This is a very simple technique, but it can help enormously. Take a shower or a bath. Water helps wash away the psychic pollution that you have accumulated during the day. Stand or lie in it, and imagine light showering you and all the days takings being washed away.
I can't cope without my nightly shower.
Do something physical.
Running, walking, sports, tai-chi, yoga,, etc. This can help greatly. Do what makes you feel good. When you feel good, you will be more in your body.
Avoid dramas
One of the things I had to do to help gain control over my empathy was to stop feeding my dramas. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield put four main drama's into a nutshell.
Aloof - Staying distant from others emotionally.
Interrogator - Finding fault with what others say or do.
Intimidator - Aggressive behaviour in order to dominate others
Poor me - Being a victim.
This is done to have energy focused on ourselves, though the results end up being negative rather than positive.
I used to be aloof and then fall into poor me mode. Even though I certainly didn't enjoy it, and even though they never worked for any length of time, I never saw myself as being in a drama. To my mind, I was the misunderstood soul battling against all odds in a world that didn't understand, much less care. In truth, no one really notices that much when you are aloof. They just assume that you're not interested. Poor me / victim people are generally avoided as they can be very draining
The thing with dramas is that they are hard to accept while you are in them. What's more, even if you know you are in them, you may not care and it just annoys and anger you for someone to point it out. It was not until I made the decision to consciously stop entering into them that things really started to change for me.
One of the keys was being honest with myself. I would often pretend one motivation while really secretly harbouring another. And yes, my reasons were always sound, but they were not the real reasons I would do things. Ultimately, such behaviour ends up being counterproductive and denying your real reasons for doing something, even to yourself, does not make them any less real or valid.
This can be dangerous behaviour for an empath to indulge in because you are unwittingly creating chinks in your boundaries.
Boundaries are the limits you set for yourself. They are very important, especially for an empath, because once you've set them, and more importantly, enforce them, then you will start to know where you end and others begin. Limits such as, for example, refusing to be drawn into someone's drama. Refusing to take on the guilt of someone else. Not getting involved in pointless gossip. Those are just examples. What you choose to define is completely up to you, but whatever you choose, do your best to enforce it.
By setting boundaries, you are also defining yourself, and that is why it's important to be as honest with yourself as possible. Let all your actions define who you see yourself as, and who you wish to be.
Bach Flower Remedies
The Empath Guidebook goes into greater details on each remedy, and how they are useful to the empath, but here a few which may help in an emergency.
These healing tools are invaluable to an empath.
They help clarify, crystallize and bring comfort. Before I knew I was empathic, and before I had been introduced to the remedies, I used to have extreme highs followed by sudden drops in my moods. I would go from feeling great to anxious, depressed and down within a few moments. I would try and catch myself as i did this and try and follow a flow to bring myself back up, like trying to recover a kite that's about to crash to earth. I never succeeded and I really hated feeling that way. Certainly nothing I tried made much difference. It wasn't until I started using the Bach Flower Remedies that I was able to take control of this. Nowadays, I can say that I'm pretty happy and content and if I feel a downward slide, I am able to identify the cause and take the appropriate remedy for it. It did take me a few years to work out which was which, but years of constant theory and practice have certainly helped me become proficient.
A short Bach Flower Remedies guide for the empath
If you are feeling ungrounded
The key is wanting to be here. Often physical exercise can help a lot, as it tends to bring you back into your body. Sometimes you can bring yourself back by sheer force of will.
Of course, I would also recommend Bach Flower Remedies, but it greatly depends on what is causing the feeling of being ungrounded.
Lack of self-confidence: Larch
Known fears: Mimulus.
Terror and panic: Rock Rose
Escaping in your imagination or dreaminess: Clematis.
Shock and / or trauma: Star of Bethlehem.
Pine: Guilt
Many empaths take on the guilt of others. Guilt is the great destroyer, and can really ruin a life. Pine is an amazing remedy for those feelings of guilt.
Anxiety or feeling ill at ease: Aspen.
This is an invaluable remedy for those we are experiencing feelings of unease. You just sense something is wrong but can't work out why. Aspen can help protect against astral influences and help clarify or ease the sense that something is wrong. It also helps if you're pick up on fears of another. It is also worth noting that you may get the same feeling when feeling guilt, in which case, Pine will help.
Red Chestnut: Concern for another is also another major reason why we can become ungrounded or become open to others feelings and fears.
Personally, it drives me nuts that people will worry about me and when I ask them why, they just say it's the way they are. Red Chestnut is a very effective remedy to counter that.
Walnut: The link breaker. Especially useful when you're trying to escape the influence of another person.
Mustard: This is for those who are sensitive to negative energies. They will become depressed for no apparent reason. While aspen will help vague fears, mustard will help the feelings of depression.
Gorse: Very good for when you feel things are hopeless. Empaths can often feel like there is no hope because they are feeling so much of the negativity around them. Taking gorse can certainly help.
Gentian: This would be useful for when you no longer believe that things are going to work out. It's an excellent remedy to use with Gorse.
In general:
Agrimony: Many empaths try to maintain a brave face because they don't want to bother anyone else. They may be feeling tortured by their feelings, but they won't let on. This can be extremely harmful. Agrimony brings relief.
Centaury: Some empaths can't say 'no' to others. Normally because they have a overwhelming desire to please and serve, and they feel guilt if they refuse someone can perhaps cause them pain of disappointment. Centaury really can help there.
Cherry Plum: An empath sometimes will hold it all inside, and get more and more frustrated, eventually this can cause an explosion. Cherry Plum helps diffuse this feeling.
The best place I've found to get the Bach Flower Remedies is at Skylark Books.
