An Empath’s Guide to Navigating a Chaotic World

Dive into our latest episode where we explore the nuanced experiences of empaths navigating a world filled with emotional heaviness. Recognizing your unique sensitivity as an empath is vital, and this discussion provides insight into how to balance caring for others while protecting your emotional health. With challenges stemming from the constant flood of negative news and personal crises, many empaths are searching for ways to remain spiritually connected during turbulent times. 

Throughout this episode, we unpack powerful techniques for establishing emotional boundaries and discuss the importance of grounding oneself in nature or through mindfulness practices such as meditation and intentional breathing. You’ll gain practical steps designed specifically for you, allowing you to reclaim your energy and find peace amidst chaos. 

We emphasize the significance of cultivating healthy relationships and recognizing when to step away from draining connections. This episode serves as an uplifting reminder to nurture your own spirit while navigating the collective struggle. In a world that often feels heavy, your empathy is a superpower to transform lives. Join us as we unravel these themes and equip you with the strategies you need to thrive as a compassionate being in a demanding world. Don't forget to subscribe and share this podcast with those who might need it!

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Chapters

• 0:36 Welcome and Episode Introduction
• 15:01 Understanding the Burden of Being an Empath
• 37:55 Practical Steps to Maintain Spirituality
• 53:33 The Importance of Setting Boundaries
• 1:47:05 Techniques for Grounding and Rejuvenation
• 16:03:19 Conclusion and Call to Action

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey there, friends, welcome back to Healing Our Kindred Spirits, where we dive deep into the shared human experience. I'm Donna Gaudet, and today's episode is one I know so many of you will resonate with, because if you're listening, chances are you're feeling things deeply. If you're someone who feels everything, if the weight of the world's suffering sits heavy in your chest, if you're exhausted from absorbing everyone's pain, if you've ever wondered how do I keep caring without breaking, then this episode is for you. If any of this sounds familiar, you're probably an empath, and being an empath in this world, in this moment, is both a gift and a burden. So how do we, as empaths, stay spiritually connected when the world feels so chaotic? How do we find peace when we absorb so much chaotic? How do we find peace when we absorb so much suffering? How do we care without collapsing? How do we hold space for the world's pain without drowning in it? Today, we're going to answer those questions as we explore practical steps to help you find strength and maintain your spirituality as an empath, so that, instead of feeling drained by the world, you can feel empowered by your faith, your beliefs and your deeper purpose.

Speaker 1: 1:14

The information, stories and discussions shared on this podcast is for informational purposes only. We are not medical or mental health professionals and nothing in this podcast should be considered a substitute for professional medical, psychological or therapeutic advice. If you are experiencing a medical or mental health issue or crisis, please seek immediate help from a qualified healthcare professional. Please do not stop any medical care or medications you are taking based on what you hear on this podcast. Please discuss this with your healthcare provider. Thank you, parents.

Speaker 1: 1:48

If you're an empath, you probably feel the weight of the world more than most, and in times like these, where pain, fear and uncertainty seem to be everywhere, holding on to your spirituality can feel challenging, and when I use the word spirituality, I am not referring to any particular religion or religious practice. I have always felt and it is my intention to use the word spirituality as something that is deeply personal and your sense of connection to something greater than oneself. While some people do find spirituality through religious traditions, others experience it through personal growth, creativity and a deep appreciation for the nuances of life. Please feel free to interpret this into what feels right for you. In the last few weeks, I have received emails and texts from friends, former clients, former students who are struggling to stay balanced and connected in this world right now. I could relate to this because I have been feeling the same way and I thought maybe you all may be going through something similar or know someone who is who could maybe benefit from some support and guidance right now, especially trying to protect your sensitivity while still feeling empathy.

Speaker 1: 3:05

Empathy is a beautiful gift. It allows us to connect, deeply understand others and bring light into dark places. But in 2025, this year the sheer volume of suffering in this world right now can make being an empath feel like an overwhelming burden. We have constant access to news of wars, climate disasters, transportation disasters, economic struggles and social injustice, not to mention the personal crisis in our own circles. Many empaths are feeling emotionally overloaded. It's like carrying a backpack filled with other people's pain, and every day more weight gets added to it. Eventually, it does become too heavy. Maybe you're someone like me who can't watch the news without feeling physically sick. Maybe you walk into a room and instantly sense the tension, even if no one says a word. Or maybe you're the go-to person in your life, the one people unload their emotions on because they know you get it. So let's talk about it. Let's talk about the emotional burnout, the helplessness and, most importantly, how we move forward without losing ourselves. Because it's very easy to do that. I'll be giving you some insight and some tools that I use to help navigate these overwhelming feelings, the things that help me.

