People Who Are More Empathetic Than The Average American Do These 10 Things
Secrets of empaths and how you can spot them.
Andrej Lišakov | Unsplash Do you suspect you or someone close to you may be an empath personality type? Empaths can make special connections with the people around them. An empath can sense when they are needed.
Many times, an empath is the person in your life who is sometimes called "too sensitive." Empaths are very special; you can consider yourself lucky if you have one. However, empaths do need to be treated with special care.
Here are 10 things people do who are more empathetic than everyone else:
1. They are experts at hiding their emotions
Empaths may try to conceal the fact they are so sensitive. They do this in part so that they may be seen as a source of strength for those around them. Empaths don't want to be a burden, so they hide their own emotions.
2. They have the unique ability to absorb the emotions of others
An empath can feel happy when those around them are happy and down when those around them are down. Empaths are so emotionally connected to others that they experience the emotions of others almost as if they were their own.
3. They can be introverted
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Since empaths are constantly in touch with the emotions of the people they are with, they may avoid contact to get a break. Spending some time alone means the empath can take a break and recover from feeling emotionally drained.
4. They have a strong connection to nature
If you know someone who has a deep desire to spend time in nature, that person could be an empath. There is nothing like the sense of happiness and peace that humans feel when we're in a beautiful outdoor area.
Empaths feel this even more strongly than most people do. Nature can help an empath recharge their batteries with the positive feelings that they get from spending time in the outdoors.
5. They are the ultimate lie detectors
Empaths have a special ability to see through other people. One of the ways this manifests itself is in an empath's ability to detect lies. An empath can easily detect lies because they can read a person's emotions and true intentions, as shown by research in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.
6. They are guilty of giving too much
Empaths spend a lot of time and energy tending to other people's needs. This can leave an empath with a lot of negative emotions. Empaths feel a deep need to help others, but sometimes, while they're helping others, they may be harming themselves emotionally.
When an empath tries to retreat so they can recharge, they can feel like they're being selfish. Empaths need to remember to take care of themselves even though they may not be used to putting themselves first.
7. They have heightened intuition
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Naturally, empaths are very connected to their feelings. An empath will trust their gut feelings to make important decisions. Another one of the secrets of empaths includes having a sense of being connected to the universe and being able to use intuition to guide daily.
Hypnotherapist LouLou Palmer expands on the idea, "When you know what someone has just told you isn't the truth, it is intuition. It can even be as simple as taking off your sunglasses, even though it hasn't started raining yet. Or taking a different route home only to hear about a big accident on your usual way that brought traffic to a standstill."
8. They get stressed out easily
Because empaths feel all emotions very strongly, it can be easy for an empath to become overwhelmed. In addition, having too many tasks at a time can also make an empath feel inundated. This can be very stressful.
9. They are easy to take advantage of
A manipulative person can easily take advantage of an empath. This is because manipulators can spot empaths and use their empathic abilities against them to get what they want.
A manipulator knows what buttons to push with an empath to achieve their goals. Empaths need to be wary when they get the sense that they are being manipulated by someone.
Therapist and executive coach Nancy Kay recommends, "If possible, let them fall away from your life. If that’s not possible, create a healthy distance and prepare yourself by reviewing and confirming your boundaries to yourself any time you know you will be coming in contact with them."
Kay continues, "Look back at the patterns in your people-pleasing history and learn from them. Set boundaries to prevent you from falling back into those patterns, such as committing to being true to your values, avoiding negative energy, and getting a good night’s sleep."
10. They love deeply
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As with all of the emotions they experience, an empath will feel love very deeply. This love extends from their spouse or partner to their family and all of the people in their lives.
Empaths make the people in their lives feel extremely loved and cared for. Empaths also have a strong appreciation for society in general. Empaths are special people who need to be appreciated and protected.
Being an empath is not about having the ability to feel sympathy. Sympathy is when we feel a sense of care and concern for other people. When we sympathize with someone, we feel compassion for them and hope their situation improves.
Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of others. When someone is an empath, it means they have an especially deep understanding and connection to the feelings of people around them.
Empaths can feel other people's feelings almost as if they were their own. Research shows that an empath's brain is wired that way. Scientists have identified a specialized group of brain cells that are tied to the ability to empathize. When someone is an empath, it means these cells are especially sensitive.
Empaths should look out for people who are sociopaths, psychopaths, and narcissists. In terms of psychology, these people have the opposite traits as an empath. These people are not able to feel empathy the way normal people do.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Jonice Webb explains how "Empathizing with the emotions of someone who doesn’t deserve it is misdirected empathy and makes the empathizer vulnerable to exploitation by the recipient."
Dr. Webb continues, "Be aware of when you’re feeling empathy and for whom. Make sure that the person receiving it deserves it. Keep your empathy in check. Make sure it doesn’t prevent you from holding a loved one accountable for his or her actions."
Empaths like to protect themselves from being spotted for a variety of reasons. They can be concerned about who they make connections with and how emotionally difficult these connections might become.
If you have an empath in your life, give them the time and emotional space they need to recharge. Understand that they are not being anti-social when they take some alone time. It can be difficult and exhausting to go through life as an empath, but empaths also have a special gift that should be treated with care and respect.
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