Not sure if you are an Empath or Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)?
Would you like to find out?
Let’s have a look at their definitions:
The definition of an Empath is a person who is capable of feeling the emotions of those around them despite the fact they are not going through the same situation.
The definition of a HSP is a person who processes sensory data much more deeply than others. They are oversensitive to aspects of their environment. For instance, HSPs may dislike harsh bright lighting, they get irritated by loud background noise or find they cannot wear certain materials.
Although the definitions above are brief, they could be misleading, in the suggestion that a HSP has only heightened senses and an Empath feels only the emotions of others; when in fact, there is so very much more to their traits.
For example, the Empath and HSP may both:
Sense other people’s moods
Project their emotions, feelings and thoughts onto others
Experience profound synchronicities
Have heightened senses
Feel emotions and pain very deeply
Get hurt easily
Become quickly over-stimulated
Become easily drained when in social situations
Have an awareness of subtleties around them that others don’t.
The definitions between the two are so similar that some may question as to which camp they belong.
So, to give you a better idea, we will look at some questions that will help you determine if you are an Empath or HSP.
We will first look at the Highly Sensitive Person. Saying yes to most of the following questions is a strong indication that you are a HSP:
Are you aware of subtleties in your environment?
Do other people’s moods affect you?
Are you sensitive to pain?
Do you need to withdraw, if you are having a busy day?
Are you sensitive to the effects of caffeine?
Are you easily overwhelmed by strong smells, bright lights or loud noises?
Do you have a rich and complex inner life?
Are you conscientious?
Do you startle easily?
Are you aware how to make others feel more comfortable?
Do you get frustrated if you are made to do too many things at once?
Do you avoid watching violence on TV or in films?
Do you become uncomfortable when a lot is going on around you?
Do you avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations?
It is getting ever closer to that dreaded time of year… Christmas!
For some, Christmas is a much loved time. I wish I could make the same claim. For many reasons, the festive season is one my least favourite times of year.
When I was a younger (child to mid-twenties), I loved everything about Christmas. But as the years passed the month of December became harder for me to cope with.
Without fail, every year, at the end of November or beginning of December I would start to feel low and my energy dropped. I would feel as though I was coming down with a bug and would get tense or harassed. Then on or around December 28th I would strangely go back to feeling better.
In my mind I would always find a reason: being extra busy at work, having a busy social life, eating unhealthily, drinking too much alcohol, not having enough sunlight, not doing enough exercise, etc…
Over the years I tried many different approaches to make December more bearable: I made changes to my diet, exercised, stopped going out, stopped drinking alcohol, went on a sunshine breaks… But, no matter what I tried I still felt awful come December.
And then it suddenly dawned on me… what I was feeling wasn’t ‘my stuff’ at all, but everyone else’s.
Many Empaths find themselves drawn to crystals and tumble stones at some point on their journey.
They have this draw for many reasons: Maybe it’s for the crystal’s beauty, texture or colour.
But more often than not, the Empath’s intuition guides them towards certain crystals for the powerful healing vibrations they emit.
There are hundreds of types of crystals, all with countless healing properties. But the stone that, in my opinion, every Empath should keep with them, as part of their grounding and energy protecting arsenal, is Haematite.
Haematite is a very powerful stone that has many incredible qualities. It is known as the grounding stone of grounding stones and has powerful protective and mirroring properties.
Haematite has the ability to both balance your energy and raise your vibration: lifting you up energetically whilst keeping you grounded. And the one thing all Empaths need is to stay grounded! Continue reading →
You may have noticed I have written a lot about protection, healing or grounding methods, for the Empath, in recent times, and there is a very good reason for this.
There are some major changes/shifts going on that are affecting everyone on many levels. These changes are bringing about emotional disruptions and negative thought patterns.
Generally, when there are major energy shifts, Empaths, and anyone of a Sensitive nature, gets energetically clobbered from all directions.
If you feel like you are going seriously cuckoo, with all the emotions you are processing, it is probably a good time to pull out your ‘protective-tools arsenal’ and start experimenting with different techniques. Especially, if you have a daily protection ritual that isn’t working so well. Continue reading →
One of the most frequently asked questions by those on the path of awakening is: What is my purpose as an Empath?
I know only too well how frustrating it is to have this question burning unanswered within. It is also frustrating to have this incredible gift and not know what it is for or what to do with it.
Many Empaths feel they should be helping others. But because they get overwhelmed, by spending too much time around people, they don’t know how that would be possible.