Speaker 1: 4:28

So, being an empath in today's world is challenging enough, but holding onto trust and confidence, or in other words, faith, in the midst of chaos, that can feel nearly impossible. When you're constantly absorbing the suffering around you, it's easy to wonder where is the good, where is the hope? Why isn't this being resolved? What is going on? How can I do anything? But faith, whether it's spiritual, religious or simply a belief in the goodness of humanity, is essential for empaths. It's what keeps our hearts soft when the world tries to harden them. It's what reminds us that even in the darkness, there is still light. So how do we hold on to faith when everything feels heavy? How do we not only survive but thrive in the troubled times? So what does it mean to be an empath today?

Speaker 1: 5:22

First of all, I want to start by just saying this to you you are not alone. You are not alone. I think I heard a collective sigh out there. When we feel we are not alone in what we carry, we can find that breathing space. Lately, I've felt this heaviness, this deep exhaustion that I know so many of you feel as well. Every time I turn on the news, it's another tragedy, another war, another injustice, another disaster. And as an empath, it's not just news. It's pain, real human pain that I can feel in my body even when it's happening thousands of miles away. Does this happen to you? And then there's the personal side of it Friends going through heartbreak, family members struggling, strangers in local online social media groups whose sadness I can sense without them saying a word, reading about homelessness or food insecurity. It's like being a sponge that soaks up everything and everyone else's emotions and on some days, some days, I feel like I might drown in it. Does this resonate with you? Do you ever feel like the weight of the world is too much? Does it feel like you're carrying emotions that aren't even yours? Because if you do, I hear you, I see you, I am you and I know how exhausting it is.

Speaker 1: 6:58

Many of us here have heard the words empath and empathy, and sometimes we equate them as the same. But do you know the difference between being an empath and empathy? And sometimes we equate them as the same. But do you know the difference between being an empath and empathy? An empath is a person who has an innate ability, an intuitive ability, to deeply sense and absorb the emotions, energies and experiences of others, often to the point of feeling them as their own. Empaths are highly sensitive to emotional and environmental stimuli and they may struggle with emotional boundaries due to their heightened awareness of other people's feelings, emotions, even their pain. Empathy is the ability to understand, share, connect with the feelings and perspective of others. It mostly involves recognizing emotions in others, feeling compassion and responding with sensitivity, and that's not always easy. Empathy can be cognitive, which is understanding another's emotions. It can be emotional, which is feeling what another person feels, or compassionate, which is you want to take action when you see someone in distress. As an empath myself, it isn't about just someone who feels compassionate sympathy. It goes much deeper. We feel things physically, emotionally and oftentimes spiritually. We absorb the energy around us. We don't just understand pain, we feel it, and it affects every area of our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being.

Speaker 1: 8:35

I read a quote that reminded me that, as empaths, we must absorb, I'm sorry, we must observe and not absorb. And that's true and, speaking for myself, I try really hard to stay in those lanes, but it's not always easy. Some days I can, other days not so much, and I fall apart. Now, in a perfect world, this would mean we are healers, we're bridge builders, we're light workers and deeply connected to human beings and also the human experience, and that's what makes us kindred spirits and we are Myself and many of my friends work or have been in these type of fields where we're bridge builders and light workers, where we feel so connected. A lot of people work in the medical field. We feel things so deeply, but in today's world, where everything that I talked about is so so out there and the human suffering floods our screens 24 seven, being an empath can feel like carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. So how do we hold space for the world's pain without losing ourselves in it? I'm hoping that's what we can explore today.

Speaker 1: 9:56

The reality of staying spiritually and holistically connected in times like this isn't easy. As empaths, we feel everything and that can make it hard to hold on to faith. Maybe you're questioning why there's so much suffering. Why aren't things going the way they should be? Why are there so much injustice. Maybe you're feeling distant from your own spiritual or holistic practices, or maybe you're just exhausted from carrying the emotional weight of the world. I know I am, and I know many of you are as well, because I hear from you through email, through messages, through direct messages. I hear you and if that's you, I want you to know. There is nothing wrong with you. Your sensitivity is not a flaw. Your struggle to stay connected doesn't mean you're failing. It just means you need a new way to ground yourself, and that's exactly what we're going to talk about today.

