Externalize. Focus your energy outward. Pray for others. The heart of encouragement is courage. Give others courage, inspire them. Ways will always come about for us to be involved in the lives of others, but we must be open to the calling. Simply saying "hi" to someone and telling them they've been on your heart can make a huge difference.
Internalize. Take time for yourself. Pray for yourself, for your future. Reflect upon your emotions, your thoughts, and your dreams. Plan. Daydream. Devote time to growing in your personal relationship with God. Learn what you want to learn, a language, advanced math, cultural studies, arts, etc,. Try something new and find a constructive way to introvert, internalize, and care for yourself. Sometimes that means sitting alone quietly and simply thinking and breathing.
Sometimes the best way to do both is to give everything to God, verbally, or mentally, or even physically. Everyone feeds off of other people's emotions and troubles to some degree. That's empathy. But there's a saturation point to empathy. When you get to a point that soaking up other's emotions and troubles are weighing on you so much that you are unable to function, it's time to ring out the sponge.
It's good to nurture and care for others. It's in your blood, God created all of us with that desire to care for one another. Everyone shows it a little differently, and some more than others. Caring for others is part of what shows we are made in God's image, modeled after His heart, but don't sacrifice who you are. Everything will work out.
Christ cared for people, healed and helped them, but sometimes He had to get away. Go pray. Speak to His Father alone in the garden, upon the lake, or in the wilderness. He came for us, yet part of His example is to step away to renew ourselves.
Taking time for yourself is not always selfish. It's self preservation so you have the energy and ability and peace of mind to continue helping others. This brings the circle back together where you can be caring for others once again as well as yourself.
Sometimes taking that time for yourself is an encouragement to others to do the same.
I admit that I naturally gravitate more towards introverted internalization, but if you find a way that works for you as an extrovert to recharge yourself by being around others, then do so. Go enjoy a night of board games, or a movie, or something. Find what works for you, but be sure to take a little time, and a little energy, and money occasionally, and put it towards yourself. Give your mind a break. Give your heart and emotions a break. Afterwards you'll be much more capable of conquering the tasks required of you.
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