As an empath, you are naturally wired for very intimate connection with others, and because of this you also need to pull back and create space from others in order to stay in balance. It’s an empath paradox! Toggling between these two polarities consciously—opening up to energetically commingle with others and mindfully separating—is key to a sensitive person maintaining nourishing relationships of all kinds. When witnessing and observing individuals, groups, or the collective, you remain firmly anchored in your own energy. Instead of going into your heart for clairsentient (or feeling) intuitive guidance, you get curious about others and go into your head for claircognizant (breakthrough thoughts) guidance. Witnessing and observing involves creating emotional space between yourself and someone else. This healthy detachment and neutrality gets easier with time and practice. Retreat and recover time doesn’t have to happen alone, but most of the thousands of empaths whom I’ve done intuitive readings for truly cherish their alone time. Make this retreat and recover time a predictable pattern so you don’t become chronically overstimulated. The amount of retreat and recover time you require will vary based on things like where you fall on the introvert/extrovert spectrum, your baseline tolerance for stimulation, and how much stimulation you’ve been dealing with lately. Let others know that retreat and recover time is healthy and that your sensitive system craves it. Make sure you communicate that your need for solo or quiet time has no bearing on how much you value and enjoy spending time with the folks in your life. Invest in relationships of all sorts for a better sense of well-being. As you improve your skills at setting boundaries as a sensitive person and practicing self-care, isolating yourself to protect your sensitive system will no longer be a go-to coping skill. Have you found yourself worried about a co-worker’s dream of a promotion when you aren’t at work? While it’s normal to care for others and want to help, empaths may be more susceptible to enmeshment, people-pleasing, and codependency. The clairsentient or feeling psychic pathway may be only one of your intuitive gifts as an empath, depending on how you are uniquely wired. But it’s certainly a significant one that should be honored and exercised.
