10 Evidence-Based Methods to Protect Yourself as an Empath or Highly Sensitive Person

Have you ever felt extremely drained after spending time with people, going shopping, or simply running some errands? You may feel like you haven’t even done so much to cause yourself to feel so exhausted. Yet, when you get home, all you want to do is throw your feet up and take a big sigh. I know this has happened to me.

This past week I have been staying at my son’s apartment taking care of his adorable and sweet dog, Brownie. But, I’ve found the adjustment to staying in an apartment very challenging. There is so much energy, and for the first few days I was here I felt so exhausted and didn’t know why. And, then I realized. I am picking up on the energy of everyone else in the building! So, of course I’m feeling wonky. This reminded me to work on grounding myself, and protecting my energy. Which is why I wanted to share this blog with all of you. So, if you are also an empath, know that this is an incredibly universally common experience amongst sensitive people. Which, by the way, make up at least 15-20% of the population according to research by Dr. Elaine Aron. 

All of these empaths and highly sensitive people face burnout and energy depletion simply from navigating life. And, this energy depletion can cause extreme fatigue and exhaustion. And, eventually, lead to that state of drifting we talked about in a previous blog called “Purposeful Living: The Six Pillars of an Authentic Life.” 

The good news is that there are effective ways to protect your energy and maintain your well-being while still engaging with the world around you. Doing your shopping, running your errands, and spending time with friends and family. Coming home to feeling recharged, inspired, and not depleted, drained, and burnt out. 

In this blog, I share 10 powerful techniques that can help you shield your energy and prevent burnout. 

What Does it Mean to be an Empath or a Highly Sensitive Person

So, what does it mean to be an empath or a highly sensitive person? 

Well, it means you are very receptive to energy, and you pick up on it–both when you realize it and when you don’t. 

For example, you might be the person that can always tell when someone is upset, when the mood in the room has shifted, or when someone you meet is inexplicably inauthentic. 

You can sense these things because empaths and highly sensitive people are able to pick up on subtle energy shifts. So, when you don’t yet know how to protect your own energy, the others around you (usually unknowingly, and by mistake), will begin to drain your energy. You may have heard these kinds of people referred to as “energy vampires.” 

Why Empaths and Highly Sensitive People Need to be Intentional About Keeping Their Energy Safe 

When you don’t protect your energy as an empath or a highly sensitive person, the consequences can be severe. 

For example, you might experience: 

• Chronic fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
• Emotional overwhelm and mood swings 
• Physical symptoms like headaches or digestive issues
• Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
• Anxiety or depression 
• Withdrawal from social situations altogether 
• And, worst of all, a loss of your sense of self as you absorb others’ emotions. 

So, how can you keep your energy safe and avoid ending up in a state of burnout? 

Here Are 10 Ways to Protect Your Energy as an Empath or Highly Sensitive Person 

#1 Visualization Meditations

A 2016 study in the Journal of Psychology and Psychotherapy found that guided visualization techniques reduced stress hormone levels by up to 25% in empaths and highly sensitive individuals. 

So, visualization meditation can be a method to create a powerful shield for your energy field. It works by creating mental imagery with the intention of protecting your energy. So you can establish an energetic boundary that others cannot penetrate. 

Here are some visualization exercises to try: 

• Try this protection visualization meditation: Imagine you are inside of a box surrounded with outside facing mirrors. In this box you look around and there is a cozy chair, and blanket, and the walls are covered in beautiful white pearl looking wallpaper. There is no mirror reflection inside of the box, but outside, the mirrors all around hide the box. It is impossible to see from the outside, and anyone who approaches only sees a reflection of themselves and cannot access you. Inside, you are comfortable, warm, and all of the sudden, this protective draping falls from the sky and lands over you. You know that here you are safe. You can take this draping outside of the box and navigate throughout the world with this same protection. And you can return to this box anytime you need to recharge. 

• Try this grounding visualization meditation: Imagine you are standing barefoot on a patch of cool, rich earth. With each breath, you can feel your feet becoming more and more connected to the earth. Energetic roots, the color of gold, begin to flow through your body and into the ground. They act as a channel for you to recycle any of the energy you’re holding that no longer serves you. You watch as the earth then neutralizes this energy, and at the same time, you become stable as you release any stress, worry, anxiety, or emotions that are not yours to hold. When you feel fully anchored, and are ready to let go, having released all the energy that no longer serves you, know that you can call upon this connection anytime, and anywhere.

