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InnerSelf Daily Inspiration - July 31, 2026

InnerSelf Daily Inspiration

July 31, 2026
How to Empathize Without Taking on People's Stress

How to Empathize Without Taking
on People's Stress

By Judith Orloff, M.D.

There's a time to give and a time to replenish yourself. Healthy giving is graceful, patient, and makes you smile — a healing gift to yourself and others.

— Judith Orloff, M.D.

To be of service you don't have to give 100 percent or more to everyone in need. At times, it's okay not to be so available. To stay centered and decompress, you need to leave this world for a while and practice self-care. Give yourself that break. When being of service, consider each situation individually. Always factor in your own energy level and physical and emotional limitations to access how much you have to give.

These considerations don't make you selfish. They make you smart. Of course, there are instances when service may involve enormous sacrifice, such as when you're a caregiver. Generally, though, healthy giving nurtures you too.

If you're working too hard to help someone, take a pause. Let the person be themselves without making it your mission to improve them. As one patient vowed, "I'm going to stop trying to love the red flags out of others."
Read the Full Article

Recommended Reading

The Genius of Empathy: Practical Skills to Heal Your Sensitive Self, Your Relationships, and the World

The Genius of Empathy offers practical, action-driven guidance for connecting our minds and hearts to embody our most authentic, fierce, and compassionate selves. Each chapter is filled with Dr. Orloff's most valuable insights and tools for living with greater connection, safety, and empowerment as your empathic abilities blossom. "Cultivating empathy is a kind of peaceful warrior training," says Dr. Orloff. "You will learn to be both strong and loving, neither a pushover nor rigid."

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