It is an inbred trait for Empaths to want to be of service. And, it is often the case that the more an Empath has suffered the more they want to save others from enduring the same pain. They may look for certain vocations that will help make this possible. Continue reading →
Trait 28 Will not choose to buy antiques, vintage or second-hand.
Anything that’s been pre-owned carries the energy of the previous owner. An Empath may even prefer to have a brand new car or house (if they are in the financial situation to do so) with no residual energy.
Many people wrongly assume the reason number 28 is on the list is because antiques hold negative energy. Anything pre-owned can carry negative or positive energy but this is not the reason it is on the list. Continue reading →
Have you ever spent time with someone who on the surface seems as nice as pie, but when with them you feel awful and struggle to form a sentence?
This discomfort is caused by your Empathic antenna sensing all is not what it seems. You are detecting that what this person is showing is a fake persona created to hide something from others.
When an Empath comes across fake people it is common for them to shut down as a form of protection. This can be seen as stumbling over words or one’s memory and thought process being affected. Anyone who is not emanating truthful vibes will put an Empath on high alert. Continue reading →
I think you will probably all agree that, for the Empath, when it comes to wellbeing, there certainly seems to be never ending hurdles to overcome.
Like many of you lovely Empaths out there, I consider myself to be somewhat introverted. And living in this extrovert world can often make me feel like I’m a large square peg being pushed into a small round hole.
And as is typical of an introvert, the thought of going out in busy peopled places or having to attend bustling social events sometimes ignites a bout of ‘social dread’ for me.
So, when I recently came across a condition that causes unnecessary social anxiety and excessive introversion, it immediately caught my attention.
The condition is called Pyroluria. and is caused by a lack of vitamin B6 and the mineral zinc.
Vitamin B6 and zinc are stripped from the body when under a lot of stress. As most Empaths suffer with high levels of emotional stress, they have to consider their nutrient levels may be low.
Although emotions are part of human life and something everyone has to live with, Empaths and HSPs are known to have heightened emotions. This basically means they get upset easier, feel fear and nervousness more readily, and when they get down it can take them longer to get back up… But did you know there was a reason for this?
There is a certain part of the brain called the amygdala which plays a part in emotional overload.
Dr. Elaine Aron, a research psychologist, found the amygdala to be highly activated in Sensitive people. The more Sensitive you are the more this gland seems to work.
The amygdala is a set of small almond-shaped clusters of nuclei, located deep within the brain’s temporal lobe, which plays a huge part in processing emotions. The more aggressive the emotion the more responsive the amygdala becomes, and is responsible for triggering the stress response hormones.
Dr. Aron found, through a series of trials and research, that when Sensitive people (Empaths and HSPs) were shown pictures of human suffering the amygdala became highly activated. Which in turn released hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream, which further enticed emotional responses.
The amygdala is not a thinking part of the brain. It is a reacting part which activates when exposed to stimuli such as stress, fear or other strong emotions. It causes an automatic response known as the fight-or-flight response.
The fight-or-flight response is the body’s way of protecting us from dangerous situations. The process elevates hormones to give the energy and strength to run away from danger or stay and fight.
Two of the hormones released into the body, by amygdala activation, are adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones increase heart rate, respiration and glucose levels. All of which are essential for increased body activity. But, they can also ignite fearful emotions and anxiety.
When these hormones are constantly activated by the endocrine glands (courtesy of amygdala activation), and not used through body movement, etc. it can cause heightened emotional responses. This eventually puts other organs and hormones out of balance and leads to illnesses (such as heart disease, adrenal fatigue and diabetes), as well as problems within the energy body (leaky aura and blocked or excessively open chakras).
An Empath does not need to watch another endure pain to experience suffering. Simply being in the presence of someone suffering emotionally is enough to ignite a reaction, whether the other person shows their emotions or not. An Empath feels them and therefore reacts to them. This means the Empath often overproduces adrenalin and cortisol. Both of which stimulate fearful emotions and can lead to weight gain (another reason many Empaths have pot bellies).
In normal situations, when a stressful situation is removed stress levels return to normal, and the amygdala stops reacting. It is when the stress triggers do not decrease that problems arise. This is where issues can occur for the Empath.
Empaths don’t get away from stressful emotions easily. Not only do they have to deal with their own day-to-day stresses but that of others too…
The Empath may stop feeling other people’s emotions soon after leaving them. But this is not always the case. Some people’s emotional energy can cling to the Empath for days after (see this post to learn more). Which means the amygdala is constantly activated and large amounts of unnecessary hormones are dumped into the body.
