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The "Empath Abyss" is the emotional state where empaths and highly sensitive people feel disoriented, overwhelmed, and overly accommodating due to heightened emotions and reactions from others. 

This episode is essential for empaths and highly sensitive people who often find themselves overwhelmed and disoriented by the emotions of others. Here's what we'll cover:

• Understanding the Empath Abyss:
  • The empath abyss is an emotional state where you feel disoriented, with heightened emotions and difficulty differentiating yourself from others.
  • Symptoms include emotional overwhelm, insecurity, struggling to make requests, becoming overly accommodating of others, and doubting your own feelings and boundaries.
• Common Triggers:
  • Negative responses from others to your requests or boundaries.
  • Feeling invalidated by others' strong emotional reactions.
  • Emotional immaturity in relationships, where one partner deflects or intensifies emotions rather than addressing the core issue.
• Strategies to Navigate Out of the Abyss:
  • Process Your Emotions: Take time to differentiate your emotions from others' and validate your own feelings.
  • Regain Confidence: Remind yourself why you brought up your needs or boundaries and stay firm in your integrity.
  • Set Clear Goals: Make your actions measurable and clear to yourself, ensuring you remain aligned with your values.
• Action Steps:
  • Calm your nervous system to see situations more clearly. Step out of fight, flight, freeze or fawn.
  • Make your boundaries and requests measurable and stick to them.
  • Remember that others' reactions are about them, not you.

If this episode resonates with you, consider working with me through my six-week coaching packages. Together, we can dive deeper into your specific situations and develop personalized strategies to help you navigate your emotions and relationships more effectively. 

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with others who might benefit. Have a great week, and take care!

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Listen to Fawning: A People Pleaser Stress Response: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/14866402
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Sometimes we think using more words and more context will get our point across. But many times our message is lost in the story. Here are some practical tips on how to communicate more effectively and clearly to ensure your needs are understood.

What You Will Learn:

• How overexplaining can create confusion rather than clarity in communication.
• Strategies for simplifying your message to ensure it’s received and understood.
• The reasons why empaths and highly sensitive people tend to overexplain, including fear of misunderstanding, need for reassurance, and guilt.
• Practical tips for reducing overexplaining, such as knowing your main point, sticking to relevant information, and asking for feedback.
• How mindfulness and clarity can improve your communication and help meet your needs more effectively.

Simplifying your communication to focus on one or two clear sentences can be far more effective than overloading your listener with excessive details, making it easier for both parties to understand and address your needs.

Are you looking for help better communicating your needs?  Come and work with me!  Click the links below to get started:
 
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Understanding Your Unique Empathy Style and Its Impact on Relationships

Your unique form of empathy might be why you're experiencing disconnect in your relationships. It’s easy to assume that everyone should "just know" what you’re going through or what you need. We all have moments when we think others connect, understand, and empathize in the same way we do, but this simply isn’t true.

The 3 Types of Empathizers
1. Cognitive Empathizers
Cognitive empathizers use logic and personal experience to understand others. Their strength lies in their ability to ask insightful questions. However, they may assume that everyone should respond to situations the way they do, which can lead to misunderstandings.

2. Highly Sensitive People (HSPs)
HSPs utilize their heightened senses to better perceive and empathize with others. They are highly attuned to facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language, enabling them to accurately gauge others' feelings and experiences. However, they often mistakenly take on the responsibility for others' emotions as a way to preserve their own personal safety.

3. Empaths
While we often assume that someone with a high level of empathy is an empath, this isn’t always the case. Empaths literally feel what others are feeling. Their strength is their deep, intuitive understanding of others' emotions, which enhances their ability to empathize. However, empaths may struggle to differentiate their own feelings from those of others, making it challenging to maintain personal boundaries.

Embracing Your Empathy
Empathy manifests in various forms, each with its own strengths and challenges. By understanding and embracing these differences, you can foster deeper connections, enhance self-awareness, and create healthier relationships. Whether you're a cognitive empath, a highly sensitive person, or an empath, there are ways to develop and balance your empathic abilities for a more fulfilling life.

Are you interested in learning more about how you empathize, deepening your personal sensitivity, or working through the challenges that come from empathizing differently? Let’s work together.
 
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Chantelle Wood, author of the new children's series, "Mind City Heroes,"  teaches kids and parents how to talk back to their negative thoughts.

What You'll Learn:

• How stories can teach children to manage their negative thoughts and emotions.
• An overview of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and how they are integrated into mental and emotional wellness.
• The importance of parent-child discussions around mental health and how Chantelle's books can help to facilitate these conversations.
• Upcoming books in the series and their focus on different cognitive distortions.

 "Mind City Heroes" empowers children to understand and manage their thoughts through engaging stories, providing them with tools to navigate their emotions and build emotional intelligence from a young age.

Connect with Chantelle Wood here:
Purchase her book here: https://amzn.to/3yeJlTE
Website: https://mindcityheroes.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550037656194
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mindcityheroes/

Are you looking for help developing these tools?  Come and work with me!  Click the links below to get started:

Apply to work with me: https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me
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There are particular struggles that highly sensitive people (HSP's) might experience as they work towards balance and boundary setting.

