How to stop absorbing other peoples emotions, in 5 steps.
This kind of emotional contagion can make us feel bad all the time.
Every time we experience an emotion, we are doing so influenced by the society around us. It is something beyond our control, and there is nothing wrong with that in itself. It is simply impossible to live life apart from the ideas that the culture we live in and the relationships we maintain, and these two elements affect the way we think and feel.
However, it is one thing to experience our emotional side through sociocultural influences, and another to get used to the fact that how we feel depends on how others feel. This This is something that occurs through the mental processes of empathy.However, it can give way to a kind of "emotional contagion" that can harm us when it leads us to fall into negative emotions constantly and unjustifiably.
In this article we will see some tips on how to stop absorbing the emotions of others, and how we can change the way we think about our emotions.In this article we will see some tips on how to stop absorbing the emotions of others, and how we can modify the way we react to other people's feelings so that they do not override our own judgment and personality.
How to stop absorbing the emotions of others.
To stop suffering from this constant emotional contagion, follow the guidelines you will find below. Keep in mind, however, that each case is unique, and you must find a way to adapt these tips to your particular case and your way of life.
1. Beware of dependent relationships
This is a basic condition for not being constantly infected by the emotions of others, but the importance of this advice goes far beyond that. When we get involved in dependent relationships, both our actions and our feelings orbit around another, both our actions and our feelings orbit around another, who consciously or unconsciously learns to control us.The other person, consciously or unconsciously, learns to control us, leading us to the state of mind that is in his or her best interest.
Thus, whether in the field of friendship or in the field of couple relationsIt is important to control that all these emotional bonds are symmetrical and fair, without one party dominating the other, because if we fall into dependence, we practically become an extension of the other's body.
2. Expose yourself to third opinions
In order not to absorb the emotions of another person all the time, it is necessary to maintain our own criteria about what is happening around us. That is why, even if our relationship with another person is healthy, it is necessary to have frequent dealings with more people. Each individual is a point of viewand the simple fact of being exposed to explanations about reality that to a certain extent contradict each other, brings us closer to a unique way of looking at life.
3. Analyze what kind of emotions you absorb more
Probably, whoever has a propensity to absorb emotions, has it with certain ways of feeling, not with all of them. For example, in many cases sadness will be the emotion that affects us the mostbut in other cases it may be anger combined with a desire for revenge.
Stopping to think about this will help us to determine in which contexts and situations we are more vulnerable.
4. Learn to take a detached perspective
This is another tip that can be used for many other things, and it usually brings advantages when someone wants to adopt a more neutral point of view. It takes some effort and practice, but over time, you will gain the ability to analyze what is happening more coldly.
To do this, it is good to literally imagine yourself looking at an event from a distanceAs if it were part of a simulation or a story that does not take place in our plane of reality. In this way, we break with the illusion that everything that happens in the world or near us has a capital importance and is the center of the universe.
5. Help the other person
Some people may think that the best way not to become infected with the negative emotions and discomfort of others is simply to cut off contact with the person who transmits them to us. While this may be useful advice in very extreme cases, in most cases it is not a good idea, assuming that it is a healthy relationship in all other respects..
Why is it not recommended? Because from this point of view it is assumed that the problem is isolated in two people: one who emits and the other who receives without filters. But what is happening is just the opposite: there is a link, a relationship, that goes beyond individuality. Therefore, it is much more advisable to try to help the other person than to run away from him.
This is an option that many people overlook. If we absorb the negative emotions of another, we can also go to the root of the problem by helping the other person. we can also get to the root of the problem by helping that person.. It's not all about how we feel; sometimes a little help can make a big difference, benefiting not one but two people.
(Updated at Apr 12 / 2024)