What to do about it?
1. Avoid triggers:
The first step we can take in preventing unnecessary amygdala activation is to avoid known triggers. The people you know who stimulate a negative emotional response (see post here) lasting more than a day should be avoided.
The amygdala is a defence mechanism activated by emotional responses. It can also be triggered by emotional memories.
People who bring nothing to your life but emotional pain eventually become an Empath trauma trigger and should probably be avoided.
2. Control your mind and thoughts:
Keep the mind quiet to stop unnecessary amygdala activation from thoughts, read post here
3. Avoid stimulants:
Sensitives react to coffee and other stimulants more than most. It is best to know your caffeine intake limits and stay within them (take note at which point you get a physical response – too much caffeine can cause shakiness, pounding heart, flushing, faster breathing and an aching chest – and stay under the that amount). Also drug-like food has a huge impact on an Empath brain (read more about this subject here) and should be avoided.
4.Exercise daily:
Exercise has many redeeming benefits for the Empath. In the case of amygdala activation, it helps clear excess stress hormones from the bloodstream (which would otherwise cause damage).
5. Control glucose levels through diet:
Regularly experiencing stressful emotions, your own or off others’, results in extra glucose being dumped into the bloodstream (from amygdala hormone activation), the last thing an Empath needs is their diet to contribute to this problem. Avoiding sugar or sugar-forming foods can prevent this from happening.
If you are one who carries excess belly fat, your body is receiving too much glucose for its needs. If you want to learn more about how the right diet can transform an Empath’s life you may want to read this post.
I hope this blog post helped you understand how your brain plays a vital part in your Empath wellbeing, and how the amygdala’s activation impacts your emotional health.
If you want to learn more about the ways Empaths are affected by the energy of others click on the attached links above.
Hope all is keeping really well in your Empath corner of the world…
Until next time
Diane
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There are many forms of psychic attack. For the purpose of this post, I’m referring to the type which is sent from one person to another, through dark thought forms.
Most Empaths have experienced psychic attack at some point in their life. Many without realizing what they are actually experiencing.
It’s often difficult to discern between the emotions our thoughts create, by pondering a stressful subject, to those we experience through psychic attack, and this is why many Empaths are unaware they are on the receiving end of it.
Most people don’t experience the dark thoughts of others, but Empaths do. When another is having undesirable thoughts about them, Many Empaths pick them up.
We are in the midst of some challenging times, which are bringing up buried insecurities and hidden issues to the surface within us all. But, instead of facing these issues and taking responsibility, many are projecting their pain onto others in the way of blame. This can be the reason behind psychic attack, as dark thoughts are projected out.
Those who stay in a negative mind-set tend to vibrate at a low-frequency. Their energy becomes toxic to the Empath. Because many Empaths find it difficult being around this type of energy, they may need to disconnect or stop spending time with them. This often causes resentments to form in the other. A psychic attack may then ensue.
Generally, a psychic attack comes from family members (not necessarily blood-related), friends who are close or once used to be, work colleagues, or those who the Empath has disconnected from.
How can you tell when being attacked?
When under psychic attack, the tell-tale signs are repetitive negative thought patterns surrounding one person.
For example: a certain friend (the one thinking and thus sending bad thoughts) repeatedly pops into the mind, along with negatively charged feelings, throughout the course of the day or days. You may wake up thinking angry thoughts towards this person, when you have had no recent contact with them. But you wrongly assume it is your own issues creating the angry thoughts.
When under attack, the one thinking/sending the dark thoughts won’t know you are on the receiving end of them. You probably won’t be the only person the thoughts are directed at, but you may likely be the only one feeling them.
What should you do when you sense a psychic attack?
If you suspect you are under attack, stop indulging the dark thoughts or emotions you are experiencing, immediately. Which has to be said, is not easy to do. By engaging angry thoughts that don’t belong to you, you become part of the problem.
An Empath has the power to project angry thoughts back to the source without realising. But, in doing so, they unintentionally open a two-way psychic battleground. This is when angry thoughts start flying back and forth. It can go on for days. And in these cases, the Empath always comes off worse.
You may have noticed your moods are projected onto others. If feeling happy you lift others up. If sad, you see it wash over those in your presence. Even your tiredness, and stumbling over words, is projected to another.
