Common drains and tips to refill for empaths

Unpopular opinion: understanding individualised drains and how to limit or avoid is a milestone for empaths. An even harder milestone is learning how to refill.

This is because empaths (highly sensitive people) navigate the world by picking up on the nuances of others' thoughts and feelings. Often they will witness others do certain things with ease that would typically overwhelm them. This is then processed as "I'm not capable enough."

Problematic, right...?

Not only does this impact on self-esteem and confidence, it may also create an anxiety around performance.

Practically speaking, it also means that empaths are less likely to take the time to refill or recharge because they "shouldn't need to."

This leads to empaths spreading themselves too thin, and subsequently feeling overwhelmed at work and in their personal lives, too. The first step to overcoming this cycle is to recognise it! The next step is to work out what your drains are and how to refill. Once you have the understanding and the knowledge, you can put it into practice.

DRAINS:

Excessive talkers

Being busy without any breaks

Late nights

Loud rooms

Bright lights

Violence or cruelty

Feeling rushed

Recurrent negativity

Car-pooling (or similar)

Crowded spaces

Conflict

TIPS TO REFILL:

Being in nature

Naps

Meditation

Breathwork

Movement

Technology breaks

Gentle smells

Creativity

Laughing

Sunshine

Visualisation

Yoga Nidra