8 Surprising Business Building Hacks for Empaths (And My Questionnaire!)
Do you think that being an empath and building a business are mutually exclusive? I don’t. Empaths are rising. People who have long stayed hidden are realizing that their voices need to be heard. The status quo is too painful for empaths and they’re building businesses because they want to make a positive difference in the world.
I work with women who are creating coaching businesses doing healing, helping, guiding and teaching work who’re also empaths. I believe that we empaths are born to do this work, and came here, at this time in history, for that reason.
Our empathic abilities have long been overlooked and unseen and undervalued. What that means is that most business building training is not meant for empathic, big-hearted feelers, who navigate the world by deciding what “feels” the best, and only take action when they’re inspired by a knowing they can’t explain, rather than a plan.
As an Empath your biggest challenge is learning how to stop getting mixed up in the energy of others. This will also affect your business and nothing in Business Building 101 teaches you this, or what to do about it.
If you don’t learn this lesson, you’ll have extreme emotional ups and downs, get confused and overwhelmed because you’re enmeshed with what others think and feel, and you’ll amp up a whole bunch of decoy behaviours to cope with all that feeling – overeating, overshopping, over Facebooking& Instagramming & overdrinking are just a few examples – and you’ll lose your way in your business.
First, are you an Empath? You can download my questionnaire HERE.
I think Empaths can be outstanding Life Coaches and can be amazing in business – if they harness and use their empathic gifts – instead of ignoring them.
If you’re an Empath, here are 8 surprising business hacks – that have nothing to do with business:
- Have a regular demanding physical exercise practice. Power walking, running, spinning, kayaking, cross country skiing – anything that raises your heartbeat on a regular basis will do. Demanding exercise brings your focus back to you – your physical body. You’ll be better able to feel your own emotions, rather than defaulting to feeling other people’s emotions. This will help you to gain clarity on what’s right for you, and get physically healthier!
- Write. Empaths need to process their feelings and distance themselves from their feelings. Writing allows you to do that. You can sort out emotions as you write so that you understand them, and they don’t overtake your day to day.
- Notice, don’t ignore your difficult emotions. We’ve all been told that emotions don’t have any place in business. Not so for Empaths. Since you feel deeply and often feel the emotions of others more clearly than you feel your own, you may have a tendency to ignore or avoid your emotions. If you do, you’ll lose access to the valuable information you get through your emotions – which is essential for Empaths. Practice noticing your emotions rather than ignoring them. Once again, write. Keep a notebook. Over time this will help you to discover the messages and instructions that your emotions are giving you. Empaths who ignore emotions will eventually feel the full force of all the feels – which usually feels something like burn-out.
- Acknowledge on-line overload. It can feel like your energetic doorway is always open with social media and being constantly on-line. Do you notice that too much screen time makes your energetic wires feel like they are buzzing out? The downside of an on-line business for an empath is being on-line. Step away from social media. Set time limits for being on-line. Unsubscribe from emails that deplete you. Give yourself a break.
- Dis-identify with the external world. In order to do your purpose in the world, you need to first dis-identify with the world, define your own genius and talents. Empaths are so identified with others in the world that they need the time and the space to really connect with who they are, why they are here and what they have to offer. If they don’t, they’ll forget, and they won’t do anything. This takes repetition, support and time. Make sure you do this! (If you need help with this, the programs I offer, all help you to see yourself and claim your genius.)
- Get some boundaries. There’s nothing worse than an Empath who is spinning out, due to resentment because she can no longer pretend that she’s fine, when she’s blindingly angry. You need to say “No”often. Saying “No” doesn’t need to be explained. “No” doesn’t need to be justified. It just needs to be practiced. If you’re feeling resentment, then you have a “No” that hasn’t been said. If you have trouble saying “No” delay giving a response for something you’re asked to do. Say instead, “Let me get back to you.” Then, feel into what you really want and if the answer is “No”, and it’s hard to verbalize - send a text. With practice, it’ll get easier!
- Get outside in nature. Get outside. Get barefoot. Feel the earth. Sit under a tree and look up. Breathe deeply from your belly. Empaths need to be in nature. Nature restores, and nature heals. Step away from the computer. Don’t go to the mall. Find some trees. Find a river. Find a sunset. Find yourself.
- Beware of emotional contagion. As an Empath, you’ll feel the emotions of those you hang out with. So, if your spouse or your family or co-workers are fearful about your entrepreneurial project, you might start to believe that you feel the same way. It’s really important to find your tribe, find people who understand and support you. Find soul-sisters that you can connect with and give you support!
Being an empath is a gift! You have an incredibly accurate way of knowing. You can feel when something is off, when people aren’t telling the truth. You can feel when there’s a blockage. Use this gift in your business. Make sure that you claim being an empath and do what you need to do to manage your sensitivity and use it!
Start noticing when you know something that others don’t know. Believe yourself. Start noticing your unique signals for truth. You’ve been born with these gifts and you CAN build a business AND be an Empath AND succeed!
The world needs YOU.
Big love,
Bev
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