An empath absorbs the emotions of other people.

As an empath and psychiatrist, I know that feeling well.

Even though empaths may set excellent limits with energy vampires, it’s common for us to experience “emotional hangovers,” an energetic residue left over from an interaction. Toxic emotions can linger long afterward and they can make us feel exhausted, beset with brain-fog, or ill.

When dealing with drainers at work or at home, empaths often need time to recuperate.

It may be useful to try the following suggestions from my book The Empath’s Survival Guide to remove any “hangover” symptoms from an energy vampire encounter.

Protection Strategies and how to cure Emotional Hangovers.

1. Enjoy the Shower Meditation. In a shower, stand under the stream of water and inwardly or aloud repeat this affirmation: “Let this water wash all the negative energy from my mind, body, and spirit.” Feel the shower cleansing you, making you fresh, positive, and rejuvenated.

2. Use gemstones. Carry or wear a crystal, black tourmaline, amethyst, or black obsidian to ground yourself and remove emotional hangovers. Shamans believe if you carry or wear black, which doesn’t absorb light, you will be protected. I wear a jade pendant of Quan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion. I love how jade changes according to your body chemistry over the years and protects you by responding to your emotional shifts.

3. Burn sweetgrass and other purifiers. This plant in Native American culture is used to purify a space. Its beautiful smell wafting through the air feels nurturing to my feminine energy. Sage is effective too. I also pick cypress sprigs, eucalyptus, and juniper to burn. Experiment with which plant aroma you respond well to.

4. Use negative ion generators or salt lamps. These devices produce negative ions which clear the air of dust, mold spores, pollen, odors, cigarette smoke, bacteria, and viruses. They are also thought to remove leftover negativity in a home, office, or other location. Your shower, with its stream of moving water, also produces negative ions.

5. Light a white candle. This sets a meditative mood and quickly removes unpleasant energy from the surrounding area. White contains all colors of the spectrum and creates comfort and calm.

6. Spray rosewater or utilize other types of aromatherapy. The delicate scent of rosewater is lovely. I find it effective in removing an emotional hangover. Or, inhale lavender or peppermint oil. You can also put an essential oil in a diffuser which spreads the scent in the air. Stay away from synthetic oils with toxic ingredients. You can try lavender, peppermint, juniper, sage, or frankincense and myrrh. Experience the sublime scent purifying your energy and the room.

7. Get out into nature. Hug a tree. Do some earthing to connect your bare feet with the ground. Rejoice in the flowers. Hold a rock in your hand. Breathe in fresh air to cure emotional hangovers. Inhaling oxygen is a treatment for alcohol hangovers.  The purity of nature can restore your clarity and mood.

8. Create a sacred space for meditation. Place candles, incense, flowers, and/or a statue of Quan Yin, on a simple table in a quiet corner. Meditating in this sacred space protects you and builds positive energy, which is a balm for emotional hangovers.

9. Seek emotional support. If you feel negative energy lingering from a toxic interaction, say from a narcissistic boss or a critical spouse, you may need some extra help to remove it. Talking out the situation with a friend or therapist allows you to voice and dispel any remaining negativity.

Whenever you suspect you’ve absorbed emotions from someone else and feel an emotional hangover coming on, practice these strategies. They are a way of clearing unwanted energy and emotions from your body. 

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(Adapted from The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People by Judith Orloff MD. In the book she educates readers about empaths, highly sensitive people, and offers strategies for anyone who wants to avoid narcissists and transform difficult emotions to positive ones. Dr. Orloff is a psychiatrist and an empath who combines the pearls of traditional medicine with cutting edge knowledge of intuition, energy, and spirituality. Dr. Orloff is on the UCLA Psychiatric Clinical Faculty and also specializes in treating empaths and highly sensitive people in her private practice. To learn more about Dr. Orloff’s book tour schedule, and to sign up for her Empath Support Newsletter visit her website.)

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Author: Judith Orloff
Image: Flickr
Editor: Lieselle Davidson