More than any other, Empaths have to be cautious of what they project into the world in the way of gloomy, angry or irrational thoughts. What goes out has the tendency to come back amplified. (The positive flipside to this is the return of projecting positive thoughts out into the world).
How do we stop engaging dark thoughts?
The easiest way to stop negative thoughts, that don’t belong to you, is distract yourself the moment you notice them; especially if they repeatedly go back to the same person.
You may have already discovered your own way to do this, but making noise in your head can really help, like singing, humming or chanting, etc. Just like plugging in your ears and singing loudly blocks out external sounds, I’ve found this helps with outside thoughts too. You could also try strenuous exercise or get creative as a way of distraction.
How can we protect ourselves from psychic attack?
Being out of balance, physically or mentally, automatically weakens your energy-field (aura). Your energy-field is your invisible shield which protects you from outside influences, such as negative thoughts and emotions. If you have an overly porous or leaky aura (as many Empaths do) you will allow too much energy in from others , including their thoughts. (click here to find out if your aura is leaky)
Suppressed emotions, poor diet, lack of exercise, a busy head, illness and emotional pain all contribute to weakening of the aura (energetic body). If you suspect you have been on the receiving end of psychic attack it might be a good time to tune into your IGS and see what changes could be made.
By strengthening your body and mind (see here for more) it in turn strengthens your aura and thus helps ward off psychic attack or negative energy.
It may sound like a cliché statement to make, but if you change your diet you really can transform your Empath life!
Let me explain more:
Last year, I eliminated wheat from my diet. It is one of the best things I have done for my health and Empath wellbeing. It was through this elimination that I discovered how great a part diet plays on Empath traits, but especially the emotions.
I have already written about the devastating effects wheat has on the body and mind. And, after more in-depth research, I will expand on the reasons behind this and take a look at how wheat and gluten is being linked to many diseases, and how it affects the way Empaths interpret the emotional energy of others.
Every Empath will benefit from removing wheat, and even gluten, from their diet. Especially if they suffer from any kind of depressive illness or if they are introverted to the point of not wanting to venture out into the world.
The wheat you consume today is nothing like your grandparents feasted on. It is now the product of genetic manipulation and these changes began as far back as 1935 when genes for semi-dwarf wheat were first bred.
Dwarfing the wheat genes enabled greater seed production. And, because dwarf wheat only grows to a height of two feet, instead of the usual four, it made it less prone to wind damage.
By the 1970s this semi-dwarf wheat was being successfully farmed in Mexico, India and Pakistan. By 1985 much of the Western world was producing semi-dwarf wheat and by 1997, 81% of the developing world had introduced this crop.
Although the sole intention of genetic crossbreeding of wheat was to give greater yield, thus ending world famine, it changed components of the wheat protein known as gliadin, which caused many problems to the human body.
To try and explain this as un-technically as possible:
Gliadin is a lectin and a part of wheatgerm and gluten. Lectins are proteins that are found within plants and animals; they do the same job of antibodies within the human body, fighting off foreign invaders such as bacteria.
Stomach acid has little effect on lectins – they are virtually indigestible! So, if a person has consumed wheat, the lectins move into the intestines undigested. The intestinal tract knows exactly how to filter waste and extract nourishment; it knows toxins and bacteria from the nutrients our bodies need to feed its cells.
Lectins have the capacity to switch off this filtering system and disturb the intestines ability to act as a filter. The colon then becomes permeable or leaky and allows toxins into the body that have no right to be there.
These toxins wreak havoc on our physical systems and show up in any part of the body as: inflammation of the gut, bowel disease, arthritis, dermatitis, depression, anxiety, acid reflux, asthma, eczema, inflammation of the organs, imbalance in the endocrine system (system which secrete hormones into bloodstream), chronic fatigue, weight gain/loss and joint pain.
But the above ailments are just the tip of the iceberg. And, for the Empath, lectins can heighten all their negative traits and supress the positive.
Depression
Another symptom related to the changes in wheat is the plague of depression that has been on the rise since the mid eighties; coincidentally around the time genetically mutated wheat became abundant and a staple at every meal.
In the 1950s it was estimated that no more than 50 to 100 people out of a million had the need for antidepressants; that figure stands today at 1 in 10!
More than 40 million people worldwide are now taking antidepressants. According to The National Centre for Health Statistics, in America alone, the use of antidepressants increased by 400% between 1988 and 1994 and numbers have continued to escalate since then.
It has been scientifically proven that wheat can change your personality and behaviour!