Speaker 1: 11:02

So what are some of the challenges that we face as being an empath this year? Specifically this year, because there are so many changes. Let's be honest, 2025 is not making it easy for empaths. So let's talk about a few things. Some of the biggest challenges we face right now. Most of us feel helpless. We feel helpless and we feel our world is broken. So many empaths struggle with guilt I know I do feeling like we're not doing enough, but the truth is none of us can carry it all. We have to learn to balance compassion with self-preservation. Let me repeat that again we have to learn to balance compassion with self-preservation, because here's the truth Empathy is not about saving the world alone. It's about holding space where we can and knowing that's enough.

Speaker 1: 11:54

I had a listener reach out to me, kelly, and she sent me a message and she said I think one of the reasons empaths are struggling so much right now is because the world is louder than ever, and that's so true. She's right, there's no escape. The suffering isn't just in our communities. It's on our phones, in our pockets, constantly flooding our minds. We used to only hear about tragedies when they happen close to home. Now we hear everything everywhere all at once, and you know what Our nervous systems weren't built for that.

Speaker 1: 12:30

And beyond the news, there's also this unspoken expectation and I know, I feel this as well that empaths will always be there to listen to, comfort, to hold space. But what happens when we need someone to hold space for us? What happens when we're the ones who feel overwhelmed and no one notices? I think a lot of us are feeling that imbalance and it affects us in every area of our life. The expectation to keep giving even we have nothing left to give is always, always there. So the big question is what do we do about it? How do we keep our empathy from turning into exhaustion. How do we protect our hearts without shutting them down completely? I know there are days I just want to shut down, bury my head in the sand and not deal with anything, and I know a lot of people feel that way because we are so overwhelmed. So I've been sitting with this question a lot and here are some things that I have identified to be adding to the burnout and some really simple tools and steps. That has been helping me through trial and error, and I think these things might hopefully help you too.

Speaker 1: 13:45

Okay, we have the overload of bad news. We've talked about that, but with technology, we have instant access to everything that goes on. It's not that these things didn't happen before, but now we're witnessing them in real time, non-stop. So what do we do? How can we solve? How can we solve that issue? Okay, we could control our media diet. We don't need to consume every tragedy to prove we care. What about trying to limit news to once a day, or following accounts that focus on solutions, not just problems, and know that constant exposure to negative news and social media can make empaths feel hopeless and helpless? I know it did that for me and, of course, we know, the media thrives on fear-based headlines and that can heighten your anxiety and your emotional exhaustion and before we know it, we're acting out, we're angry with people around us. We just don't know how to channel all of that because we feel everything so deeply.

Speaker 1: 14:49

So my question for you is how many of you find yourselves doom scrolling, even though you know it makes you feel worse? I see hands going up and heads nodding in agreement, and I have to be honest and say that this was me for a few weeks. I wanted to be one step ahead because I don't like surprises. The things happening in the world were triggering for me on a personal level and that fed my fear. A friend and fellow podcaster, who happens to also be a mental health professional, strongly suggested that I take a break for a week from the news, from the news from the doom scrolling, you know as we call it, and I tried, I really did, and I did limit my intake of news vastly, and I decided only to follow one source of information which I felt was helpful and I trusted that source because it had nothing to do with any news organizations and I found that that really did help. Now I think I'm making better choices and I have disconnected from most of it, but I still follow the sites or people that I have trust with and I tell you it has helped my anxiety tremendously.

Speaker 1: 16:08

I was having chest pains, I was having anxiety attacks. I was just angry with people around me because I just didn't know how to channel this frustration and I knew that if I didn't get a grip on it it would have its grip on me and I would be no better than the things that I would be reading in the news and I did not want to be that person. So I do know the constant influx of so much negativity affected me greatly and I hit the proverbial bottom and I was exhausted. It affected my chronic health issues, my activities of daily living in all areas of my life, including my mental health. My husband even had to tell me. He said I'm worried about you, this is not you, and that was kind of like a little bump of a wake up call, because he, he's my North star and he keeps me grounded and he's not afraid to tell me the way it is and tell me what I need to know when I don't see it myself. So maybe you have someone in your life like that that can keep you on path. So this way, here, when you're spiraling, someone else will notice that and help you get back on path. It was a wake up call for me, and I knew that if I was feeling this, then other people who are empaths or very sensitive might be feeling it too, and I knew I had to devote an episode to it for anyone who is feeling this or struggling with it right now, especially if you feel that everything going on in your world or in the world is just too much right now.

