If you often feel drained after crowded rooms, absorb other people's moods as if they were your own, or need more quiet time than your friends, the most helpful things you can do are simple: build regular time alone into your week, manage noise and stimulation, learn a calming technique such as slow breathing or meditation, set clear limits on how much emotional load you take on, and spend time outdoors. The 15 tips below cover those basics and a few popular spiritual practices, with an honest note on what the evidence says about each.
Empaths and highly sensitive people: what the terms mean
"Empath" is a popular word, mostly used in self-help and spiritual writing, for someone who feels other people's emotions unusually strongly. Some versions go further and claim empaths can read a person's "energy", thoughts or even future. There is no scientific evidence for those abilities.
The research-based idea closest to it is sensory processing sensitivity, studied since the 1990s by psychologists Elaine and Arthur Aron, who coined the term "highly sensitive person" (HSP). They estimate that about 15 to 20% of people score high on the trait. Highly sensitive people tend to process experiences more deeply, get overstimulated more easily, react more intensely to emotions and notice subtle sensory details. Aron summarises this as depth of processing, overstimulation, emotional intensity and sensory sensitivity.
A few points are worth knowing:
- It is a trait, not a disorder. Aron describes it as an inborn temperament with advantages and disadvantages.
- It is not the same as introversion. Roughly 30% of highly sensitive people are estimated to be socially outgoing.
- Sensitivity cuts both ways. Researchers describe sensitive people as reacting more strongly to bad environments and also benefiting more from good ones, such as supportive relationships and calm surroundings.
- It can come with real strain. Studies link high sensitivity with stress, feeling overwhelmed, anxiety and sleep problems. If those are affecting your life, talk to a doctor or a therapist.
Protecting your energy: time, space and boundaries
1. Schedule time on your own
Solitude gives an overloaded nervous system a chance to settle. Put it in your diary like any other appointment: a quiet lunch, a walk without your phone, half an hour in a dim room after work. Highly sensitive people often report that a short, regular break works better than one long recovery at the weekend.
2. Use kind self-talk, but keep it realistic
Affirmations are short phrases repeated to steer your thinking. Research on them is mixed: they seem to help most when they are believable and tied to values you already hold, and can backfire if they feel false. "I am allowed to leave early when I am tired" is more useful than a grand statement you do not believe.
3. Imagine a boundary, then set a real one
Some spiritual teachers recommend picturing a protective bubble of light around yourself. As a calming image before a difficult meeting, it may help some people, much like any visualisation. It will not block anyone's emotions, though, so pair it with practical boundaries: limit how long you stay at draining events, say no to extra favours, and do not feel obliged to fix every friend's problems.
4. Forgive, for your own sake
Holding onto resentment keeps a stressful situation running in your head long after it ends. Psychological research links forgiveness with lower stress and better wellbeing. Forgiving does not mean excusing harm or staying close to someone who hurts you. It means deciding to stop carrying it.
Calming an overloaded nervous system
5. Centre yourself in the present moment
When emotions pile up, notice what you feel, name it and let it pass instead of fighting it. Mindfulness-based approaches built around this idea have good evidence for reducing stress and preventing relapse in depression.
6. Meditate
Even ten minutes of focused breathing or guided meditation can calm the body's stress response. Start small, use a free app or recording, and do not worry if your mind wanders. Bringing it back is the exercise.
7. Try physical grounding
Spiritual writers describe a "grounding cord" that sends unwanted energy into the earth. A simpler, evidence-friendly version is sensory grounding: plant your feet on the floor, then name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste. Therapists teach this to bring people out of spiralling thoughts.
8. Replace "chakra cleansing" with a body scan
Chakras come from Indian spiritual traditions and have no basis in anatomy. If the practice appeals to you, the useful part is paying attention to tension in different parts of the body. A body scan does exactly that: move your attention slowly from head to toe, noticing and softening tight muscles.
9. Move with yoga
Yoga combines stretching, breath control and focus, and studies suggest it can reduce stress and anxiety for many people. Gentle or restorative classes suit people who find loud, crowded gyms overwhelming.
Soothing the senses
10. Manage sound
Noise is one of the most common triggers of overstimulation. Noise-cancelling headphones, soft music, rain or ocean recordings, or simply a quieter seat on the train can make a long day far easier.
11. Spend time in nature and with animals
Time in green spaces is linked with lower stress and better mood, and many people find the company of a calm pet steadying. A short daily walk in a park counts.
12. Use scent if you enjoy it
Essential oils can make a space feel pleasant, and a few small studies suggest scents such as lavender may help some people relax. The evidence is limited, so treat it as a comfort rather than a treatment. Use oils as directed, keep them away from pets that may be sensitive to them, and do not swallow them.
13. Keep stones or objects that comfort you
Some people carry crystals or gemstones to "clear negative energy". No study has shown crystals have any special power, but a familiar object in your pocket can work as a reminder to breathe and slow down. If it helps in that way, enjoy it.
14. Understand smudging before you try it
Smudging, the burning of sacred herbs such as white sage, is a ceremony belonging to some Indigenous peoples of the Americas, usually guided by Elders and following specific protocols. Many Native people object to it being sold in commercial kits as a wellness trend, and demand has stripped wild white sage from traditional harvesting sites. Smoke indoors can also irritate the lungs. If you simply want a room to feel fresh, open a window or put on a scent you like.
Reflecting and getting support
15. Keep a gratitude and intention journal
Jotting down, before bed, a few things you are grateful for, and one small goal for tomorrow, is a habit with reasonable evidence behind it for improving mood. It also helps sensitive people process a busy day on paper rather than replaying it at night.
When to ask for more help
Being sensitive is not something to fix, and many highly sensitive people describe it as a strength: they notice details others miss and are often deeply caring friends, partners and colleagues. But if feeling overwhelmed is leading to persistent anxiety, low mood, poor sleep or avoiding things you used to enjoy, it is worth talking to a doctor or a licensed therapist. Approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness-based therapy can teach skills that make a big difference.
Sources: Wikipedia: Sensory processing sensitivity; Psychology Today: Highly sensitive person; Wikipedia: Smudging. The original list of tips appeared on OM Times via The Mind Unleashed.
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Yeah, I have this experience from childhood, but the thing is others won't understand me,
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