is, people are too busy trying to change others and their way of thinking, instead of working to change and accept themselves.

Change the Inside to Change the Outside

When we work on our inner-world our outer-world reflects this. It has a knock-on effect. Not only do we become better people, able to cope with life’s ups and downs, but those around us are also impacted in a positive way.

We have the power within to master ourselves and work to train ourselves out of excessive emotional reactions. Much of the information I put out on this blog are ways to do just that.

A couple of posts ago, I discussed some ways to prevent or handle anxiety and panic attacks (21 in fact) through numerous holistic techniques and lifestyle changes. All of which will also help with overcoming excessive emotional reactions and other Empath afflictions. (Read more here)

Distraction

Distracting the mind from engaging in destructive thoughts helps stop it from going into overdrive. Now, when I say distraction, I do not mean suppression.

Distraction is taking away our mind from unnecessary repetitive thoughts. When we distract our mind and body from feeding emotions it helps prevent unnecessary emotional reactions. Suppression is burying something that needs to be addressed.

When we bury what needs to be faced or don’t deal with things we should, the stress lingers within the body and comes up as something else, often physical symptoms or anxiety.

We supress when we do not know how to handle the memory caused by a trauma or betrayal. We stuff the pain away and put it under lock and key. Hoping it will stay buried. But the body does not want the trauma stored within its cells and it will try to release it, often through emotional reactions.

This is where talking helps.

Talking

People often heal when they feel heard. Discussing your emotional pain with someone you trust can make a big impact on lightening the load. However, talking is not for everyone.

We might not want to talk about our trauma and pain because of the emotional memories that get stirred up. For some, talking about their past traumas can ignite anxiety or panic attacks.

If you are not ready to talk about what pains you, writing it down helps. Write down all your troubles and woes. Write what you want to say to another, tell them how they hurt you. Write down who you think you are or who you want to be. Write down what you feel needs to be released. Then burn the paper after. These words are not to be read again. It is a way of releasing them from within. Not something to fester on. Burning the words somehow helps to clear the emotions attached.

Taking back control of emotions is no easy feat. As Empaths we have to work daily on this, even when we feel ok. By taking preventative steps every day, it means we can stay in control of how we feel when the going gets tough.

For more ways to stay in control of emotional reactions see here and here.

Until next time.

Diane

©Diane Kathrine

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How Can An Empath Stay Protected From Trauma Trigger People?

If you have someone in your life who acts as a trauma trigger, they will no doubt have sprung to mind upon reading the title of this post.

Those who act as a trauma trigger to an Empath, cause a response at the mere mention of their name, and can have them awash with painful emotions, just by thinking about them.

For the Empath, feeling other people’s energy and emotions is normal, both negative and positive.

Some people emit lovely, light vibrations and are a joy to be around. But there are some who live under a cloud of negative energy and are riddled with angsts that they seem to thrive on. These types can act as a trauma trigger.

These ‘trigger’ people tend to spew dark, angry energy  and refuse to accept or change their behaviour, even if it has been pointed out to them how their ways affect others. They tend to find fault in everyone (except themselves) and choose not to see the good in those around them.
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