In tests, wheat was put through the process of digestion. It was found when wheat broke down, during digestion, it did so into many small proteins. These small proteins had the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and bind themselves to the opiate receptors of the brain, having the effect of creating behavioural changes such as paranoia and depression.
The opiate effect of wheat is similar to that of narcotics, but without the pleasurable high and is addictive. So addictive in fact that it will give withdrawal symptoms soon after elimination.
An Empath is sensitive to anything of a narcotic nature. They are also prone to experiencing depression or heightened negative emotions, simply by being around anyone who is suffering. Consuming wheat heightens any negative emotions they experience, both their own and those they pick up.
The last thing an Empath needs is to be brought down by their food. This is why they will benefit from wheat elimination.
To some, the notion of giving up wheat (bread, cakes, pasta and pizza) fills them with dread, even anger, that is just an addiction talking.
Once eliminated from the diet, the desire for wheat foods disappear completely. For some it may take days for others a couple of weeks. However, the addiction will return if wheat is reintroduced, as well as some other nasty effects.
(Update 2017) I believe so much in the power of diet change for an Empath I have written a book about it. If you too want to see big changes in your health and happiness, and I mean changes, why not read The Eating Plan for Empaths & HSPs, it might transform you Empath life!
The majority of us have no idea how much tension we hold within our body. Even without exercise and sports, our muscles are constantly stimulated, either through the stresses of modern life or from taking on the emotional energy of others. All of which impacts our emotional wellbeing.
Even the TV programs we watch of an evening for entertainment can have an effect of firing up the mind which then stimulates the muscles, further tensing them.
Any painful emotions, whether our own or those we pick up from others, are stored within the muscles which leads to greater muscle fatigue and stress.
When our muscles are constantly contracted and stressed they fuel the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight).
Stressed Muscles Leads to a Stressed Empath Mind!
Did you know even now, whilst reading this, you are holding tension somewhere in your body?
If you take your awareness to your face you may notice that your forehead, jaw or eyes are not relaxed. If you travel further into the body you may find your shoulders hunched or your wrists extended back, your legs, hips or back might be in an awkward or unnatural position, all creating pressure in the muscles and joints. But, until this was pointed out, you were unaware you were holding any tension.
We could go through the entire body, but I think it’s safe to say you will be unwittingly holding tension somewhere. Not only is this depleting the body of vital energy that most can ill-afford to lose but it causes many other problems: It is prematurely ageing, it raises blood pressure, lowers the immune system and unnecessarily heightens Empath stress.
What To Do About It
Relax! In yoga, it is known that the relaxation, at the end of a class, is the most beneficial part of the practice. Not only is it time for the body to rest but it’s the time the muscles can let go of any tension they are holding.
One of the best and easiest ways to get the muscles to relax and soften is to tense them first.
By training the muscles to soften and loosen, through relaxation, it switches on the parasympathetic nervous system. This in turn slows the breathing, lowers blood pressure, initiates deep relaxation of body and mind, and allows healing to occur.
Here are some more of the benefits:
Muscle Relaxation Benefits
Reduces fatigue
Anti-ageing
Lowers blood pressure
Boosts immune system
Induces restful sleep
Allows for muscle regeneration
Switches on parasympathetic nervous system
Promotes mind stillness
Aides in general well-being.
Here’s a quick and easy relaxation technique:
Muscle relaxation technique:
Lie on the floor or a bed (for anyone suffering back problems: a bolster or cushion under knees is helpful).
Starting at the feet, tense the both feet at the same time for five to ten seconds, then release.
Work up through legs, torso, arms, shoulders, head and face, tensing and relaxing each body part in turn (If time is short, you could tense the lower part of body first, then the upper half, finishing on the face.).
When you’ve tensed each body part, focus on the whole body and allow it to relax and go floppy. Feel it melting into the floor and let go.
Close your eyes and stay for a while in this deep state of relaxation.
Not only does the above exercise promote relaxation but it also aids in stilling the mind. Relaxation can be done at any time of day but it is great to do at bedtime or after exercise.
If, as an Empath, you suffer any kind of stress conditions or chronic fatigue, doing full-body muscle tensing and relaxation is a great help to your overall well-being.
Also, if you are suffering a lot of emotional stress, you may find this post on Essential Oils for the Empath beneficial. Or visit this post to discover how yoga can help you as an Empath.
Not sure if you are an Empath or Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)?
Empaths Empowered 