What You'll Learn:

• The unique challenges of boundary setting for highly sensitive people 
• How to recognize when you need to state a boundary
• Techniques for emotional regulation before and after stating a boundary
• How to effectively state a boundary both verbally and non-verbally
• Navigating the emotional aftermath if someone is upset by your boundary

 Establishing and maintaining boundaries is crucial for highly sensitive people to create sustainable and healthy relationships, and it involves emotional regulation, clear communication, and consistent follow-through.

Looking for support as you navigate life as a highly sensitive person? Come and work with me! Click below to get started:

Listen to episode 42: When the relationship is complete

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While highly sensitive people's ability to read others emotional state is exceptional, the stories they tell themselves about those emotions can often be inaccurate or self-critical. This episode encourages you to challenge these narratives, choose healthier ones, and understand the impact of your stories on your life and relationships.

What You'll Learn

• Understanding the storytelling abilities of highly sensitive people and their tendency to misinterpret others' emotions.
• Questioning and revising the negative stories you tell yourself about others' emotional states.
• How cognitive bias influences the stories we believe and the importance of consciously choosing supportive narratives.
• Viewing discomfort as a source of information that can guide personal growth and boundary setting.
• The importance of setting boundaries and showing up authentically without fearing negative outcomes.

For those experiencing "writer's block" in their life stories, consider working with me. I offer six-week coaching packages designed to help you rewrite your narrative and create a more supportive life story. Check out the links bellow to connect with me. Remember, you are the author of your life – write a story that empowers and supports you.

Click below to get started:
 
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Referenced Episode: 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/15126580

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Are you sabotaging your relationship by expecting your partner to think, act, and behave like someone different than who they are? The unspoken expectations we have for others can lead to resentment,  disappointment, and conflict in relationship. Today we explore how these invisible lists of instructions can hinder our happiness and relationships. Letting go of these manuals can help to foster more authentic connections and lead to self-empowerment.

What You'll Learn

• What expectations look like in relationships.
• How unspoken expectations lead to resentment and conflict.
• The negative effects of manuals/expectations.
• Strategies for recognizing and letting go of these expectations.
• The importance of taking responsibility for one's own happiness.

Letting go of unspoken expectations and choosing to take responsibility for your own happiness empowers you to foster more genuine and loving relationships.

Did you find this episode helpful?  Subscribe here and follow me on my other platforms for more!

Ready to take the next step on your self development journey? Come and work with me! Click below to get started:
 
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Exploring why empaths often attract confessions from strangers, how to ground and center after holding space for others, and more. Through this discussion, MaryAnn offers practical tips and insights to help empaths navigate their unique experiences.

What You'll Learn:

• Why Strangers Confide in Empaths: Understanding the calming energy empaths exude and how it creates a safe space for others to share.
• Grounding Techniques: Practical methods to separate your energy from others and restore balance after emotionally charged interactions.
• Emotional Processing for Empaths: Tips for dealing with emotional blockages and finding effective ways to release pent-up emotions.
• Setting Energetic Boundaries: Strategies to protect your energy and prevent burnout by setting clear boundaries.
• Creating Personal Safety: How to enhance your own sense of safety and security in various aspects of your life.

Main Takeaway: Empaths have a unique ability to create a safe and non-judgmental space for others, but it's crucial for them to establish boundaries, practice self-care, and create personal safety to maintain their own well-being.

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 39 on Energetic Boundaries: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/12768879

Ready to take the next step on your self development journey? Come and work with me! Click below to get started:
 
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Understanding our motive behind why we do things for others can help empaths, highly sensitive folks, and people pleasers tell the difference between real love and just wanting approval. This is your guide to living a happier, more balanced life. Tune in to learn how to make sure your actions come from the heart and not just from a need to please others.

Episode Highlights:

• Figure out what's driving your actions: real love or people-pleasing?
• Learn why respecting boundaries (yours and others') is a game-changer.
• See how being honest and true to yourself builds stronger connections.
• Understanding why self-respect is key to happy relationships.
• Discover how sometimes saying "no" is the most loving thing you can do.

Main Takeaway: Knowing the difference between love and people-pleasing helps you let go of the need for approval and build more authentic, fulfilling relationships.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe for more insights on living a balanced and fulfilling life. And if you're ready to break free from people-pleasing and embrace your true self, let's work together! As a coach for highly sensitive people, I can help you build confidence, set boundaries, and create authentic relationships. Follow me on social media for more and check out my contact info below to get started on this journey together!

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Check out episode 2, You Are Not For Everyone & That's OK, here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/11162078

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Understanding why someone behaves a certain way does not mean you have to tolerate it. Empaths and highly sensitive people can sometimes perpetuate toxic behaviors by lacking well-defined boundaries. Learn how to distinguish between making excuses for others behavior and holding them accountable. 

What You’ll Learn:

• How to recognize the difference between excuses and accountable explanations.
• The impact of emotional manipulation and how to address it.
• Strategies for setting healthy boundaries in various toxic relationship scenarios.
• The importance of self-love and prioritizing your emotional wellbeing.
• Practical examples of boundary-setting to encourage accountability and safety.

If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe for more insights on navigating relationships as an empath or highly sensitive person. If you’re ready to set healthy boundaries and create more fulfilling relationships, come and work with me. I'm currently offering six-week coaching packages to help you transform your interactions and live a more empowered life. Click the link below to apply now!

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