Speaker 1: 17:42

So what positive steps can you take? One of the things that I have done in that might help you set boundaries with news consumption. We talked about minimizing where you get your news and how many times you're on it. So just choose a specific time to check the news, maybe in the morning, instead of scrolling all day and, as an FYI, try to avoid checking in at bedtime. Trust me, that does not have a good outcome. And again, curate your social media feed. Follow pages that focus on positive stories, solution, inspiration, hope and positive change and healing, rather than just problems. I'm not advocating sticking your head in the sand and ignoring everything, but balance your consumption and also it helps to unplug. Take a digital detox days where you step away from screens and reconnect with your world. I know this is hard for most people, myself included, but in little baby steps can do it. Even if it's just starting off, with 10 minutes a day just to unplug and just disconnect, it will really make a big difference, because things that are, that are around you, can really drain you, and and I'm not just talking about things, I'm talking about people as well um, have you ever noticed that people will just start telling you their problems and just start dumping their stuff on you, even with people you hardly know? Yeah, me too.

Speaker 1: 19:10

As empaths, we attract people who need healing. It's a fact, and while we want to help, we have to recognize when we're being drained. Not everyone who comes to us for support is entitled to our energy. Let me say that again Not everyone who comes to us for support is entitled to our energy. It's a fact that empaths often attract people who drain their energy, and I don't know if you've ever heard this term before, but sometimes they're known as emotional vampires. Whether someone is intentionally or unintentionally draining your energy, it's a pattern of behavior that often demands excessive attention, energy or validation without reciprocation. If someone's always take, take, take, take, take, that should be a red flag for you and you must be aware of these people in your lives.

Speaker 1: 20:06

And we know that constantly helping others can leave empaths feeling depleted and unsupported. Believe me, I've been there more times than I can count in my life. I'm much better at recognizing them now, but it takes good boundaries and it took me a long time to get good boundaries and I still struggle with it now and then, when I was teaching, I had to deal with many different types of personalities and some were very draining. I had a sign in my classroom that said please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space. Let me read that again, quote please take responsibility for the energy you bring into the space and growth, and I believe it's important to maintain your sacred spaces as well. I have that same sign in my home, in plain view when someone comes into my home and to keep me from doing the same thing, I also have it as a reminder on my bedroom door.

Speaker 1: 21:05

So what positive steps can you take for people who drain your energy? So, audit your circle. Spend more time with people who uplift and energize you and less around those who drain you, and that could be family friends situation. I mean, when you're a parent, your kids can drain you sometimes, but that's what we signed up for, unfortunately sometimes. But balancing all of that can really be helpful. But we're talking about the people that are around you that really drain your energy. So not saying, kick them out of your circle, but be more mindful when you're around them, to practice better techniques to protect your energy and don't be afraid to ask for support.

Speaker 1: 21:47

Empaths also need to receive love and care. Don't be afraid to lean on others when you need to. And as empaths and from my experience, it is very hard for us to ask for help. We sometimes think we can do it all, and that's an illusion for us. But don't be afraid to ask for help. It's not a sign of weakness to ask for help. It's actually a sign of strength to ask for help and set boundaries without guilt. Let me add that and say that again Set boundaries without guilt. Saying no doesn't make you selfish, it makes you sustainable. Guilt Saying no doesn't make you selfish, it makes you sustainable.

Speaker 1: 22:26

You can't pour from an empty cup and many empaths, myself included, struggle to separate their emotions from those of others, and people often see empaths as emotional dumping grounds. They'll dump everything on you and then go on their way, and then you're feeling exhausted. This is something to be really mindful for, and when we know better, we do better. So let's discuss what's yours to carry and what is not, and how to navigate some good self care activities and prevent empathy overload. This one is hard but necessary. When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself is this my pain or am I absorbing someone else's? Let me say that again Is this my pain or am I absorbing someone else's? If it's not yours, practice letting it go or just envision giving it back. No, no keepsies, take it back. You can care without carrying everything. You don't have to take other people's stuff and, unfortunately, you have to really work really hard at setting boundaries with emotional drainers.

