ARE YOU AN EMPATH?

"Learning to stand in somebody else's shoes, to see through their eyes, that's how peace begins. And it's up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world." - Barack Obama

You have taken an important step to regain your power and your health and emotional well-being.

If you have ever been called “too sensitive”, chances are that you are part of a group of highly sensitive people referred to as empaths.

Empaths absorb other people’s joy, anxiety, physical pain, depression, and toxic vibes and carry them into their bodies. According to a recent scientific study, empaths have hyper-responsive mirror neurons. In other words, they deeply resonate with people's feelings and emotions.

If you are concerned about being an empath, then know that you also carry a beautiful gift. When you practice your empowerment, you can use your gift to your benefit. 

WHAT IS AN EMPATH?

An Empath is a person who is very gifted at detecting, reading, and processing information or energy. They have a very sensitive energy system that's very good at detecting and processing the energy around them. 

Being an empath is different from being empathetic.  Being empathetic is when your heart goes out to someone else.  Being an empath means you can actually feel another person’s happiness or sadness in your body.

THE MAIN TRAITS OF EMPATH

• Highly Sensitive
• Absorb Other's People Emotion
• Introverted
• Highly Intuitive
• Easily Overwhelmed
• Giving More
• Good Listener
• Easily Targets for Manipulators
• Love Nature
• Incredibly Creative
• Self-sufficient
• Committed
  
  

AM I AN EMPATH? SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU ARE AN EMPATH.

Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to figure out whether or not you’re an empath.

The most important thing is being honest with yourself.

• Do I frequently get overwhelmed or anxious?
• Do I feel drained after hanging out with others?
• Am I often called highly sensitive, or emotional?
• Do I suddenly feel physical pain or anxiety?
• Do you ever find yourself ignoring your own needs, and putting more energy into external feelings than your own?
• Do you find yourself to be extremely emotionally sensitive to movies, TV shows, videos, the news?
• Am I afraid of becoming completely overtaken by intimate relationships?
• When drained, do I need time alone to recharge?
• Am I drained, both physically and emotionally by crowds?
• Do my feelings get hurt easily?
• Do I overeat to cope with emotional stress?
• Am I overwhelmed by multitasking and prefer doing one thing at a time?
• Do I prefer one-to-one interactions or small groups rather than large gatherings?

If you answered yes to more than half to these questions you may be an empath.

20 SIGNS YOU ARE AN EMPATH

1. You find public places overwhelming.
   Shopping malls, supermarkets, or stadiums where masses of people gather can be overwhelming and even lead to panic attacks or anxiety due to the myriad of emotions being sensed by an empath. Until an empath knows how to control these feelings, they will steer clear of being in said surroundings.
   
   
2. You need regular solitude.
   Although empaths can be very sociable, they also like to escape from the hustle and bustle and are content with their own company enjoying the tranquillity that comes with being in a quiet space reading a book, watching a movie, drawing a picture, following a hobby they love to just relax. They will be going to show this tendency from childhood and throughout life.
   
   
3. Strangers simply exclude their life stories on you.
   Empaths have a natural ability to listen with all their senses, permitting the person they are listening to feel like they are being heard and understood. They can intuitively guide a conversation with sincere tenderness sanctioning even the foremost reserved person to respond and express their deepest and even most painful thoughts and feelings they wouldn’t usually share.
   
   
4. You absorb the emotions and physical pain of others.
   Due to heightened sensitivities to emotional and physical energy, it is a really common occurrence for an empath to deeply take on the emotions, etc. of others and not even notice they are doing so. Empaths will directly mirror the emotions like they were their feelings.
   
   
5. You are drawn to all things spiritual.
   Empaths are often drawn to the incomprehensible, and the paranormal, and have a deep sense of spirituality. They will dabble in several areas until they find their niche and they will actively pursue it throughout their lifetime.
   
   
6. You suddenly experience physical pain, anxiety, or illness.
   The blitz of emotional energy an empath takes on can become problematic and manifest into varying sorts of illnesses or diseases. An empath needs to learn about controlling emotional energy, distinguish its origin, and apply the tools that will permit themselves to move forward with balanced wellness.
   
   
7. You cannot tolerate news, T.V., violence, or cruelty.
   Violence, cruelty, shocking scenes of physical or emotional pain, or abuse can bring an empath to tears. They may even feel physically unwell, bewildered, and struggle to understand such acts as being justified.
   
