How Empaths Can Manage Their Energy During the Holiday Season

Every year, the holiday season puts empaths in a tricky position—one of the most joyous times of year can also be one of the most draining if you aren’t careful. It’s especially challenging because you’re dealing with other people’s energy as well as your own, and it’s challenging to know how to navigate both at the same time. How do you avoid burning out during the holidays? Here are some tips on how empaths can manage their energy during this busy time of year:

Release, ground, and shield your energy

For empaths, the holidays can be a confusing and overwhelming time. The gatherings, grief, shopping, and even travel can take a lot of energy to manage. Whether you're an empath or not, it's important to take care of your energy and make sure you don't go into a state of depletion. Here are some tips on how to release, ground, and shield your energy during the holidays:

1. Release - Set an intention to release low vibrational energy, move your body – dance party anyone? You could also have a shower, wash your hands, or use your favourite clearing crystals.
2. Ground - Focus on your breath, go barefoot, imagine tree roots coming from the core of your body into the centre of the Earth, or try a grounding meditation.
3. Protect - Visualize a protective bubble around you, imagine you are on an island of black tourmaline, or create a white light in your mind's eye that expands within and around you with each breath.

Make empowered choices

Empaths are often overloaded with others’ emotions and have a hard time setting boundaries and living in alignment with their own desires. This can make holidays especially difficult. Here are some tips to help you make empowered choices around the holidays:

1. Be choosy with your holiday events- don't commit to anything that doesn't align with your desires.
2. If you must go to an event where there will be many people (like a family gathering), set intentions and do your best to go into it with a good attitude and focus on being present in the moment rather than what might happen next.
3. Lastly remember that it's ok to say no!

Set boundaries

Setting boundaries with family and friends is a healthy way to manage energy during the holidays. Boundaries can be anything from how often you spend time with them, to what you allow them to say or do. Set boundaries that work for you and your needs and take care of yourself by honoring those boundaries. If spending time with family and friends makes you feel drained, plan ways to give yourself rest before you connect with them. Let others know how they can support you (don't make big plans for me or commit me to obligations without my consent; please don't overwhelm me with news about other people's lives or the world's events). When setting these boundaries, it's important to set consequences so people know when they have crossed your boundary.

Tune in to your body

You might find it difficult to maintain your energy levels at this time of year, but there are many things you can do to help yourself. For example, tune in to your body and notice where your energy is stored. You might find that it's stored in your stomach, which could mean you're feeling anxious or uncomfortable. Or it could be stored in your chest, which may indicate that you're holding a lot of emotional tension. You may need to talk about these feelings with someone close to you, write them down in a journal, or just allow the emotions to come up naturally and release them naturally. Maybe taking a short walk or dancing it out may help you clear out some of that energy so you can maintain your energy this holiday season.

Listen to your own needs

As an empath, it is important to take care of yourself and listen to your own needs, especially during the intense energy of the holidays. It's okay to step back sometimes and rest if you need it! If you are going through a difficult time during the holidays, like breakup, loss or change in job position, grief can be triggered, and you may have more sensitivity during that time. Allow yourself joy but try not to prevent yourself from joyful experiences or set unrealistic goals for yourself, if you are not feeling up to it. Don't push through with being ‘on’ all of the time because you may burn out. Be mindful of your needs and honour them so you can maintain your energy, for a balanced lifestyle this holiday season.

Want more? Check out the Mind, Body, Clarity podcast, where I discuss more about how to manage energy around the holidays.