Speaker 1: 23:36

Not everyone is entitled to your energy and not everyone has a right to take that energy or impinge on your energy from you. It's okay to say I love you, but I can't hold this for you right now. Protecting yourself isn't selfish. Again, it's necessary, and I want you to find your safe spaces. And what is that? Empaths need people who will refueluel them, not just people who take from them. Surround yourself with those who understand and support you.

Speaker 1: 24:09

If you are around the same negative people all the time, what's going to happen? You're going to feel tired, you're going to feel wiped out, you're going to feel moody, you're going to pick up their energy. And if they're feeling crappy, you have to really, really be mindful, to surround yourselves with people who are like you or who can really support you without wanting anything in return, and I have had my fair share of people in my life who came across as friends but all they wanted was to see what they could get from me. They knew I was an empath and used to take that use that to their advantage. They used to take advantage of me, and that's this is why today, I keep my circle extremely, extremely small.

Speaker 1: 24:51

And, as a tip, if you cannot find a community that already exists for what you need to help support, you, create it. I did this in 2008, when I was looking for holistic spiritual group to join with other like-minded like like ended up being like-minded women, but I. It was one of the best things that I ever did. I created this group and I didn't know who was going to come. I didn't know who was going to be there, but those that needed to be there, who were like me. We connected and we became great friends and even though we no longer meet any longer, we did it for maybe about six years. And I am still friends with these people and we still share a lot of the same interests and we care about each other Still, even after all these years. So if you can't find a community, create it.

Speaker 1: 25:44

Some of the things when you we talk about strengthening your emotional boundaries, what are some of the things that you can do to strengthen those emotional boundaries? There's a, there's a technique called the shielding visualization, so where you imagine a protective bubble or light surrounding you. If you're visual, this would be easy to do, but try it. Try it Allowing love in, but keeping out emotional overload. I like to envision myself in an ethereal bubble wrap when I am in situations that make me feel vulnerable and overwhelmed. If I'm in a situation or a place or I'm going somewhere and I'm not comfortable and I feel very vulnerable, I will imagine myself in protective bubble wrap. Another thing you can do is I've read this somewhere Imagine all these little mirrors on your body. So whatever is being projected towards you is being reflected back at them, and this is really important.

Speaker 1: 26:41

When I used to work in corporate America, um, and this is really important, when I used to work in corporate America, I unfortunately had a manager who was just very high strung and not that she was negative, but she was just very needy and I found that when she would come into my cubicle facing out into the doorway and I found that that did help a lot because whatever she was projecting into my cubicle got projected back out and it wasn't mine to keep, and I know that stress. I cannot stress how important it is to ground yourself when you're in situations around people who try to drain your energy. That's why we need daily grounding techniques to avoid emotional burnout. So some of my favorite grounding ones is nature therapy.

Speaker 1: 27:31

Some people like to walk in the woods, the forest, by lakes, even just standing barefoot on the ground for a few minutes. People sometimes call it earthing, some people call it grounding. For me, I find being by the ocean or any body of water so therapeutic for me and that's where I recharge spiritually. It's like my church, just putting my feet in the sand, standing out, looking over the ocean, as just hearing it and seeing it, smelling it, feeling it, feeling one with what I'm viewing, what I'm feeling. That's how I spiritually recharge.

Speaker 1: 28:07

And grounding is a very easy technique. You can do it anywhere and say you're in line the grocery store, you're feeling overwhelmed, you're feeling stressed. Just imagine roots growing from the bottoms of your feet into the earth and grounding yourself, wrapping yourself around something tangible. So this way here you feel grounded. It's a very visual and sensitive technique. I can't get this out today. It's a very visual and sensitive technique that you can do, and it's also breath work inhaling for four seconds, holding it for four and exhaling for four. And then there's body movement. It is really true that when you move your body, it can really help dispel or get rid of that energy you're holding on to. That you don't need. There's yoga dance. Even shaking out excessive energy can help.