These visualization practices can act as a first line of defense for empaths and highly sensitive people, because they create a buffer between your energy and external influences. 

#2 Affirmations

Affirmations help to strengthen your energetic boundaries–which is essential for empaths and highly sensitive people. 

Research published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience demonstrated that self-affirmation activates brain regions associated with positive valuation and self-related information processing. 

So, essentially repeating affirmations reinforces your confidence in knowing that you are a person of value and have the right to protect yourself. 

So, work on making it a daily practice of speaking empowering statements like these: 

• “My energy is protected and belongs only to me.” 
• “I release all the energy I am holding that is not mine to carry.” 
• “I am centred, grounded, and shielded in my own light.” 
• “I choose which energies I allow into my space.” 
• “My boundaries around my energy are strong, clear, and respected.” 

And, a tip for maximum effectiveness–speak these affirmations aloud while holding one or both hands over your heart. Morning and evening rituals of affirmation truly can create a powerful shield of energetic protection that stays with you throughout your entire day. 

#3 Energy Cleansing Rituals 

Just as you cleanse your body in the shower, your energy needs a regular cleansing, too.

Try incorporating these simple rituals into your routine: 

• Take a bath with Epsom or sea salt to draw out absorbed energies. 
• Practice smudging your space and aura with sacred herbs. 
• Use sound cleansing with bells, singing bowls, or even clapping. 
• Visualize white or golden light washing through your entire being. 
• Stand in the sunlight and set the intention of allowing it to clear your field. 
• Be around nature where you can find it 

These cleansing practices have been around for millennia and are especially important for empaths and highly sensitive people after being in crowded places or having intense interactions where they’ve likely absorbed some of the energy of others.

#4 Mindfulness Breathing Techniques 

Your breath is one of your most powerful tools for maintaining energetic integrity. 

To use your breath to ground yourself and stabilize your energy, try these techniques: 

• Practice the 4-4-8 breathing method (inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 8). Research published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience showed that rhythmic breathing techniques like 4-4-8 breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing anxiety in empaths and highly sensitive people by up to 40%. 
• Visualizer breathing in a protective light (color of your choice) and exhaling any energy that isn’t yours. 
• Try “bubble breath”–where every time you exhale, you imagine a protective bubble around yourself. 
• Take three conscious breaths before entering new environments or interactions. 

Returning to your breath throughout the day helps you stay centred in your own energy and prevents unconscious absorption of other emotional states. 

#5 Mindfulness Movement Techniques

Movement creates a flow that can help both clear and strengthen your energy field as you practice it. 

Here are some ways you can use movement to balance your energy:

• Practice gentle yoga focusing on grounding poses like mountain pose and tree pose.
• Dance freely (like no one is watching) to release absorbed energies and reclaim your space. 
• Find a mind-muscle connection in weight lifting. 
• Take mindful walks in nature, feeling your connection to the earth with each step. 
• Incorporate simple hand movements (mudras) that seal your energy field. 

Even small movements done with intention can shift stagnant energy and reinforce your energetic boundaries. 

#6 Gratitude Practice

Cultivating gratitude creates a natural shield by raising your vibrational frequency. 

As an empath or highly sensitive person, you might be often operating out of lower vibrational energy because you are picking up on others around you who are doing the same. When in these lower states, things can start to feel heavy and emotional, and so, it’s important to turn back to gratitude. 

UC Davis psychologist Dr. Robert Emmons showcased this importance in a study he published that had found that gratitude practices increased happiness levels by 25% and reduced stress hormones by up to 23% in empaths and highly sensitive people. 

So, remind yourself what you have going for you, what you’re grateful for, and focus on those things. As you begin to feel into it, you’ll realize you feel better almost immediately. And, since you have shifted up into a higher frequency of being, your energy is more stable and protected. 

Here are some ways you can practice gratitude: 

• Begin each day by noticing 5 things you are grateful for. And write them down in your journal. 
• Practice “spot gratitude” throughout the day by pausing to appreciate small moments. 
• When faced with difficult people, silently identify something you can appreciate about them. 
• Express gratitude directly to others, and create positive energy exchanges like a pay it forward chain at a coffee shop.

