How do you control empathy?

I work in an office that has open walls so I can see all my co-workers around me. Now recently I've been feeling intense whirlwinds of emotions swishing all around me to the point where I can't focus on my work. I've also been tainted with emotions of fear from this. I've always been overly sensitive but this is to the point where I can no longer control it. I've googled methods on how to control it but nothing seems to work. I was hoping I could find my answers here.

Well, you must try to concentrate. You must stop caring about the other so much. I think you should find your own method, because you are not the people that you find on Google, it may not be the same situation.

If it's that far out of control, there's probably a physical reason for it.

Try popping a b-vitamin and see if that helps any.

My .02

Good luck!

Originally posted by genma
I work in an office that has open walls so I can see all my co-workers around me. Now recently I've been feeling intense whirlwinds of emotions swishing all around me to the point where I can't focus on my work. I've also been tainted with emotions of fear from this. I've always been overly sensitive but this is to the point where I can no longer control it. I've googled methods on how to control it but nothing seems to work. I was hoping I could find my answers here.

There is a balance you need to figure out. I used to be this way until I stopped giving a crap. It's something you need to prepare youself for.

You either get all or nothing in my case. Now I only feel for those I care for. I kind of wish I still had what you have because it was a really good way of reading a book without looking at the cover (you would know what I mean by that)

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I use and sell at my work different Flower Essences. They work essoterically to help remove negative energies. The 2 that i use the most is Yarrow Enviromental Sollution (YES) from FES services and the other is called Space Clearing from the Australian Bush Flowers. Its amazing how quick it is to help dissipated negative energies left behind from coworkers, and will help remove that uncomfortable feeling you get being around them.YES
Space Clearig

Pardon the pun, but I feel for you.


A simple way to not take on anyones crap is to detach form the situation. Only you can control your emotions.

Sorry about the truth. It takes a while to practice it. You can do it. You are in control of your emotions.

Remember that while our heart and mind are intimately connected they are also separate. Let the emotions into the heart which is eminently qualified to grip any emotion. Free the mind to focus on the thought at hand.

Overwhelming emotions, weather from within or without, are merely a symptom of emotions ruling over us when they should serve us. Just like office politics, emotions can be our greatest asset or our biggest enemy. It all depends on how we handle them.

A repressed emotion is one that the mind sees but rejects. This is dangerous. Like denying one's own child, it is going to grow anyway; but on resentment instead of the positive. Getting a grip, with one's heart, makes us more complete while still allowing clarity of thought.

In the Zen warrior tradition there is a fabled state a warrior can reach where they are said to become unbeatable called The Flaming Lotus. It is described as ones' entire body being on fire but a cool breeze blows through the mind.

The trouble are not the emotions themselves, the trouble is when one allows the emotions to rise above the heart and cloud the mind. Running amok, even ruling over the intellect. Tell the emotions to come no higher than the heart, that is where they belong, and where they will be most content.

Hope that helps.

David Grouchy

Sure, ever heard of open eye meditation? It goes like this, focus on your breathing. Slowly now.... Breathe... Focus, slowly now, breathe out... Keep doing that and clear your mind, it will take a few minutes at least, and you will attain a near thoughtless or even a thoughtless state if you are lucky and when you feel you the need to stop, do so and you will likely be good to go. Simple as that.

You have been 'gifted' with the ability Feel OP....do not try and suppress it.
This world can Never be fix with the Masters tools of word or thought, but through emotion.

Do 'they' not try and shut down our True emotions and replace them with Fear?
No one promised you an eas'y life with comfort ... that's an illusion of the prison cell.

Explore your emotions and disregard any that are non-natural such as fear.
Use your gift when talking to people....emotion is the oldest language known to man...and the most powerful.

If its time to have a life change....then that might be what is needed at this juncture.

Good luck to the OP. I'm a sensitive. I come from a long line of sensitives in my family. Although known to be prevalent in the women of my family, I'm male, and also an acute empath. Having come to terms with this ability, I'll say that I've never been able to completely tune it out when I wanted to. Disassociation doesn't work at all. Pinpointing the source of the vibe and talking smalltalk to them for a minute usually helped though.

Originally posted by genma
I work in an office that has open walls so I can see all my co-workers around me. Now recently I've been feeling intense whirlwinds of emotions swishing all around me to the point where I can't focus on my work. I've also been tainted with emotions of fear from this. I've always been overly sensitive but this is to the point where I can no longer control it. I've googled methods on how to control it but nothing seems to work. I was hoping I could find my answers here.

Sounds to me like you have too much anxiety to be having empathy. Empathy is not something you should want to control. That's like saying I have too much forgiveness. I need to be less forgiving. Or understanding. I have too much understanding. It doesn't happen.

You should ask for a transfer to a less hectic work environment. Lacking that you might try experimenting with meditation and calm yourself that way. Hypnosis which I recently learned a great deal about here on ats is another great way to relax and control bodily reactions to all sorts of stimuli. I recommend you try hypnosis because meditation is something you have to get good at and so it takes a while before you get anything out of it. Hypnosis starts working right away. A hypnotist can suggest you are in your own private capsule when you tap your golf ball paperweight or some other inanimate object and you will feel calm in hectic surroundings by "suggesting" you are secluded and relaxed.
Can't you recommend dividers between workspaces? You may not be the only one with this problem. You might get a raise for having such a great idea!

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I'm in favour of using the mind to sort this out, but all the EMF in an office will not help, check out a blueshield, should help ye out.