I am very empathetic…almost too empathetic. I should probably be on a medication for it. When Carl in Disney's "Up" was sad because his wife died, I was sharing his pain and balling my head off. I cry in almost every movie because I hate seeing people sad or angry. When I see the sweetest old man who walks everyday by our house my heart breaks and I just want to hold his hand and walk with him. When I see someone at the grocery store buying things for "one" I want to invite them over. When I see someone in my family hurting, I cry and feel guilty because I can't or didn't fix it.

Being empathetic can be a good thing, it shows people that you are able to understand what they are going through. Sometimes though, being too empathetic can be damaging to your emotional health. There are some things you can do to reduce how empathetic you are. I find myself doing these because it relaxes my mind and helps me not feel so bad about everything.

1. Find quiet time to emotionally decompress your thoughts and mood.
-This may be reading a book, taking a nap, organizing, baking, gardening, or crafting. Find something quiet that you enjoy and indulge!

2. Meditate or perform yoga.
-This helps balance and harness positive energy in your life.

3. Create a private space for yourself in your home.
-Whether this be your pretty closet, and office, a craft room, or an area that simply calms you…just find one and allow yourself to utilize this space frequently.

4. Realize your empathetic needs.
 -This one is hard for me. More often than not, I take on way to much. If you are feeling emotionally overwhelmed cut back on things that you are doing. Remember it's ok to say NO, it is better for you to be emotionally well then to try and make everyone else around you happy.

5. You will not please everyone, all the time.
-You can try really hard to make everyone happy, especially when they are going through emotional downfalls. The reality is, not everyone will be happy all of the time and you have to accept that and do your best to keep yourself happy and emotionally well.