Empath as a Teacher

How does one handle high sensitivity?

Empath is a word that is now coming into the majority vocabulary. We can not ignore it anymore. For we can not ignore any development of understanding of human psychology as we are a deeply human industry (educationists). A teacher or a student who is an empath would find it very overwhelming to be with so many people for most of the day. Hence must know about it.

In a nutshell: (www.drjudithorloff.com)

"Empaths are highly sensitive, finely tuned instruments when it comes to emotions. They feel everything sometimes to an extreme, and are less apt to intellectualize feelings. Intuition is the filter through which they experience the world". 

I was always told that something is wrong with me. Any one of you felt the same? I was told, 'you are too sensitive'. Judith Orloff (www.drjudithorloff.com) has helped set so many of my confusions and fears about myself by helping me to recognize myself as someone having empathic abilities. Some of the things she says have helped me to feel at peace with my self today.

 I am sharing this so it may resonate with you or a student that you have. If it does, please note that nothing is wrong with you or them. You are not too sensitive, you have some abilities and that can be managed with some common sense. 

Here is what Dr. Judith suggests:

Don't take on too much.Keep the goals realistic. I had a tendency to have so many goals for few weeks that it would take me a year to finish them. I take it easy now, and operate by my standards.

Down time is a must. Leave empty spaces in your day for being in your own space where you feel comfortable. The nervous system needs time and solo space to absorb and assimilate all that it has absorbed through the day. Ideally start and end the day with down time. 

Keep breathing. Empaths feel trapped in emotions and and stop breathing. Energy stays stuck in the system and does not circulate. Have several check-ins for yourself during the day. 'How is my breathing?' I find, after trying a lot, that long and deep breaths does it for me. I feeeel the energy flowing in my system. Best is that I can do that no mater what else I am doing. Breathe from abdomen and deeply. Try this exercise.

Keep healthy boundaries. Say NO. I love it when Judith says - Feel your pacing - How much time do you want with others? No one can answer this for you. Feel it and do not hesitate to tell others 'I need to be off to cool off'. Empaths find it hard to say no. watch out for your self. 

What works for you? Nature, poetry, yoga, shower, lonesomeness, friends, meditation - What works for you to calm yourself? Find out. Again...feel. Sometime back I started getting this urge to read poetry for no reason. There is just a sense of relief and joy when I read a poem. I also ended up doing a MOOC course and loved it. I did not understand that I was getting in touch with my empathic self. Feel what is drawing you for calmness? And go for it. Calm yourself down. 

Nature breaks. Nature is the best. Go to a park. Sit next to a tree. Feel the natural world. Feel the earth. From your feet. Feel the electrons. FEEL Take nature holidays. 

Body focus. Every time you feel overwhelmed, focus on some part of the body. Scan your body often to check if you are grounded in it. Empaths have a tendency to lose awareness of the body. Here is a great body scanning exercise.

Most importantly, be mindful. Watch out when you feel overwhelmed by the sensory overloads. Once you are aware, you will know what to do! And the teach the students too...

What do you say? Do you believe that empaths exist?

PS: Empath is different from Empathy.

#monicakochar, #humanemaths, #empaths, #education, #HSP, #evolution, #education