Caring for Empaths in 2020

Mirralle Bennette, MHRM 

Self-Care & Wellness Associate 

​This year has been a year, filled with chaos, pain, stress, uncertainty, loss, and a host of other emotions, it is one for the books to say the least.
 
For an empath, it has been all over the place, and exhausting. Trying to find the calm and peace for moment to breath, without the constant pressure in my chest from looking at social media, trying to keep informed and up to date on the news, checking in on family and friends as well as my own mental health, can be overwhelming.

It has been easier said than done in the rut of daily life. How can you tell your supervisor your exhausted from the world and need a break from it all, when you are essential? It may seem impossible to escape the reality of the overload of the world. It is essential to care for yourself especially during this time.

As an empath, it is difficult to stop feeling all the feels all the time. It has been trying during a pandemic with limited social interactions because social platforms have become the new way we connect with family and friends. However, this can be too much at times as well, because there are no set hours as social networks are open 24/7.

I found myself connecting with new people outside of my usual circle. It was a constant flood of video calls and group text messages. That was out of the norm for me. Although it was exciting to a catch up and a change of pace, this new normal was exhausting! My emotions were all over the place. A simple breathing exercise was difficult. It felt like my lungs has no space to expand. And this is when I knew I was carrying around everyone’s 2020 mess. I was so full of the crap that I could not breathe. This new normal was too much, and it was time to filter out what was not essential.

I decided it was time to get back to the essentials of what was needed to empty the cup and fill it with all the good feels again. I started with setting boundaries, taking back my power, deleting the group chats, not answering the FaceTime and video chats. For about 2 weeks, I set my phone to do not disturb and that was the best decision I could have made. I was able to slow down and live in the moment. It also brought an appreciation for the people that are in my close circle, that P.O.U.R (Provide, Offer, Uplift, Rebuild) into my cup and fill it with love, kindness, and support.

Th next thing on the list was stopping all the challenges. They were fun but became a dreaded task. It seemed never ending there was always someone ready for the next challenge. My new challenge was doing something that brought me joy, started doing puzzles, trying new recipes, drinking more water and less wine.

I also put time limits on social networks. This was something I did prior to the pandemic. Once the world shut down, I found myself spending hours soaking in Facebook, and Instagram and my screen time was through the roof! This was not good at all. I was flooded with emotions, from all the posts of loss and pain. It was too much, so I deleted the apps from my phone, and would only use them on my iPad. During this time, I had time for breathing exercises and long showers. This is where I was able to clear the blocks in my chakras, face masks, meditate, exercise, and read books that fed my soul and filled my mind.

With these changes, I was able to get back on track and enjoy my life again. Taking back your power is a form of self-care and it is necessary. It may be difficult at times because energy vampires and dumpers have no respect for boundaries. I also ask myself, do people P.O.U.R or dump? The main lesson I have taken away from the mess of 2020 as an empath is there is POWER in my NO. If I say no to someone else, I am saying yes to myself.
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Overall, pamper yourself as much as possible, look for as much fun, follow your flow, look for ease and follow the ease, look for fulfillment, look for reasons to feel good, and keep a diary of good positive things. It is okay to be less responsible to fewer people. And do not let people make you feel guilty about the things that bring you joy and fill your soul with happiness and joy. Let the good times roll and enjoy them because Heaven is on Earth!

Mirralle Bennett, MHRM

I am a small home business Owner of Global Threads Quilting. Professionally I am in the U.S Coast Guard Reserve, full time I am a civilian for the Army, Logistics Specialist. Both jobs keep me on the go a lot and can be draining at times. In 2017 I got divorced right before an overseas deployment, I had no idea the toll this took on my mental health. I threw myself into work and being there to support shipmates, without taking the time I needed for myself. In a few short months I lost my voice and was forced to take the time I needed to recover. Which brought me to self-care and the importance of taking care of my mental, physical and emotional health. Being away from home and not having my usual outlet, of quilting was difficult, but I had to adjust and learn new ways to care for myself in the most stressful times, listening to my body, and giving it what it needed. I’m excited to share on the go self-care tips with you lovely ladies. IG: @Justmirralle_