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Knowing how to protect your energy is key for highly sensitive entrepreneurs.
If you’re a highly sensitive entrepreneur or an empath entrepreneur, you know that protecting your energy is important to showing up powerfully in your business.
Here’s what can happen if we don’t take care to protect our energy.
Do any of these situations sound familiar?
- You start the day in a good mood, but then open social media, see something that makes you angry, and now you have “absorbed” the anger and you can’t return to the good mood you started with, no matter what you do.
- You meet a friend for coffee, feeling excited to share some good news, but she starts complaining, and before long, you are joining her in the complaint department, and you leave the interaction feeling down or depressed.
- You arrive home from work stressed from the long day, only to realize your partner is also stressed, and suddenly a big fight sparks, seemingly out of nowhere.
While “negative” emotions or situations can’t be avoided entirely (nor should they be, as processing all emotions is important), we don’t have to let the energy of others affect our lives and work.
There are ways we can consciously safeguard and protect our own energy, so that we are not victim to absorbing and taking on the energy of those around us.
High sensitivity means you’re sensitive to the energy of others
If you’re a highly sensitive entrepreneur, then you know that being sensitive to the energy around you is part of the game.
You’re probably well aware how easily you can be affected by others’ moods and energies, sometimes without even realizing it!
This “exposure” can come in many forms — a person, a situation, the news and world events — and can affect they way you feel and show up in your business.
So how can you proactively protect your energy?
7 ways to protect your energy as a highly sensitive entrepreneur
If you’re a highly sensitive entrepreneur who wants to protect your energy, try these 7 ways.
1. Realize it’s not about you; it’s about them.
When someone is upset, angry, or just in a bad mood, it can be very easy to assume it’s about you. Don’t take it personally. You have no idea what another person is thinking, feeling, or experiencing in that moment. Remember that another’s actions and words are not a reflection of you; they are a reflection of that person.
2. Disengage from the person or situation.
While it’s not always possible, the easiest thing to do in the moment is to remove yourself from the source of pain. You can choose to close the Instagram app, leave the conversation, or step outside for a breather. Find a safe place where you can reconnect to yourself. (Psst… This is where strong boundaries can be helpful!)
3. Assume the role of unattached observer.
When we feel personally connected to a person or situation, we have a tendency to react emotionally. Try viewing the situation as an unattached observer. What is the dynamic that is playing out? Are the emotions yours or someone else’s?
4. Ask yourself what you need.
Once you find yourself triggered or feeling upset, take a moment to pause, breathe, and ask yourself: What do I need right now, in this moment? Be willing to sit with yourself until you have an answer. Do your best to attend to your needs, as triggers often mean there is an unfulfilled need somewhere.
5. Imagine yourself in an invisible bubble.
If you notice yourself absorbing the energy of others in the online space, try this step proactively… before you open any social media apps. Picture yourself surrounded by an invisible bubble. No matter where you are or who you are with, the bubble serves to protect you. When you come into contact with negative energy, imagine the negative energy bouncing off the bubble.
6. Take a pause.
No matter who or what you encounter, remember that you always have a choice in how you respond. It can help to first take a pause and ask yourself, “How would I choose to respond?” You always get to choose. Sometimes that choice may be not to respond, to take a deep breath, or to step away.
7. Go back to your body.
When you’re feeling overpowered by the energy of others, you are likely not present in your own body. Take the time and space to sit quietly by yourself. Take some deep breaths. Practice a body scan meditation. Focus in on any tension in your body and actively breathe into the space. This will help you bring you back to your body and get centered.
Protecting your energy online is especially important
While we all know that in person events can be draining, so can being online!
The constant scroll, the bright Zoom screen, feeling like we need to be “on” all the time can be particularly draining.
For highly sensitive entrepreneurs, you’ll want to make sure that you have practices in place to protect your energy online, too, so that you can avoid things like social media burnout.
You can cultivate practices to protect your energy
Being an empath or a highly sensitive entrepreneur means you have many gifts to share with your clients and the world.
Just as you can powerfully empathize with people, you can also get dragged into their energy if you’re not careful.
The key is being aware of your own energy and coming back to yourself with these key practices.
Want to thrive as a highly sensitive entrepreneur?
As a highly sensitive, empathetic entrepreneur, managing and protecting your energy is an important piece of being able to market yourself and get visible. Marketing and visibility can often be energetically draining, especially if we’re not doing so in a way that supports our natural gifts.
The best way to market yourself as a highly sensitive or empathetic entrepreneur is to focus on your natural strengths, while managing and protecting your energy. Not sure what your natural strengths are? Take my free quiz below.
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