Speaker 1: 28:57

Listen to a guided meditation. There's an abundance of meditations on YouTube and anywhere online, basically, and many authors who write spiritual or holistic books often have meditations available If you're interested. I have recorded a guided meditation for empathy and it can be found as a bonus episode where you found this podcast and as an aside, I have decided to do meditation Monday, so be sure to watch the wherever you get your podcast for a meditation that I will release an original meditation every Monday. So redirect your empathy into purposeful action. So how can we redirect our empathy into something positive? Choose a cause. Choose just one cause, instead of feeling overwhelmed by everything. Pick one cause you deeply care about and take small, meaningful actions like volunteering, donating, advocacy, and you want to balance consumption with contribution. For every 10 minutes of news you consume, take 10 minutes to do something positive. Help a friend, create, create art or support a cause and focus on the small wins. Remind yourself that even small acts of kindness create ripple effects.

Speaker 1: 30:11

You don't have to fix the whole world to make a difference and also go should go without saying, but surround yourself with energizing, supportive people and when, when you can, even though we have a heavy world right now, try to prioritize joy. Yes, the world is hard. Yes, there is suffering, but there is also laughter and love and beauty and light. Give yourself permission to feel joy even in dark times. The heaviness of the world can make empaths feel guilty for enjoying life, and constantly feeling the weight of others' emotions can drain your joy and creativity. Have you ever noticed that you're enjoying yourself or having a joyful moment and then you remember something that all of a sudden makes you very sad and you feel guilty for enjoying yourself or think that if you feel good about something, something bad is going to be happening. That is called foreboding joy. Dr Brene Brown calls this foreboding joy. It's more than okay to feel joy. If we don't allow the lighter emotions in life into our lives, it can be draining and very difficult to move forward.

Speaker 1: 31:23

What about engaging in lighthearted activities? Watch a funny show or a movie, dance, play with pets, do something creative just for fun? And the biggest thing especially that I found is practice gratitude. Start or end your day by listing three things you're grateful for. It helps to shift your focus from pain to beauty and remember the more grateful you are, the more reasons you find to be grateful. And that reminds me of a quote that David Stendhal Rass, a Benedictine monk known for his teachings on gratitude. He emphasizes that quote it is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us joyful. Unquote. That hit home for me when I read that a long time ago and I try to adhere to that as often as I can.

Speaker 1: 32:15

And we know that when we feel exhausted we just don't want to deal with anything, but rest. You deserve to rest. It's not selfish. Again, it's necessary. And focus on what you can control. We can't we're not. We don't have a remote for the universe or to our lives. We can't control everything.

Speaker 1: 32:32

Empaths often feel overwhelmed by global suffering because we care so much. But the truth is we can't fix everything. But holding on to faith means shifting our focus from what we can't control to what we can. When we feel helpless, like many of us do many times, pause and ask yourself what small, meaningful action can I take today and what does that come to you? What comes to you intuitively? Listen to that intuition and focus on your immediate world. Be a light to the people around you, and biggest one, accept that you can't change everything, but you can always spread kindness, love, compassion in your own way. It's not that you're looking through life with rose colored glasses, but you're choosing, choosing to be the light for yourself and others that can and that can be empowering, inspiring and enlightening, especially to other kindred spirits. And we know that constant exposure to negativity, whether from the news, social media or draining people, it can erode your body, mind and spirit and it can leave you feeling hopeless. As an empath, you have to be intentional about what you consume. So Some things that I have done, that I have been redoing again is nurturing my connection to something greater.

Speaker 1: 33:54

We all know that faith isn't just a belief. It's a relationship with something bigger than yourself. Whatever and however you choose to associate this connection, that's up to you and where you are in your life. Some people refer to it as the universe, god, light, goddess, humanity, intuition or your own inner wisdom. Nurturing that connection can help you stay grounded. I know it has for me. I have gotten better with reconnecting with that part of myself and that has helped tremendously with feeling so overwhelmed.

Speaker 1: 34:29

There's praying, meditating or reflection daily. Even five minutes of stillness can help you reconnect your body, mind and spirit. I try to do this at least 10 minutes a day, uninterrupted 10 minutes a day. And again, we talked about spending time in nature and read or listen to something that uplifts your soul or something that can give you some wisdom, whether it's a spiritual books, a podcast that uplifts you.

Speaker 1: 34:54

Surround yourself with messages that reinforce hope instead of doom and gloom, and I know sometimes it's hard, but try to look for the good in the world and, if you can, try to be a part of it. When the world feels dark, it's easy to believe that all hope is lost, and many of us have been feeling that lately. But if you look closely, there is still goodness everywhere Acts of kindness, stories of resilience. There's love in the purest of forms. And if you find something that is good, write it down every day, if you can, or when you see it. Write down one thing that restored your faith in humanity. If you've witnessed something, whether in person or on the news, write it down. So when you're feeling down and out you're feeling a little depleted, you can go ahead and reread those and, of course, you this. This goes without saying. But be the good. You want to see Volunteers spread kindness or simply show love in small ways. When you are the light, you'll start seeing more of it In many of us.

