Many of us have this experience, from time to time. Some of us experience it on a daily, continual basis.

We can be feeling on top of the world, and going about our day when we encounter in person, on the phone, or by email, someone who is upset, angry, or otherwise in a difficult space. The next thing we know, we don't feel so good. We may feel suddenly tired, down, or have a headache or other bodily discomfort pop up from nowhere.

The ability to sense and understand other peoples' emotions is often referred to as "empathy", and can be a very good thing.

However, when taken to the extreme of actually taking on another person's emotions and even body sensations as if they are our own, this becomes unhelpful not only for ourselves but also for those around us. It is much harder to be a support for others when we are feeling overwhelmed!

Those who have been through childhood trauma, those who work as therapists or healers, and those who simply for other reasons have a high degree of emotional sensitivity, are often particularly affected by this pattern.

One way of circumventing this tendency is to strengthen our energetic and emotional boundaries. This can be done in a number of different ways, including the use of Donna Eden's "zip up technique" that she teaches in her book "Energy Medicine", and through the use of Zensight energy healing.

Zip Up Technique

With the "zip up technique", you simply imagine that there is a zipper running up the front and centre of your body. This "zipper" is in fact the body's central energy meridian. The energy meridians are what are being treated during acupuncture, but you can also create change in the energy meridians by tracing them with your hand, or through the use of focused intent.

Place your hand palm side down, at the front and centre of your body, starting at your pubic bone. While taking a deep breath and letting it go, slowly pull it upward as if you were pulling up a zipper all the way up to your chin.

Repeat this three times, preferable while stating an affirmation such as "I can keep my power with this person", or "I can stay calm, grounded and centered, no matter what is going on around me." Any affirmation that feels most right to you is fine.

I often suggest to my clients that they "zip up" before dealing with someone who is angry or upset, and I get incredibly good feedback from those who try it out.

It is also a good idea to simply practice this every day, or even a few times each day, in order to keep yourself calm and grounded even during those times that you hadn't expected to encounter someone who impacted negatively upon you.

One idea is to do this after brushing your teeth each day, so that it is easily remembered and integrated into your daily life.

Zensight Energy Healing

If you have already "taken on" other people's emotions and energies, you can also rapidly release them through the use of Zensight.

Zensight involves working with the subconscious mind in a way that is similar to hypnosis, and yet no hypnosis is actually used. Instead, we begin by creating a "healing symbol". This symbol can be a word, picture, or colour. Some people choose to use a symbol such as the ocean. They then can focus on the word "ocean" when that feels right, and at other times may actually visualize the ocean.

When this healing symbol is used or focused upon with intent, it allows the fears, concerns, and "blocks" that someone is experiencing to gently heal and transform.

The healing symbol is then used together with healing statements and visualizations, to soften, dissolve and release the concerns that are being experienced.

For example, in order to use Zensight to release other people's "stuff", you may try the following statements. Remember to stop and focus upon the healing symbol you selected for a few minutes after each statement, or until a sense of relaxation, greater peace, or "letting go" is felt:

"I heal now heal transform and release any and all emotions, body sensations, or energetic vibrations that any parts of me have taken on, that don't serve my highest good now."

"I now fully release anything and everything that any parts of me are carrying, that don't belong to me."

"I now fully heal, transform and release any and all patterns of emotions, behaviors, thoughts, habits, or energetic vibrations, that any parts of me have taken on from...[my mother, my father, society, etc...]."

"I now fully heal transform and release any physical, emotional, spiritual, or energetic concerns that any parts of me are carrying from any past times of trauma, difficulties, or losses of any kind."

"I now powerfully create, strengthen and install, new patterns of being able to hold onto my own inner peace, personal truth, and sense of being, regardless of what others around me may be feeling."

"I now create and install new ways of being able to stay fully emotionally and energetically present and empathic with others, without taking on any of their concerns as my own."

You also may stop and check inside and notice any pictures or images that come up for you when you think about taking on other people's emotions, patterns or body sensations, and alternate a focus upon these images with a focus upon your healing symbol.

As you do this, notice any changes that occur in the pictures and use additional statements as needed, to allow them to continue to transform in a healing direction.

A regular practice of strengthening our energetic boundaries - and releasing anything that we have taken on from others - can go a very long way towards creating overall emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, and energetic stability, peace and tranquility.