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How I Protected My Emotions While Staying Connected
Techniques that helped me balance empathy and emotional self-care
I’ve always had a natural ability to feel what others feel — whether it’s joy, pain, or sorrow. For years, I carried the weight of others’ emotions with me, often feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to maintain balance in my own life. While this sensitivity allowed me to connect deeply with people, it also left me emotionally drained.
Over time, I realized I needed to find ways to protect myself without losing the essence of who I am. My journey toward emotional healing has been gradual, and I’m still learning, but through these experiences, I’ve found a few techniques which I want to share with you.
Feeling But Not Acting
Understanding others’ emotions came naturally to me, but I often found myself at a crossroads. I could feel the pain of my friends and family, yet sometimes, I couldn’t help them due to fears or internal barriers. This left me feeling guilty, even though I knew in my heart that I wanted to offer support.
Gradually, I realized that this was a part of being an empath — feeling intensely but sometimes being paralyzed by the weight of those emotions. The first step in my healing journey was acknowledging that it’s okay…