   
8. You embody a magnetic pull of trust. 
   Others, including strangers, are drawn to an empath like a magnet and find it easy to express themselves. People resonate with empaths on a deep and meaningful level; they will often feel like they have known each other for several years even though they may have just met. Human beings have this innate sense of trust and feel snug and relaxed in the presence of an empath, even when they are often reserved or closed off type. An empath can crack even the toughest of shells wide open.
   
   
9. You want to spend time with your partner, yet you need your alone time.
   Spending an excessive amount of time with one person is difficult for you so you avoid intimate relationships. You understand other people's emotions very well so you fear that you would lose yourself in their emotional needs. Empaths are happier in relationships when not in a traditional relationship. As long as they can have their freedom and space, they would be comfortable to be themselves. 
   
   
10. You are inherently curious and a seeker of truth. 
    Empaths are driven by their curiosity to understand the intricacies of life and feel an intense desire to seek the truth and question an abundance of everything until they feel understood.


11. You are constantly fatigued. 
    Empaths are drawn to helping others and in doing so they take on more than their fair share and sometimes find it difficult to emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually cope with this onslaught of output. This, therefore, causes them to experience chronic fatigue. They may need to take daily catnaps or retreats just to replenish their energy and feel revived.
    
    
12. You love baths, showers, rain, ocean, lakes, and water streams. You love being in the water.
    Be it swimming in the sea, floating in the pool, walking in the rain, a long soak in the tub or a hot shower to cleanse and wash away the troubles of the day, empaths tend to sense the healing properties of water, and always feel comfortable and most calm in it.
    
    
    
    
    
13. You are creatively talented.
    Empaths have a great love for expressing their creativity as artists, musicians, singers, dancers, performing artists, acting, poets and designers, etc. They love to tell a story and can captivate an audience through a vivid imagination and ease in which they can take you directly into the picture as though you were experiencing it firsthand.
    
    
14. You have a love of nature and animals. 
    Inclined to have a pet as they love to give and receive the unconditional love that comes from dogs, cats, rabbits, etc. and are often advocates or supporters in the prevention of cruelty to animals. They enjoy being outdoors, amongst the forest or high in the mountains, and are content being connected to the land and will often escape from the busy world to rejuvenate their senses.
    
    
15. You give more than you receive.
    An empath gives with everything that they have, sometimes more than they realize. However, a lot of empaths feel that when they need help, a lot of the people closest to them fail to love them the way they love others. Empaths seeking support, therefore, look internally, and sometimes bottle up emotions, because they don’t feel as if those around them care enough.
    
    
16. You are a nurturer, but not an enabler.
    An empath will never tell someone what they want to hear just to appease their feelings. If someone was wrong in a situation, or if someone needs to change, they will always approach that conversation with honesty and thought. Because empaths care so deeply about those in their life, they want to ensure that they are helping the people they love, instead of nurturing them into complacency.
17. You seek adventure through travel or spontaneous acts. 
    Empaths enjoy spontaneity in their life and will seek out adventures, travel to far off places or find enjoyable activities nearby. They enjoy being neutral, leaving the constraints of the world behind them, and if they don’t get to do this as often as they would like, they become quite restless and agitated.
    
    
18. Your sensitivity to energy flow makes you sensitive to clutter. 
    An awareness of energy comes naturally and an empath will feel weighed down by clutter and chaos. Although they may collect things, everything has a place and order and they will constantly de-clutter to balance out their environmental energy. Empaths can place furniture or even plant gardens in a way that energy flows in and around everything.
    
    
19. You are easily bored or distracted and often daydream. 
    Empaths need to be stimulated and focused on one project or another and will give all their energy to any given task whether it is at school, work, or home life. If the task fails to stimulate their senses they become bored, distracted, and will either begin to fidget, doodle, or be off in their minds hallucinating.
    
    
20. You are sought out for advice.
    Your loved ones seek you out for your advice, support, and encouragement. You are good at observing and listening. You patiently listen to people and understand them even before they complete their sentences. Your advice comes from a deeper understanding of the world. You are so in tune with your surroundings that you can determine the person and the situation they are in easily before giving advice.
    