Speaker 1: 36:00

You know, I know people, many people like us, who are sensitive and are empaths. We always question it. You want to trust that your sensitivity has a purpose and sometimes it's hard to believe or to reconcile. But why does it matter? Being an empath in today's world can feel like a burden, but it's also a calling. Your deep compassion and ability to feel is not a weakness, it is a gift. Being an empath isn't a mistake. Your deep feeling, your compassion, your ability to connect, it's all part of something bigger.

Speaker 1: 36:39

And, admittedly, I have been known to say more than once to my husband that sometimes I wish I could change being sensitive and an empath because I cry at everything commercials, happy stories, happy stories, sad stories, you name it. I feel everything so deeply. He always reminds me that it's my sensitivity that was and is my greatest quality. He said he fell in love with that part of me first and he would never want me to change who I am. And I do get jokingly teased from my kids and my grandkids about being so sensitive and emotionally porous, but I take it in stride because I know they're joking with me, they're teasing me, but I also know that they just don't understand that having such deep empathy and being an empath is a gift that I would never want to return to send her is a gift that I would never want to return to sender.

Speaker 1: 37:32

And when I get overwhelmed I ask for spiritual guidance, whether it's through prayer, intuition, meditation. It's okay to seek clarity in how to use your gift. The important part is to get still and quiet and not direct your thoughts, but just let them come in, without censoring them. Guidance can be a beautiful thing when we get the ego out of the way. Let me repeat that again Guidance can be a beautiful thing when we get the ego out of the way and affirm that your empathy is a strength, not a weakness.

Speaker 1: 38:09

If you find yourself saying I feel too much, try saying my ability to feel deeply is part of my purpose. It switches and reframes your thinking. And remind yourself you were made this way for a reason. Your empathy is part of something bigger, and find ways to use your sensitivity as a strength, whether it's through creativity, service, simply showing up for others. Channel your emotions into purpose. Your sensitivity isn't just for you. It's meant to bring more love and healing into the world, and you are not just a receiver of emotions. You are a transformer of energy.

Speaker 1: 38:51

If you take nothing else from this episode, please remember this. You are not responsible for healing the whole world. You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to protect your peace. You're allowed to say I care, but I cannot carry this. Today and here's the most important thing I want you to remember being an empath is not a weakness. It's a superpower and a gift. It's a superpower and a gift. The world needs more people who care deeply, who feel, who connect. But we need to be wise about how we use our energy. So, instead of feeling powerless, ask yourself how can I use my empathy in a way that energizes rather than drains me? What small action can I take to make a difference without burning myself out?

Speaker 1: 39:40

Empaths are not weak. Empaths are not weak. In fact, they are some of the strongest people in the world. But strength isn't about carrying everything. It's about knowing when to set things down. You can care without collapsing, you can be compassionate without being consumed, and you can make a difference without losing yourself in the process. Take what you need from the episode and start protecting your beautiful, sensitive heart, because the world needs you, but it needs you whole.

Speaker 1: 40:14

Keeping faith as an empath in troubled times isn't about ignoring pain. It's about believing in something greater than the pain. It's about choosing hope when despair feels easier. It's about remembering that, even when the world is heavy, love still wins. So take a deep breath, protect your heart and trust that your light matters, because it does. In closing, you are not alone in the struggle. You're not failing just because you feel overwhelmed, and your connection to something greater is always there. You just have to find ways to nurture it.

Speaker 1: 40:48

Spirituality, especially for empaths, is a journey, not a destination, and some days will be harder than others. But if you keep coming back to what grounds you, you will find your way. So how do you, as an empath, navigate these difficult times? What practice help you protect your energy? Send me a message, leave a comment or join our Healing Our Kindred Spirits private Facebook group page where you can connect with other kindred spirits, or tag me on social media. I'd love to continue this conversation. I am very grateful that you took the time to listen to this episode and, if it resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. We're all in this together. Until next time, take care of your body, mind and spirit. Protect your precious energy and remember we are all kindred spirits. And just in case you forget, remember you are never too much and you are always enough. Thank you.