When Empathy Overloads: Healing from Other People's Anxiety
When Their Storm Triggers Mine: Navigating Acquired Anxiety We've all been there. Someone starts sharing their struggles, their worries, their life's anxieties, and suddenly, you're right there with them—feeling something familiar. It's not just the empathy; it's an anxiety trigger, a reflection, or it even feels like you've been catching their distress. Why This Happens It's a mix of deep empathy, vicarious trauma, and your own anxiety's "smoke alarm" going off, even when there's no fire. You might absorb their fear, begin to feel responsible, or start worrying about their future, maybe even, projecting it onto your own life. Your Self-Care Toolkit Grounding in the Moment: Your nervous system is hijacked. Deep breathing and the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique are your instant reset buttons. Bring yourself back to the present by doing something mindfully like emersing yourself in the breath. Create Distance (Gracefully): They are sharing how...