You know that feeling when you walk into a room totally fine, and an hour later you feel like somebody pulled the plug on you? I used to feel that way all the time.
I'm an empath, and for years I just thought that's how life was. I'd spend time with someone who was stressed or negative, and I'd go home completely exhausted, carrying their mood around like it was my own. Sometimes I'd walk into a room and want to turn right back around and leave.
Maybe that's you too. Maybe it's a coworker who's always stressed out, or a family member who's constantly negative, or that friend who calls just to vent. Again. You love some of these people! But after you're around them, you're wiped out and you can't figure out why.
What I didn't understand back then was that I was picking up everyone else's energy. And my energy field had holes in it, so everyone else's stuff was getting right in.
When your energy field has holes in it
Here's how I think about it. Your energy field is meant to be like a protective layer all the way around you. When it's whole and strong, you can be around someone who's upset and notice what they're feeling, without it getting into you. It just doesn't stick.
But when your energy field has rips, holes, leaks, and tears in it, everybody else's energy has a way in. Their stress, their anger, their bad mood, it all comes right through those holes and settles in like it's yours. And then you're the one walking around feeling heavy, and you don't even know why.
So of course you're tired! You're not just carrying your own stuff. You're carrying everyone else's too.
And it's usually not about whether someone is a good person or a bad person. Some people are just carrying a lot right now. They're angry, or worried, or grieving, and that heavy energy comes off of them whether they mean it to or not. If you're the one everyone leans on, or if there's a lot of old history there (hello, family), it's really easy to soak it all up.
So what do you do about it?
Here's what's important. The answer isn't to stop caring about people or hide out at home. It's to become stronger within yourself, so you can care about someone without carrying their pain around with you.
One of the simplest things you can start doing today is just noticing. After you spend time with someone, check in with yourself. Do you feel lighter, or heavier? And when a mood hits you out of nowhere, ask yourself, "Is this even mine?" You'd be surprised how often it isn't.
It also helps to take a few slow breaths before you walk into a hard conversation or a busy room, and to give yourself a few quiet minutes afterward before you jump into the next thing. Step outside, take a walk, whatever works for you.
Those little things really do help. But if you've been feeling this way for years, there's usually something deeper going on in the energy field itself. That's the work I do.
It doesn't have to stay this way
I've been doing this work for about eight years now, and I can honestly say I'm not that person anymore who wanted to run out of every room. I can be around a lot of people, even negative people, and still feel like myself when I walk away. It's made such a difference in my life.
That's what I want for you too. Because you can't control everyone else's energy, but you can change how much of it you carry.
If this sounds like you, the 4-Step Energy Reset is where I start with everyone. We repair your energy field first, so it's strong and protected again and everybody else's energy can't just walk right in. And if you're not sure it's right for you, book a free 15-minute conversation with me and we'll just talk it through.
Vibrational healing is a complementary practice and is not a substitute for medical or mental health care.