Empathy is a well-regarded quality in an individual. It means the ability to put themselves figuratively in another person’s shoes. A level of empathy for most people may come naturally. Or, it may have been learned early on, something that was taught to them or they learned from being around empathic others.
Having the ability to view a situation from another person’s perspective enables us to feel compassion and easily understand other people better. It is an important quality to have as it has everything to do with how we relate to others.
A person who is high on the empathic scale has a better than average ability to feel what others feel to the degree that they are affected emotionally and physically. They are what is known as an empath. An empath is someone who can easily be in sync with others, to the point that they can sometimes feel what the other person feels or sense what they’re going through.
Because of this ability to connect with others on this level, compassion comes naturally for empaths. On the other hand, they can also feel easily exhausted from feeling too much, as they effortlessly become in tune with other people’s emotions and energy.
Being an empath can be a great strength. Many empaths have learned to empower themselves and have used their unique and special ability for a good purpose.
Could You Be an Empath?
Do you possess some peculiar qualities that are not common in other people? Do you often feel misunderstood despite your naturally good intentions? Do you wish to understand yourself better and know whether you are an empath?
Although it may appear superficial, you can learn some answers by taking easily available quizzes online. But sometimes, you’ll just know, based on your dominant traits and qualities.
The most common traits and qualities of empaths are the following:
Understanding Other People Comes Naturally for You
A person who scores high on the empathic spectrum and easily understands others and even what they are feeling is an empath. If you find it easy to relate to other people and have a deep understanding of their nature and struggles, this might be because you are an empath.
You Find Escape in Nature
Everyone’s greatest source of energy comes from nature. But this is even more true for empaths than most people. Empaths often have an essential need to get away from it all; the crowds, noise, and chaos. When they do so, being amidst quiet, relaxing natural environments can help to restore their zest and energy.
Getting too Close to Someone May Feel Overwhelming
For empaths, who are also very sensitive individuals, being close to a person ultimately means sharing in their personal experiences. They take in the same joy, sorrow, or anxiety of anyone they deeply care about and are really close to. This awareness makes them sometimes wary of getting too close to other people, as they can become overwhelmed by emotion that is not of their making.
You Have a Fairly Good Intuition
Being an empath means that you very likely have strong gut feelings and a well-developed sense of intuition. You have internal signals telling you when something is off, doesn’t feel right, or when something feels promising and the right thing to do. You may not always be sure of the why or how, but your intuition and gut feel may communicate pertinent messages to you.
You are Everyone’s Therapist and Counselor
You may have no idea why people effortlessly come to you to tell you their story and are eager to hear your honest point of view, if not your advice. You may not be a therapist or counselor, but people find you to be ahead of your time and rely on you for your maturity and wisdom on many subjects. This makes you magnetic to others who may need your insight and perspective.
You Don’t Always Follow the Crowd
Being an empath may make you averse to crowds, noise, and chaos, generally. You easily take in the energy of others and being in these kinds of environments easily stresses you out and may drain you emotionally. Knowing this, you prefer being more solitary than being with people all the time. You also tend to isolate yourself and prefer to do things on your own.
You Need Time to Recharge Your Batteries
As a natural sponge, you effortlessly take in the emotions and energies of other people. This can overwhelm you easily. Empaths are not just highly-sensitive, but their emotional energy can easily be drained by people’s company or being exposed to an exhausting environment. They can get easily fatigued. If this is you, you may need to schedule time off from others and just be on your own to recharge, reset, and rejuvenate yourself.
