4 ways empaths create healthy boundaries at work

Are you an empath?

Do you feel like you're constantly hiding from the world?

It doesn’t need to be that way.

It’s true, we’re an overstimulated society. And amplified environments, like the workplace, can be a nightmare for highly sensitive people. Between meetings, email notifications and random calls from your boss, the idea of returning to work physically can feel overwhelming. And for empaths in particular, people with heightened intuition and the ability to feel other people’s emotions, highly charged energetic environments can feel particularly daunting.?

Emotional overwhelm can be a signal for energetic sensitivity?

When I worked at the World Economic Forum, I was given big responsibilities and surrounded by even bigger personalities. I could feel people’s presence before entering rooms, and was often distracted by the emotional exchange beneath spoken conversation. The sheer quantity of information was overwhelming, and too often I felt disempowered, a victim of circumstance. I now realize it didn't have to be that way.??

Being an empath is one of your greatest strengths

As I’ve journeyed on my path, what once felt like a burden is now my superpower. I now know being an empath is a gift. I have the ability to intuit people’s needs, and can attend to issues at the root cause. I have unique visibility on individual and communal dynamics, and can anticipate what is to come. Now, as an executive coach and Akashic Records consultant, I teach people how to celebrate their abilities so they can leverage their gifts for success at work and home.

Here’s how you can begin to own your empathic abilities:

1. Stand in your power

Empaths have exquisite insight into the human experience and can feel the emotional landscape of individuals and communities. But just because you can feel other people’s emotions, doesn’t mean you need to take it on. When empaths stand in their personal power and ground in their own energy, they can observe communal dynamics from a place of peace and objective neutrality. From groundedness, empaths can offer compassion, insight and healing in challenging circumstances, while honoring their energetic boundaries.?

I enjoy this prayer by Dr. Susan Schumsky, which helps me center and ground into my being:

I am in control

I am one with God

I am the only authority in my life.?

I close off my aura and body of light to lower levels of mind?

And now open to the Spiritual world.?

Thank you God and so it is.

2. Release energy that is not yours

Contrary to popular belief, empaths are not “energetic sponges”. When you ground into your power, nothing can enter your energetic field without your permission. On occasion, when we do pick up other people’s energy, we can choose to release it. And when we do, akin to deleting apps from your phone, you free up space in your “operating system” so you can move with greater ease.?

Often, when I guide clients to release energy, they’ll often experience physical relief as well; it’s not uncommon to breathe easier, release pain, or have an increased range of motion. The connection between energy and its impact on the mind and body is real, and should not be underestimated.

To release energy, this gentle visualization will help:

In your mind’s eye, imagine a particular person or community. Now gently scan your body, and notice any points of density or heaviness. This may present as a color, shape, or tenseness in your body. Notice it, describe it, and ask if it needs to be there. If the answer is no, direct it to go away, and gently imagine it separating from your body and releasing upwards.?

3. Put up protections

It’s natural to form energetic connections with people. And as the maxim, “tugging at my heartstrings'' suggests, there are ways these connections can be unnecessarily draining. It’s good daily hygiene to protect your energetic boundaries; akin to brushing your teeth, protections can help prevent the energetic equivalent of a root canal.

Next time you’re about to enter a busy environment or an especially tense meeting, take a few moments and try this: Slow down and take three deep breaths. Now, ground into your energy, you can recite the prayer above or simply notice the interior contours of your body. Once you feel settled, imagine yourself surrounded by a protective glass wall. With this protection, you are free to interact with others but any unwanted energy simply drops away.?

4. Slow down?

I love Viktor Frankl’s insight, “Between stimulus and response lies a space. In that space lie our freedom and power to choose a response. In our response lies our growth and our happiness.” ?We all have free will, and we have the ability to notice and choose how we want to be with other people’s energy and emotion.?

When you notice yourself in a tense moment, this is your cue to slow down. From here, you can choose to ground into presence and come back into your energy field. Simple exercises like noticing breath or describing a nearby object, helps us shift our consciousness awareness from victim to neutral observer. When we ground into presence, we can fully participate in the moment and choose to engage from our highest self.?

As humans, emotions are one of our most powerful tools. They help us discern when we are connected to Source, and help us engage more deeply in community. Too often, we judge ourselves and each other for our emotional sensitivities. However, it is our sensitivities that give color, freshness, and aliveness to our human experience. When we move into curiosity, we can begin to leverage the wisdom of our emotional body and have the ability to see and act with clarity and intention.?

If you’d like to learn more about conscious leadership read my article on Woo in the Workplace and how Intuitives are the Leaders of our World.?