Being an empath can be a burden in our world today. You get hurt by the simplest things because you feel so connected to everything and everyone. The emotions of others become your emotions and you need to know how to protect yourself from all this. If you continue to carry the burden of the world on your shoulders, you are eventually going to crash. You need to take care of yourself, before you decide to take care of the world.

1. Journaling

If you get into the habit of journaling, it will help you to clear your mind from all the negative stuff people have told you throughout the day. It helps you to write down things that bother you and the things that make you feel insecure, simply because it’s easier for you to see all those thoughts and rationalize them, than it is if you’re holding them in your head the entire time. Try it out. It can help you see the difference between your own thoughts and emotions and those of the people around you that don’t serve you in any way.

2. Alone time

When you’re alone you can surround yourself with all the energy that you want to have in your life. Read a book to calm down, make yourself a cup of tea and don’t forget to light a candle. This will give you the atmosphere needed to calm yourself down and rejuvenate yourself. I know that there are people out there who probably need you to be in their lives right at this moment but you can’t really help anyone until you help yourself. So take a moment and dedicate it to yourself. Being alone isn’t always a bad thing.

3. Escape into nature

Nature is always a good option for every one of us. Don’t pass up an opportunity to go to the forest, because it will help you feel grounded and more in touch with life. You can sit next to a tree and close your eyes and simply breathe for a while and inhale the power of nature. Imagine all that negative energy flowing out of you and feel the sensation it gives you.

4. Avoid negative people

This one should go without saying but if you’re an empath, the negativity of others influences you a lot. We all have negative people in our lives, who bring us down and don’t allow us to grow, so simply stay away from them. I know that your loving nature sees a broken soul in those people and you feel the need to help them heal but it’s not your fault they are broken and it’s not your responsibility to glue them back together. When you surround yourself with these people, then your heart breaks a little more each day and you can’t let anyone do that to you. Just walk away. The moment you see someone disrespecting you or doing something that doesn’t vibe with you, leave. It’s not worth the fight.

5. Water

So, you as a human being is up to 70% water. What does that say about us? That we have a strong connection with this element of course. That’s why it’s important to take your time today to take a long warm bath or simply relax in the shower. You know that people go to the beach on vacation, exactly because water purifies our energies and it’s very helpful to be near water when we are feeling upset.

6. Set boundaries

Setting rational boundaries is the best way to know at which point the people in your life can leave. So, if you have clear boundaries and someone disrespects them, what do you do? You discard them, right away. Every human being needs to have healthy boundaries set in order to protect ourselves! Boundaries are there to turn on the red light in our mind if someone doesn’t respect our life choices or our personal space.

7. Say ‘NO’

I know how hard it is to say ‘no’ when someone says that they want you to do something for them. This one ‘no’ can feel like a burden for days, maybe even months, because you’ll think that you weren’t there to help someone out. But saying ‘no’ is actually a way of telling everyone around you that they can’t take advantage of you and it’ll give you more time and energy to do the things you actually enjoy doing.