This week I was at a party and a woman spoke to me about how she struggled as an empath, particularly in this world where so much is so distressing. She was deeply disturbed by the news and also had an activist’s heart. She wanted to make a difference but how could she when she felt consistently emotionally overwhelmed?

Here’s a strategy I offered to her and that I use myself. I hope it works wonders for you.

If you are an empath or a highly sensitive person, you already know the power of energy. You do not need to be convinced of it. You have experienced it. You have experienced the way your heart rate goes up, the way tears appear, the way you have a tangible reaction to the world around you.

This is not a one-way channel.

In the moment that you are receiving the anger, the heartbreak, the terror, the joy of a particular situation, crowd or individual, if you can find and stand your ground, you can send back love, peace, calm and hope through the connection between you. The experience will take on a different tenor, at minimum for you and perhaps for all.

Have you ever seen a fantasy film where an evil wizard or a dragon pours out fire in the direction of their foe and the good wizard responds with water or ice? Their magic connects and you watch the red glow and the cool blue meet and meld until one dissipates. Working your empath energy magic is like that.

Now, it takes time and strength to be an energy wizard. You need to tend to the practices and habits that keep you healthy and strong (e.g. good sleep, nourishing food, meditation). You also need boundaries and strategies for when the energy coming at you is too strong for your current state. But also remember that your sensitivity to energy is a super power. We tend to think of it only as a receptive power but it is also an active one. If the energy we receive can make a difference in our world, the energy we send can too.

There is a reason that so many creatives are highly sensitive people. We are tuned into the depth and breadth of what it means to be human. That is glorious and it is challenging too. Like a wizard, there will be days when we need to be alone, to be quiet and attend to our studies but there will also be days when we can use our magic to turn fear into hope and frogs into butterflies.