How Empaths Can Shield Themselves From Overwhelm
- Brainz Magazine
- May 12
- 4 min read
Written by Lisa Mechler, Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master
Lisa Mechler is a yoga instructor, Reiki master and speech-language pathologist who offers a unique perspective on wellness by incorporating science, Spirit, and personal experience into her teachings. She is the founder of Lisa Mechler Wellness and offers a blend of yoga, Reiki, somatics, breathwork and meditation to serve the whole person.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by others’ strong emotions or by your own triggers to the point that you’re not sure how you really feel? Perhaps it’s hard to identify your perspective, thoughts, or feelings in these moments, and you want to shut down and close the world out. Did you know there is a way to protect your energy? Look no further than this simple yet effective practice.
Empathy is a spectrum
Most human beings are born with the ability to show empathy. We can feel pain when our child is hurting. We can feel our friend’s grief when they lose a parent. We can feel tension when our coworker is stressed. These moments of empathy are a widespread thread across the human experience.
As social creatures, we are wired to be responsive to the needs of our social circles and to the emotions of those around us. It’s what keeps us connected to one another as humans, and it acts as a survival and protective mechanism. If we are tuned into those around us, we can ensure our collective is safe and thriving, and it alerts us when things are not quite right.
For some people, however, it can be a regular occurrence for the emotions of others to be overwhelming to their systems, especially if those emotions are extreme. Some people feel the emotions of other people more readily than others, and it can sometimes cause great discomfort or even distress. We are pulled away from our own emotions and dive deeply into those of others.
Why does this happen?
Dr. Judith Orloff, MD, of UCLA’s psychiatry department, explains several ways our bodies are primed to be empathic. In her article The New Science of Empathy and Empaths, Dr. Orloff explains that through the mirror neuron system, electromagnetic fields, emotional contagion, dopamine sensitivity, and synesthesia, most of us are designed to feel the emotions of others, each to varying degrees.
How to protect your energy
If you find yourself overwhelmed in a social situation (or as you prepare to join a social situation), try this energy protection meditation and visualization. All you need is a few minutes.
Find a tall, upright position, sitting or standing. Close your eyes or soften your gaze, and take a few slow, deep breaths in and out of your nose.
Feel where your body is touching your chair or the floor, and imagine the space six feet below you. Imagine yourself plugging into the earth, just as you would plug a cord into a socket.
Bring your awareness back up into your heart space. Visualize a warm light in your heart, noticing what color it is. This is your essence, your truest thoughts, feelings, and values. As you breathe, allow this light to grow and glow brighter. Allow it to take up more and more space within your body, filling each cell. As the light grows, it pushes any energy that isn’t yours toward the edges of your body. Eventually, this energy is pushed out of your body, as there is only room left for your light.
Imagine the energy of others surrounding you. You might notice the colors, shapes, and movements of this energy. With your next few exhales, push this energy farther and farther from you, creating a clear, still space around you. Pause to notice how you feel as you sit in the center of this clear space.
Imagine a warm, glowing, beautiful white or golden light above your head. This light begins to move downward, surrounding the clear space you’ve just created for yourself. Allow the light to melt downward, creating a bubble of protection around you. The light travels downward, separating your space from the energy of others, until it connects to the place where you are plugged into the earth.
Notice how you feel. Stay here for as long as you’d like and, when you’re ready, take a couple of deep breaths, slowly open your eyes, and return to the room.
A few variations
Try these other variations of this meditation if you are:
Short on time: Quickly exhale with pursed lips, pushing away all the energy or negative emotions that aren’t yours.
Preparing for your day: Do this meditation in the shower and let all energy that isn’t yours wash down the drain.
Feeling like others are still too close: Exhale slowly, like you’re blowing through a straw, increasing the size of the bubble around you.
If you’d like a free download of this meditation, click here to download. May you live in peace and with ease.
Read more from Lisa Mechler
Lisa Mechler, Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master
Lisa Mechler, RYT500, RPYT, CCC-SLP is a Reiki master, yoga teacher with additional specialization in Prenatal yoga, licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, mom and animal lover. She was drawn to yoga in 2006 as a form of exercise but after continued practice, she noticed her inner dialogue shifting: she was kinder to herself and life began to feel more peaceful. She has completed extensive training in yoga, energy work, and somatics, and has a passion for sharing their physical, mental and Spiritual benefits with others.
