Navigating the Holidays as an Empath/HSP

The holiday season can be both amazing and a stressful time of year, especially for Empaths and Sensitives. There’s more on your plate, more obligations, different (social, family and unhealed) dynamics to navigate, and a lot of energy exchanges.

Join us on Saturday, November 9, 2024, from 10:00am-12:00pm, at The Yorkville Public Library, (Michelle Pfister Meeting Room, 902 Game Farm Road, Yorkville, IL 60560) to connect with other Empaths and Sensitives to discuss how to navigate the holiday season and to share some of our experiences as a group.

This in-person event will provide a safe space for participants to share experiences, insights, and tips for navigating the world with heightened sensitivity. Whether you're a seasoned empath or just discovering your abilities, this group is open to all who want to connect with like-minded individuals.

This event is FREE.

(Attendees under the age of 18, please attend with a legal guardian.)

Please register via Meetup.

Be sure to watch this Meetup event page for changes/updates or re-scheduling.

What is an Empath:
An Empath is a highly sensitive person who is naturally tuned into all types of energy (both positive and negative) that is being emitted by humans (including their emotions and physical symptoms), animals, the environment, electromagnetic frequencies, geophysical stress (i.e. weather, natural disasters) and even non-physical beings. They are emotional sponges and have a higher sensitivity to outside stimuli such as sounds, smell, taste, touch, crowds, and hectic environments. Empaths have an innate ability to intuitively feel and perceive reading body language, gestures, tone of voice, and energy. They can also sense thoughts, feelings, emotions and illness. They also have the intuitive gift of Clairempathy. Research has shown that Empaths tend to have unique variations in their central nervous systems that cause them to have these unusual sensitivities.

Do you have any of these Empath traits? If so, how many?

• You are a problem solver
• You are drained by negative people, crowds or busy places
• You are drawn to holistic, metaphysical or naturopathic solutions and remedies
• You are highly creative and/or have an extremely rich imagination
• You are more aware of suffering in the world than others
• You can feel things before they happen
• You can see things from many points of view
• You can sense the “vibe” in a room or feel the “atmosphere” around you
• You desire quiet time, peace and solitude
• You don’t like a hectic environment or to be rushed
• You don’t like conflict
• You feel drawn to help others
• You feel like you don’t fit in
• You feel people’s energy more than listen to their words
• You feel sick or shaky around certain people
• You feel the emotions of others
• You feel illnesses, aching, pains or physical symptoms of others when you are near them
• You feel the need to support those who you see as being intimidated, bullied or who are suffering
• You find crowds to be overwhelming
• You find it hard to be around clutter
• You find it hard to watch violence or tragedy on television, in movies or on the news
• You find strict guidelines, procedures, and regimens to be stifling
• You find that people, even strangers, come to you to divulge their life issues and problems or ask you for advice
• You have a calming effect on other people
• You have a deep connection and love of animals
• You have a hard time around inauthentic people
• You have a hard time making eye contact with fake people
• You have a high sensitivity to bright lights, sounds, smells, or other sensations
• You have a keen eye for beauty where others don’t see it
• You have experienced sudden, overwhelming emotions when you’re in public
• You loathe dishonesty and have a deep desire for truth
• You need time to recharge
• You notice that weather affects your mood and/or your body
• You sense when someone is not telling the truth or when you are getting partial truth.
• You take comfort in nature
• You take on the energy of others
• You tend to isolate yourself
• Your intuition is very accurate
• You feel a deep need to make the world a better place.

As an Emapth, you may find the following places to be challenging because of the energy that they carry:

• Angry/Toxic/Negative Environments
• Antique Shops/Flea Markets
• Bustling Cities
• Crowded/Public Places
• Flea Markets/Antique Shops
• Group Therapy Sessions
• Historical Tours/Landmarks
• Hospitals
• Hotels
• Malls/Stores
• Memorial Sites
• Planes, Trains, and Busses

Supposedly only 1 to 2 percent of the population are Emapths and they bring a lot of heart and care to the world and feel things very deeply. It is important for an Empath to learn how to protect their own energy, how to re-charge, and how to practice self-care as they navigate in today’s world.