5 Ways empaths can prepare to engage in life post-pandemic
My cup runneth over with gratitude for being at home this past year. To be without crowds, always feeling like I'm in someone's way; to be without the hurry to be in several places at one time; to never have enough time for myself. We’ve spent more time camping and hiking. We started a garden and it’s so fulfilling, figuratively and physically, to walk into your own backyard and eat the vegetables of your labor. I’ve had time to read books, clean out rooms, and interrupt the cycle of consumerism to fill the empty voids.
Pause. Breathe. Be.
As I prepare to receive my second dose of the vaccine and society starts to come to life around me, I question what I want to go back to. I can feel the anxiety growing inside. This is an unprecedented window of opportunity to mold and shape my life beyond COVID. To find my voice and care for my sensitivities in ways that weren’t possible before.
Here are 5 ways empaths can prepare for post-COVID life.
Find a quiet place that fills you with peace when you take a deep breath. Pull out your journal and divide the page into 2 columns. In the first column list all the things you have missed doing. In the second column list the way those things made you FEEL and elaborate. On a second page, write out all the things you want to do, but haven’t done. Make note of the emotions you feel as you think about these new possibilities.
Before your time fills up with obligations, put an appointment on the calendar, with a reminder, to do what makes you feel alive. Adopt the habit of scheduling activities that make you feel alive. This is one example of discovering and putting into practice your unique style of self-care.
Know your triggers. Empaths have distinctly reactive neurological systems. Know what situations leave you completely exhausted or in an overly anxious state or have you reaching for an adult beverage to cope. Choose YOU. Choose your health. If you know your triggers, you can more readily choose the situation that supports you best.
Talk to your partner or friend and share how you are feeling about society gaining momentum and how you need their support to help you protect your peace.
If you’ve been at home for a year, your system may be in a state of extreme reaction as you begin to re-engage. Identify one or two tools to use if you find yourself in that state unexpectedly. For example, excuse yourself from a crowd and find an open space to breath. Say to yourself, “I am safe,” at the end of each exhale.
Remember, Living Bravely is about safely living the life you desire. Living Bravely is a choice. One choice at a time. One day at a time.