What Is an Empath? 8 Signs That You Might Be One

Do you often take the stress off others? Do you get overwhelmed in congested places? Are you over-sensitive?If the answer to all these questions is Yes, it clearly defines what an empath is. In general, it implies a person who can highly take the emotions of others around them. Such individuals can easily relate to what someone may be feeling at a deep level. It comes through their intuitive powers.While being an empath, you seem thoughtful and caring, but it can also be challenging for you. It can end with no or negligible time for yourself. This article will help you understand what is an empath person, the traits of being an empath, the pros and cons, and how to manage it.

What Is An Empath Person?

If you are looking for an empath’s meaning, typically, an empath is a person with more feelings of empathy than an average individual. These individuals are over-sensitive to the perspectives and emotions of people around them. They have an experience of the great value of empathy that allows them to build emotional relationships with other people.

Also Read:Understanding the Traits of a Female Narcissist

What Causes You To Be An Empath?

There are some specialized brain cell groups which are known as mirror neurons. These cells can impact how you see and react to the feelings or emotions of people around you. Some studies show that this behavior can indicate hypervigilance, an elevated state of alertness that can be caused due to the trauma.

What Are The Different Types Of Empaths?

Here are the different types of empaths:

• Emotional empaths: This type of empath is more sensitive to other people’s emotions or feelings. They are happy in someone’s happiness and show anger when someone is angry.
• Intuitive empaths: These types of empaths are unique as they are highly perceptive and have intuitive abilities. They can feel the emotions of others before someone else expresses them. Intuitive empaths have a stronger sense of intuition than other empaths. Moreover, they can feel energy shifts and slight alerts that others may not see.
• Physical empaths: With this kind of empaths, the individuals feel the physical pain of others. Even in some cases, they also experience those unpleasant symptoms in their own body.

What Are The Common Empath Traits?

Identifying the traits linked with an empathic person is a key to knowing what an empath is. So, here are some common signs of empath that include:

You have empathy: Typically, empathy is a person’s ability to understand another person’s emotions outside of your thinking state. Being empathetic, you sense the feelings as part of your experience. Their happiness and pain become your pain and pleasure. You desire to help them in whatever way you can to reduce someone’s pain.

You can recognize emotions more quickly and accurately: If you have high empathy, you can quickly identify the feelings of others. This ability also comes with a more accurate judgment of an individual’s facial expression. Being highly empathetic, you can precisely recognize happy, sad, and neutral expressions compared to non-empathetic people.

Also Read:Psychopathic Vs Sociopathic: Know The Difference Between The Two?

Signs that you are an empath

If you feel someone else emotional pain and it affects you deeply, these are the signs that you are an empath.

1. You have good intuition: You believe your intuition and go with your strong gut reaction when it is all about making any decision. This trait of an empath can let you know whom to trust or whom to not. You have the potential to take up little cues that can easily allow you to decide the dishonest person. Also, it can alert you to avoid negative people, situations, and energy, thus reducing stress levels.
2. You can unconsciously imitate other’s movements: Feeling someone’s energy can provide insight into their emotional state and well-being. If you are highly empathetic, you might unconsciously imitate the movements of another person. According to a study, MRI scan reports have displayed a neural relay mechanism in the brain of empaths that allows them to observe or mimic another person’s facial expressions, postures, and manners. For instance, if you are an empath and see a needle tingling in another individual’s hand, your brain may respond to it. You react as if it were your hand, which triggers the same sensory and motor areas.
3. You are more caring: One of the empath traits is the ability to sense and deeply care about the emotions of others. Being an empath, you seem very generous with nearby people. You take steps to ensure everyone around you is happy, as you are attentive to other needs. People may recognize you as a kind, unselfish person they can trust and seek advice. But there is a drawback: you might find it challenging to set the boundaries. It is because you always have concerns about how others feel and how you can support them.
4. You do not enjoy conflict: Being an empath, you likely avoid conflict. Your compassionate nature can make it much easier and quicker for others to hurt your emotions. Moreover, offhand comments break you more deeply as you get offended easily. Arguments can cause more stress as you might be unable to deal with your reactions and absorb other involved people’s emotions. Even little disagreements become more challenging when you want and do not know how to handle people’s emotional damage.
5. You are a good listener: People tend to tell their problems if you are highly empathic. Being a good listener, you can make them feel comfortable by allowing them to reach out to you when facing any difficulty. But, it is necessary to set the boundaries. Over-kindness can lead to emotional dumping, an act where one person unknowingly shares their perspective without being aware of another person’s emotional condition. It may go to an extreme level where you need help to handle it all at once.
6. You take more solace in nature: Generally, everyone finds solace and comfort in nature. But in the case of empaths, they may find themselves more drawn to natural settings and remote areas. It is also because the natural environment provides a peaceful space to rest and avoid overwhelming emotions, feelings, and sounds. As an empath, you might be in a state of peace when wandering alone in the forest or watching sunrise or sunset. Sitting under a tree for an hour or quietly walking through a park might help you relax, lift your mood, and relieve overexcitement.
7. You probably show less aggression: You with high empathy traits have a more responsive amygdala, a small part of the brain that is a primary emotional processing center. This brain part behaves in response to pain, fear, and sadness. It makes you react more quickly to the painful situation of nearby people. Consequently, you become less aggressive towards showing these emotions.
8. You have high sensitivity: You, being an empath, are sensitive to emotions and other environmental elements. It means you might be more aware of smells, sounds, sights, and textures that others may not see. Hence, you may be bothered more by some fragrances or easily disturbed by surrounding noises.