This practice shifts your focus from energy depletion to abundance and vitality, which naturally protects you from the lower vibrations that can drain your sensitive system. 

#7 Setting Energetic Boundaries 

As an empath, clear boundaries are essential for your wellbeing. Without them, people will take advantage of your empathetic nature, whether they mean to or not. And, not having boundaries, or being too loose with your boundaries is how you end up burnt out, and drifting. 

So, here’s how you can practice setting boundaries:

• Practice saying “no” without an explanation or guilt. 
• Limit time spent with people who consistently drain your energy. 
• Create phrases that help you exit situations when you begin to feel your energy depleting. 
• Schedule dedicated alone time for recharging between social engagements. 
• Communicate your needs directly rather than hoping others will sense them. 

Remember that boundaries aren’t walls–they’re healthy filters that allow you to engage with others while also protecting your sensitivity. 

#8 Schedule Regular Energy Maintenance 

Just as you maintain your physical health, your energetic well being requires regular maintenance as well. Here are some ways you can give your energy maintenance the time and attention it deserves: 

• Set aside weekly time for energy clearing and strengthening. 
• Perform a daily energy check-in to identify what energy is yours, and where you’re holding other people’s emotions. 
• Track your energy levels to recognize patterns and triggers. 
• Consider working with an energy healer or mentor for periodic support. 

Consistent maintenance prevents the buildup of foreign energies and makes protection easier over time. 

#9 Creating a Sacred Supportive Space 

Having a designated area where your energy remains protected is absolutely vital for you. Especially if you are an empath or highly sensitive person. Having a space where you can retreat and recharge will help you decompress and avoid burnout and that dreaded state of “drifting.” Here are some ways you can set up a supportive space to recharge: 

• Designate a space in your room or in your home as your personal sanctuary. 
• Keep the space clean and free of clutter. 
• Add elements that feel nurturing and protective to you. 
• Return to this space whenever you need to recalibrate your energy. 

Your sacred space serves both a retreat and a reminder of how protected energy feels, helping you recognize when your boundaries need strengthening. 

#10 Establishing Digital Protection 

In our modern world, digital spaces can be just as draining as physical ones. Especially as an empath. Because when the online world has too much space in your mind and you spend so much time on social media and the internet, it can begin to hijack your thoughts and your peace. Setting boundaries can help. 

In fact, setting digital boundaries can reduce anxiety by 31% and improve sleep quality by 42% in individuals with high sensory processing sensitivity, as found in a 2023 study conducted by the Journal of Behavioral Addictions. 

So, here’s how you can set boundaries to establish digital protection: 

• Set clear time limits for social media and news consumption. This is essential as an empath. Staying up to date with news and trends can become extremely overwhelming. So, setting boundaries is essential. If you struggle to stick with your time limits, consider using a blocker like the app Opal, to ensure you are offline during your dedicated offline time. 
• Be selective about what content you consume online. Are there trending audios that are causing you anxiety? Perhaps the current trending audio–“anxiety”? If so, consider skipping past videos that are using that sound in the background. 
• Prioritize long-form content over short-form. Short-form content promotes instant gratification and can lead to an overwhelm of your nervous system. Prioritizing long-form content instead will keep your attention span strong, and will keep your nervous system regulated while you still enjoy learning about your favourite topics. 

For the modern empath or highly sensitive person, establishing concrete digital boundaries are just as important as physical ones. Screens can transmit energetic information that will impact your nervous system regulation. 

Continuing to Honor Your Sensitive Nature as an Empath While Protecting Your Energy

As an empath or highly sensitive person, your ability to absorb energy is both a gift and a responsibility. By implementing these protection techniques, you are not shutting yourself off from the world–you’re creating healthy boundaries that will allow you to engage more fully and authentically. 

Remember that energy protection isn’t about fear. It’s about honoring your sensitivity and ensuring that you can continue to share your gifts with the world without becoming depleted. With practice, these techniques will become second nature, allowing you to navigate even challenging environments with your energy intact. 

Your sensitivity is a superpower! 

Now, What’s Next for You Empowered Empath? 

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