Suddenly Becoming An Empath

I really like what PhoenixDown13 suggested-- I was about to tell you the same trick! The switch works great for me, but I also visualize a dial, so that I can turn down the intensity when needed, without turning it completely off. By this time in my life, I pretty much work with a big switchboard--like in music recording, a BIG mixer with lots of dials--that way I can completely turn some signals OFF, turn others down, turn others up, depending on what I'm doing or who I'm with.
That said, large crowds (most especially shopping malls or large department stores) are extremely difficult for me to navigate at times, mostly in mental preparation--I have to "get ready" before I can go inside or even close...

The very first trick I learned was probably the easiest by far:
Each morning after waking, I would Decide on a feeling, or set of feelings, that I was willing to accept experiencing. When I was a teenager, so often angsty, angry, silly, carefree, sad, lovesick, blissful or even broody, I would take a daily assessment of my Own mood, then choose to accept only that.

This had several advantages for me, when I was just learning my gift. One, it forced me to be aware of my own feelings, however faint or distant they seemed. Two, it strengthened my willpower and self confidence. And three, it drew me to others who were Like me, feeling the same as me, or Working in a similar way. Twenty years later, the people I met through that Practice are still my dearest friends! In addition, it made me realize that every feeling has its place, and the choice is ours in every moment.

There are two things you said in your post that stand out like fire to me, though, and I feel a need to call them out.
1--"I am usually very cold and aloof, really blunt to other people's emotions, even to my own."
Have you always been this way? Or is this something recent, in the last few years? What occurs to me is that this gift of empathy might actually be a psychic response, from your guides, sending you a very important lesson, saying Live Your Life Now. Neuroscience (the study of the brain) informs us that it is our emotions, and the chemicals they release into our brain, that are the building blocks of our memory. The events in our lives that we remember most clearly are those that are linked to intense emotions (whether "good" or "bad", they are STRONG). As you study in college, your brain (and your guides) are trying to help you Remember.
2--"I live in a dorm"
I feel your pain about that! I would recommend doing whatever feels most natural to set up a Special Place in your own room, with objects or pictures that help you feel linked to somewhere personal to you that is Quiet, Serene, Solitary. If you can bring something, a pebble or a pressed flower, for example, and keep it with you when you're not in your room, it can carry that "feeling" of sacred space wherever you go. I used to use a photograph of my special place, and it went everywhere with me. If you want, you can even draw a dial or switch on the back of a photo, for "easy OFF".

I hope something I said helps:)
Good luck to you, feeler!

Those sound like great exercises I think I will try those. I love this site its really helpful/useful

I am an empath but whenever there is tons of emotions, I get really angry & I get extremely touchy. The best way is to tell friends you really trust (Only a few though) & try practicing with them when you get the chance. I haven't tried that yet but it's a thought.

I used to have the same problem when I first began to feel other people's emotions years ago. I thought I was going insane and even when I finally accepted it, it did me very little good. Other people's emotions can be so overwhelming and you feel them almost as if they are your own and I know they can affect you. Now, I can't always turn this ability off, as I find that on occasion I will still feel things from people even when I'm not trying... But this is what I taught myself to do when I was a teenager and it has worked really well for me and saved my butt a lot! Whenever I wanted to turn off the ability I did just that. I would close my eyes and literally visualize this giant switch in my mind that was in the on position and mentally I would flip it down to off... It was easier said than done, it doesn't always want to go down, metaphorically speaking, but it's helped loads. Now I only sense things from people that I'm generally close to and even then it's only when they feel extreme emotions and are in need of help. I don't know if this will work for you or not, but I believed it would work for me and it did... So it doesn't hurt to try. Best of luck!

I am the same except when I am not "absorbing" their feelings I feel really empty and the more I absorb the emptier I feel after 😕

I wish I had an answer, but I don't. I'm an empath as well and would like to know the answer to this. I never thought about whether or not I could control the ability before, just that I had it.