Also Read:Understanding Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

Pros And Cons Of Being An Empath

Being empathic means having a deep relationship with the people around you. This nature of individuals can have positive and negative effects on their well-being and lifestyle.

Here are a few benefits of being an empath:

• Help build meaningful and deep social bonds, preventing loneliness and further damaging emotions.
• Allow people to consider you a great listener.
• Make a deep understanding of empathy for all living creatures.
• Have solid and memorable life experiences.
• It gives an intuitive ability to recognize dishonest people around.

Being an empath person can also have some downsides:

• Incapability to be straightforward and set clear boundaries.
• A tendency to separate yourself from people around you.
• Feeling exhausted often after interacting with different types of people.
• Are more prone to a sense of burnout, tending to listen to all people’s worries.
• May quickly feel overwhelmed or stressed

Also Read:Numerous benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for your healthy life

How To Deal With Your Empathy?

If you are struggling to handle your oversensitivity towards other’s emotions and affecting the quality of your life, you must be very attentive. Here are a few strategies to help you avoid overwhelming situations and get time for yourself.

1. Set clear boundaries: Being an empath, you would like to make other’s world better. If given a chance, you will help at any cost, even if it is affecting your health. The results can be some issues like anxiety, depression, or stress. Hence, setting the boundaries between your and other people’s needs is crucial. Emotional empaths people can learn to control how they respond to the emotions of others and set healthy boundaries.No matter how tempting the problem of others might be, you need to make time for yourself and recharge your energy. Empaths enjoy nature the most, so you can walk to feel peace and avoid overstimulation. Reading favorite books can also be a great choice in making you feel good.
2. Distance unworthy people from yourself: Many people around you do not deserve emotional support. These individuals try to make use of your kindness and waste your time. So, it will be better to reduce contact with them. Surround yourself with the ones who ask for your well-being and who you know you can also seek help and support from. Empaths quickly become victims of toxic personalities and narcissism as they quickly build a connection with others and later find it difficult to break.
3. Meditate regularly: Sometimes, being an empath, you are involved too much in the events around you. So, it will be better to disconnect from them and become mindful of your thoughts and breathing process. Meditation is one of the most excellent practices you should opt for. Mediation helps concentrate on the present situation, neglect negative thoughts, and improve patience. Mindfulness meditation is the best technique you can go for as it calms your mind. It additionally energizes you and removes all external exhausting chaos.
4. Forgive yourself: Often, as an empath, you understand the feelings of others but always find it hard for yourself. It is essential to recognize that you should also practice empathy with yourself as you do for others. It can be challenging. So, regularly remembering this will help you be more compassionate than before.
5. Consult therapist: If you are struggling to avoid your oversensitivity towards people, seeking help from a good therapist can work as a great aid. They will guide you with some practical strategies to control your emotions correctly and how not to hold others emotions.

Also Read:How to deal with a narcissistic: Tips according to therapist

Summing Up

Empathy is an essential and unique trait! Remember, your emotions and needs are as significant as those around you. So, if you are an empath, set clear boundaries, distance unworthy individuals, take time for yourself, and practice meditation. You must know how to maintain your worth so you do not get exhausted by overstimulation and wasted energy.Therefore, it is crucial to take time for yourself and help everyone when needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Gender
Female

Country
India

Joined
Jan 2023

Wrote
213 posts

Latika has wide experience as a health content writer. She studies various research and health blogs to make sure her writing is accurate and helpful.

She is passionate about discussing medical procedures, patient care, and illness. She delights in simplifying complex medical issues.View Profile