Editing can quickly become a very intellectual practice, and even emotional scenes have a way of becoming deconstructed into their mechanical parts. After multiple views, it can be hard to access the same emotional response as the first time one saw it. So, I've found it useful to develop ways to remain in touch with my own emotional experience, to remain fully moved by the emotional content in the edit. One way I personally do that is through music. I like to create playlists of music that match the emotional tone of the piece I'm editing. Then I'll listen to those songs outside of the working environment – on a walk, while cooking, etc. It's not really a soundtrack to the film, but more like a soundtrack to the editing room where the film is being cut. I find I can access that emotional place the viewer will/should be in, which helps me communicate better to them.
Editor Pedro Kos recently touched on something in a speech he gave at Sundance which spoke to me, as well.