If you agree with my belief that empathic or sensitive women…those who more easily pick up the emotional energies, feelings and thoughts of those around them, are also likely to overeat or use food or weight to try to anchor or ground themselves..keep reading.
It’s easy to make the connection between overeating when we’re upset, anxious, triggered by something that’s going on in our life. Easy to see that we have become used to self-soothing with food, or by not expressing feelings such as anger or resentment or even more powerful aspects of ourselves that want to shine.. by using food.
But what about when you’re feeling kind of antsy, a little off, kind of uneasy and you find yourself opening the cupboard doors (again), staring into the refrigerator..wandering around the kitchen looking for something to actively change how you’re feeling.. when nothing much is going on?
This is a time when you might want to ask yourself a different kind of question and you may find it very helpful, and the answers surprising. The next time you find yourself roaming for food when you’re not hungry.. you’ve just eaten, you know it’s not true physical hunger but you feel that uneasy gnawing.. ask yourself ” Who does this belong to?”. In other words, whose emotion have you picked up.. what emotional energy are you carrying for/from somebody else.
For example you may have a difficult phone call with somebody in your family and you’re still holding their energy. Or you’ve been listening to a friend who is going through some difficult times.. or maybe you’ve had a conflicted exchange with somebody in your office.. or are even just feeling their negative mood as you pass by them in the office. Oftentimes, you don’t have to talk to somebody to know, to sense and feel what’s going on for them.. you feel it.. you know it in your own body.
The problem is, sometimes you don’t realize that this happens to you. You may not be truly aware at this point that you’re this kind of empathic or sensitive and so when you absorb the emotional energy around you and “take it on” in your body and personal energy field, it feels like it’s yours. Most people aren’t aware, and don’t differentiate, and therein lies much of the problem.. and why you then turn to food or other addictive patterns to try to get some relief. Because you aren’t aware of what’s happening.
This is a very different way of walking through the emotional landscape.. not just by trying to change habits around eating and reacting in those ways, but in the paradigm shift.
In understanding that much of what you’re feeling may not be ‘yours’ you begin to look at other ways that you are taking on energy from other sources and become more interested in ways to hold your space and create boundaries in ways that you haven’t before.
Staying grounded, and in your body and in present-time are ways to lessen the mixing-and-mingling in other people’s energies and emotional fields. I’ve written a fair amount of posts on this which may help you.
I definitely recommend my digital home study course for anyone who relates to the heaviness and feeling of being weighed down and taking on too much of other peoples’ emotions.. giving too much, overnurturing.. taking that which is not yours on. My home study retreat for women who are empathic and struggling with eating and/or weight is “Recovering Beauty”. I also recommend Colette Baron-Reid’s new book “Weight Loss For People Who Feel Too Much” (perfect title)..
**For anyone ordering my homestudy digital book, you will also get a complimentary consultation.. just you and me, skype or phone to help you get the most out of it.. for a limited time.. When you order the book, just email me and we’ll set it up.
Big love to you… xox
Amy Zellmer says
Love this. Sometimes it is hard to remember to stay grounded, especially in hard times when we need it most. thanks for the reminder!
Lisa says
Amy.. for those of us who most need to stay “in our bodies”.. it is often the most challenging..it’s true. But as with most things, setting the intention and checking in often to see where we are with it really helps. Love to you, Lisa
Chrisite says
”Who does this belong to?” that’s brilliant Lisa! I’m definitely take on a lot of energy and have been working on grounding/boundaries for a while. This gives me another tool!
Lisa says
Hi Christie.. as a creative I suspect you are a real empath.. so the grounding/boundaries piece is going to be helpful for you. Really hope this was helpful.. love your work. xox Lisa
Teresa Deak says
So very true! In fact, with what I know about energy and how much of a sponge for it I can be, I’m convinced that 95% of the health crisis I had didn’t have *anything* to do with me!
But food? Yeah, time to pay attention and clear the energy away instead of swallowing it with a handful of raisins!
Thanks, Lisa! Great advice!
Hugs and butterflies,
~Teresa~
Lisa says
Teresa..I would imagine that you are very sensitive..interesting re the health piece..sounds like you’ve been super mindful around the food lately.. Love to you.. Lisa
Leah Shapiro says
Great questions Lisa!
The idea that you don’t even know that it is happening is given me something to think about. I definitely pick up other people’s energies- but never related it to eating…but if it causes discomfort that needs to be lessened….I can see how it might happen.
Lisa says
Leah.. definitely.. I think this is such a good topic for all of us sensitive/empathic types (who i work with anyways..) and allows us to take a really different look at what’s going on in ways that let you hold your center with new information. love to you..Lisa
Karen Ribeiro says
Lisa, your thoughtful post gives new meaning to “food for thought!” I resonate strongly with the paradigm shift you describe and remember when this shift occurred in my life. I was able to stop at just one scoop of [good quality] ice cream from that moment forward. Now I am fully aware of when I eat emotions and work on healing modalities to get through that temptation. Journaling is the number one tool in my biased opinion 😉
~ Karen
Lisa says
Karen.. I love journaling also..for lots of reasons, but the main one being that it moves energy out of our bodies..Good for you that you are so fully present/aware..not easy to get there.. Love..Lisa
Jacqueline Fairbrass says
Brilliant reminder as always Lisa to stay connected to our bodies. I love the questions ‘who does this belong to?’
And thank you, I needed this reminder today. Perfect timing for me to read this.
Choose Happy and keep up the good work. Your message is so important. xox
Lisa says
Jacqueline.. glad that the timing worked for you..and thanks as always for your support.. With love, lisa
Danielle Dowling says
Oh, this line is SO brilliant: “Who does this belong to?”. In other words, whose emotion have you picked up.. what emotional energy are you carrying for/from somebody else.”
Thank you for this. I will be using it with my own clients! XO
Lisa says
Danielle.. yes.. we all need to be aware of what we’re picking up from others.. carrying, enacting. Being conscious of energy in this way, we are free to make choices in ways that serve us and others.. xox Lisa