Carrying Emotions (from the Web!)

Last summer, I logged onto the Reddit website and began scanning through some of the forums. I wanted to know what people were doing to help themselves in their emotions. I looked at the sadness forum, the anger section, the anxiety group, and the depression category. I read through quite a few people’s posts and became even more aware of the suffering in the world.

It was raw. I felt the weight, the burden.

Hours later, I was feeling low. I was irritable, grouchy, tired, sluggish, and down. Lots of words to describe that I was feeling depressed. But I didn’t recognize it until my husband came home. My interactions with him revealed to me what I was feeling, and I couldn’t figure out why or what triggered it.

That night, when all kids were in bed and the house was quiet, I finally asked, “Why am I feeling this way?”

PROBLEM: I was feeling down and depressed.

Immediately, the memory came to my mind of me scanning the Reddit website, and it occurred to me that I was carrying emotions from those people I had read about!

It was exciting for me when I realized this because I knew we could pick up other’s emotions from being near them in proximity (the store, the theater, work, school, etc.), but I didn’t know we could pick them up this way as well. And I love discovering I’m carrying emotions because it is so easy to take care of. (I explain the process in this post here.)

I visualized gathering up all the depression I was feeling, and then I passed it back to the Reddit writers. This doesn’t affect them at all! And it lightened my own load. I took a big breath. It was all gone. I felt so much better—lighter and more energetic.

SOLUTION: I realized I was carrying other’s emotions so I gave them back.

I wonder how many of those people on the forums were carrying unnecessary emotions from others. How many of you are suffering so deeply and intensely with your own emotions, and then are carrying other’s as well? That is an incredibly monumental task and a difficult life to live.

My heart aches for you out there suffering, and I am more determined and resolute to do my best to reach out and teach what I’ve learned about emotions.

There is help. There is hope. There are answers. Don’t give up.