Navigating Sensitivity
Life as an intuitive empathetic person can be difficult in many ways. Our energetic sensitivity often goes hand in hand with being emotionally and physically sensitive in many ways. Having the ability to perceive the emotions and feelings of others is a gift, but at times it can feel like a burden if you allow their emotional expression to influence your decisions. However, it is possible to find and cultivate emotional balance within to reduce the effect that other people have on your experience. Sometimes these intuitive gifts can feel heavy if we don’t know how to properly manage our energetic and emotional boundaries. We must learn to center ourselves in our daily lives to avoid feeling like we’re at the mercy of everyone around us all the time. It is important to prioritize our wellbeing before taking care of others and nurturing their needs. In order to have extra energy to freely give to other people, we must learn to fill our own cup first.
It’s okay to be sensitive, and it’s okay to let others know when you’ve reached your limit in any given situation. Sometimes you need to walk away to get some air, ground yourself, and regulate your nervous system before finishing a discussion. If you’re emotionally on the brink, it’s okay to call a time out to gather yourself before reengaging with someone. Your first obligation is always taking care of yourself, and you must do that in order to show up for your loved ones as the best version of yourself. The better you take care of yourself, the easier it will be for you to respond and communicate from a place of balance and love. Once you’re able to master this skill of putting yourself first and keeping your energy balanced, it will be much easier for you to interact with the rest of the world moving forward. This state of being allows you to respond rather than react in high stress situations because you’re able to find your own sense of peace outside of whatever is currently happening.
Learning how to cultivate your own peace comes from the practice of tuning in with your own energy and filling your cup from within. This eliminates the need for energy exchange with others in order to keep ourselves regulated, and it opens up the possibility to connect with others in an equal and balanced way. Many of us can relate to over giving in relationships in an effort to receive energy from someone, and that strategy often leaves us feeling empty when they accept our energy without sending anything in return. If we can give from our overflow, there is no risk of coming up empty. In that instance, if we are giving repeatedly to someone who never decides to reciprocate, we’re free to stop giving at any moment without feeling like we’ve lost something that we’ll never recoup. Giving from a place of lack is always a gamble on returns, and giving from overflow is a true gift that requires no repayment. This is how we take our power back most fully, by taking charge of our own wellbeing and not expecting that others will provide it for us as long as we first provide for them.
Reclaiming your sovereignty in relationships is the most effective way to heal resentment at the root by preventing it from growing. It allows you to be in charge of your own emotions and that sets you free from managing everyone else’s. This in turn allows you to stand firm in your sensitivity in an overstimulating world because you always have the opportunity to take a step back and look within at every challenge. Nobody is forcing you to remain in relationships that are continuously draining your energy. However, there will always be a temptation to escape our own darkness by exploring someone else’s in an attempt to save them. Once we realize that we can’t save other people, we can begin to rescue ourselves from this toxic system that tells us to suck it up to keep everyone comfortable. Your desire to save others is a warning from your unmet needs that are desperately in need of your attention. This pattern will keep you clawing for approval, acceptance, and love from people who have no desire to provide that for you. You have the ability to give yourself everything that you need in order to thrive and grow. You are strong enough to step back from this dynamic and find a new way of being that will keep your cup overflowing forever.