    
    
    
    
    

TYPES OF EMPATHS

1. Physically Receptive Empath
   Are you a physically receptive empath? Well, the real truth is that many empaths seem to be receptive to the physical pains and illnesses of other people.
   The pain can manifest in the empath’s own body (an ability which has proven to be extremely useful in healing).
   
   
2. Emotionally  Receptive Empath
   Did you know that almost all empaths are extremely receptive to external emotional states? They are highly sensitive to the feelings of other human beings. These empaths can connect with what others are going through even before they open up.
   
   
3. Claircognizant Empath
   These empaths types can know if something needs to be done or if a statement of a person’s intentions is true or deceptive, without any rational reasoning. They can know if they should do something or not.
   These souls can simply know certain things, and they are constantly being enlightened with understanding, and vivid ideas, that puzzles and encourage others.
   
   
4. Geomantic Empath
   They can read signals and energy transmitted from the environment. An empath with geomantic tendencies can feel the happiness, or the sorrow, that an area holds, and often connect with older places like churches, and graveyards.
   
   
5. Fauna Empath
   You should know that these empaths can feel, hear, and interact with animals and are intertwined with their energies. These empaths are known to like animals more than human beings and are often those who express feeling deeply connected to all species.
   
   
6. Medium Empath
   They can either feel, see, or hear spirits. Not only do these empaths connect with forces they may not be able to see, but they feel, and hear the emotional output of the spiritual world.
   
   
7. Flora Empath
   They can communicate with plants by having the ability to feel or receive their signals.
   
   
8. Psychometric Empath
   They can receive energy, impressions, and information from inanimate objects such as jewelry, photographs, etc.
   
   
9. Telepathic Empath
   These empaths can accurately read another person's unexpressed or inner thoughts.
   
   
10. Precognitive Empath
    They can feel a situation or event before its occurrence. These usually manifest in the form of dreams of emotional or physical sensations. It is necessary to notice that sometimes precognitive empaths do not dream about direct situations that will happen, but rather, sometimes they dream of signs and symbols that are relevant to the future.
    
    
    In this insensitive and coarse world, empaths can usually realize it tough to maintain their inner harmony. But with self-awareness, everyone, including empaths, can learn to appreciate their unique gifts and abilities.
    
    

THE MAIN STRUGGLES YOU MAY DEAL WITH AS AN EMPATH

As an empath and a highly sensitive person, you can have a negative energy cord tying you to someone who is currently in your life, even someone you love. There are some struggles you may deal:

• Negative energy.
  
• Being unable to forgive.
  
• Judgment.
• Being in a rush.
• Anger.
• Low self-esteem.
• Codependency.
• Toxic relationships.

The list goes on, but I will stop right there.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AS AN EMPATH

I started to clasp my most AUTHENTIC self. I started to welcome and celebrate my flaws. I stopped negative self-talk. I learned how to get quiet and listen to my body. I learned how to step outside of my comfort zone, protect my energy, and do the things that bring me happiness.

Here are six top tips to start feeling empowered.

1. Spend time alone DAILY! You may get comfy along with your own energy and recharge your batteries.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Set clear boundaries. This the foremost necessary step in becoming empowered. You may feel uncomfortable initially. Empaths are people pleasers and can walk on eggshells to avoid a negative reaction. Once you begin speaking for your desires, you may produce energetic boundaries with your partner, friends, and colleagues.
   
   
3. Start a spiritual practice to connect to your intuition. Empaths need to create a stable sense of self. They have to feel comfortable in their soul. It comes with daily methods, such as meditation, yoga, or any kind of mindfulness practice. Opt what works for you. 
   
   
4. Take long showers, baths with salts, and spend time close to water. Empath love water. It clears their energy and calms them down. Even going for a walk near the ocean, a lake or a water stream can make you feel comfortable.
   
   
5. Nature is the best healer. If you have an opportunity to go to the forest or park, you will feel calmer and more grounded. You can sit by a tree, close your eyes, and imagine that the negative energy is leaving your body and you connect with the bottom beneath your feet. You can even walk barefoot and feel the sensations it provides you. For the energy to remain balanced, you must ground yourself regularly.
   
   
6. Start journaling. The daily habit of journaling is another great way how you can connect with your innermost self as well as release some stuck energy. We mostly feel the energy in the form of emotions therefore when you write how you feel down, the energies begin to shift and transform.
   
   

Now I want to hear from you.

Are you an empath? What is your biggest struggle as a highly sensitive being?