Forgive me if I am being presumptuous, but maybe your problem has less to do with empathy and more to do with your insomnia. I'm an insomniac too, and when I can't sleep I can't function too well.
Nevertheless, I'll take a two-fold approach:
1) Your Empathy: Try to work on remembering and visualizing the boundaries between your emotions and others' emotions. There is nothing wrong with being empathetic as long as you hold to your personal boundaries. Take a mental "step back" when you need to, and disengage yourself from what seems to be bothering you, and simply go do something else that will take your mind off it. Come back to it, if it's concerning you directly, when you are ready.
You might want to try the Tower of Light Exercise, which was given in Denning and Philips "Psychic Self Defense" and is reproduced here:http://witchymumma.blogspot.com/2007/03/tower-of-light-exercise.html
Also, try Mimi's Star Exercise, or even the LBRP once a day:http://www.kheper.net/topics/Hermeticism/LBR.htm
Doing one of these exercises once in the morning when you wake up and once at night before bed will strengthen your natural psychic defenses, energize you and help you to be calmer and clearer. Don't wait for it to get overwhelming. Make one of these exercises a part of your routine.
2) Your Insomnia:
Strongly consider going to a doctor about this, if you haven't already. Insomnia is usually a symptom of a more serious problem, especially if you haven't slept in more than a day. A lack of sleep can effect everything in your life and can be caused by physical (sickness), mental (depression, anxiety) or specific (Circadian Rhythm Disorder) health issues, so it is important to find the root of the problem as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, RELAX. Try doing some progressive relaxation exercises and meditating before bed. Some of these are nice:http://www.umm.edu/sleep/relax_tech.htm
When you meditate, try using a little aroma therapy- lavender is supposedly good for inducing sleep, and you can anoint your pillow with the oil or have a sachet of it by your bed.
Also, drink some chamomile tea, or maybe even tea made of equal parts peppermint and agrimony, which often puts me right out. Warm milk with honey and a touch of butter also works to release chemicals in your brain that trigger sleep.
If all else fails, you can always try a low dose of Melatonin for a couple nights in a row (try not to use it too often, though).
Good Luck,
Kitty
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