Empaths and self-care

Self-Care for Empaths

Empath is a word or label being used a lot at the moment. For me, empath is a word that covers different behaviors and patterns, such as people pleasing, codependency and rescuer.

One definition I read online was “Empathy is the art of stepping your imagination into someone else's shoes”. I have to say this did not sit well with me. To me, that is caught up in rescuing, e.g. The person that's drowning, throwing yourself in to save them instead of throwing in the life buoy. What I find with clients who are caught up in that rescuing cycle, they throw themselves in, the drowning person is saved and walks away, and the rescuer is left cold, wet and exhausted, angry at the thanklessness of it all. The rescuer tends to repeat that cycle until they take the time and get the help to find the program that's running it.

To be of “help” or to “rescue” as an empath, you need to stay in your own circle and operate from there. The circle where you are balanced, energized and aligned with your own life, it is from this space that you can help and not be impacted. To offer assistance from this empowered space you are encouraging and inspiring that person to find this empowered space for themselves.

The number of times I've heard clients say “I had coffee with a friend or family member, and I had to go to bed afterwards”. And this is because they completely abandoned their circle or they were trying to help someone they didn't want it, and completely drained their energy trying to convince them to listen to their solutions.

Now, I know if you are empathic you have a natural inclination to help others, however in order to thrive you need to learn to care for yourself first.

And here are some ways you can do that:

1. Make your own health and Wellness a priority.

Don't let your desire to take care of others stop you from caring for yourself. Do what's necessary to replenish your energy daily and allow yourself to prioritize your own self-care and nourishment.

2. Remind yourself of the importance of saying “No”.

Boundaries are essential to prevent burnout. You can't help everyone all the time. Be compassionate with yourself and listen to your intuition and signals telling you to step away and to pass it on to a professional.

3. Allow yourself time to recharge and regroup.

Rest and unplugging are so vital. Respect and listen to your limits. Empaths often need time to be alone and recenter. I called them “I have over peopled days” when I take the time to clear my energy, recenter and balance.

Boundaries are extremely important to people who are empathic. We create these boundaries for ourselves, showing ourselves self-respect, compassion, and they allow us to choose instead of being forced into doing things.

Learning how to set boundaries and not to fear confrontation is an important step to thrive in life as an empath. Communicating a boundary is the hardest thing to do as an empath as you fear the reaction of others.

I can teach you how to set clear boundaries in a healthy way, so you can voice your boundary, bless their reaction, and remove and detach yourself from their energy.

I can also teach you how to deal with people from your own Circle of Empowerment, so you can truly help others without being impacted yourself.

If you resonate with this and see these patterns in your own life, you are ready to take a step towards change.

To begin this journey you can contact me at www.geraldineryancoaching.com for Life Coaching sessions and start living your life on your terms.