Have you ever been told by anyone that you are too sensitive or too emotional? Do you feel exhausted when you spend time around some individuals? Can you notice when someone isn’t telling you the truth? Do you feel anxious when in crowds? Do you find yourself feeling the same emotions as your friend when let’s say they are happy or distressed? In any case, your answers to these questions are yes, then it means you belong to a specific group of individuals known as empaths.
What are empaths?
These are individuals who can feel and sense the emotions of others. They are described by psychologists as people who encounter great deals of empathy at the expense of experiencing the pain of others.
It is normal for empaths to feel drained after spending time around people. They are normally introverts and need time to be alone for them to recharge.
Am I an empath?
Ask yourself:
- If a friend is disturbed, do I start feeling disturbed too?
- Do people see me as too emotional or overly sensitive?
- Are my feelings easily hurt?
- Do crowds emotionally drain me and I need time alone to recharge?
- Do I cope with emotional stress by overreacting?
- Am I afraid of getting into relationships?
- If your answer to 1-3 questions above is yes, then you are at least part empath.
Ways of managing empathy without getting overwhelmed
Practice mindfulness
Empaths need to set time aside to tune in when caught up in what’s going on around them. You can easily reconnect to yourself if you practice mindfulness.
Put healthy boundaries
Empaths usually have a hard time saying no since they are naturally caring and concerned for others. This normally leads to problems as you overcommit and drain yourself emotionally. You can control how much time you spend listening to stressful people. And learn to say no. put boundaries with people, do away with them if they get mean. And remember ‘no’ is a complete sentence.
Spend time in nature
Nature heals. This is because empaths are sensitive to noisy places and people. It’s important to take your time and rejuvenate in a beautiful, natural setting especially when feeling stressed and tired.