Do you often find yourself in someone else’s shoes, experiencing their pain?
This is exactly what being an empath is all about. Unlike sympathy, empathy is about connecting with someone else’s emotions on a deeper level. While sympathy says “I feel sorry for your pain,” empathy is all about “I feel your pain like you do”.
We all can agree that the world would be a better place with more empathy in it. Nevertheless, being intuitive and overly connected with people can come with its cost. Too often, people find it hard to understand how to deal with being an empath.
Trust me, it can get tough to feel someone else’s pain and longing so much. All it takes is just one phone call or a heartfelt conversation and your whole day seems like a roller coaster ride. Yes – empaths do feel happy when they see the people around them in joy. Though, it is the state of sadness, despair, and pain, which takes a toll on us. If you are also an empath, then you have come to the right place. In this post, I will help you learn how to cope with being an empath from my personal experience.
Who is an Empath?
Ideally, an empath can be any intuitive individual who is able to experience things from someone else’s perspective. That is, they experience what the other person is feeling with the same sense of reference. Too often, empathy is confused with sympathy. As I wrote before, sympathy is about feeling bad for someone. On the other hands, empaths can feel the emotions of someone else and have a similar experience.
Empaths can further be categorized as somantic, cognitive, and emotional. A cognitive empath understands someone’s mental state and perception. As the name suggests, emotional empaths can experience the feelings of someone else. Somantic empathy is quite rare as it deals with the physical reflection of someone’s pain.
To know whether you are being an empath or not, think of the last time you had a heartfelt discussion with a friend. Remember an instance when they told you about a terrible thing they were experiencing in their life. What did that make you feel? Did you just feel bad for them or were you able to experience their pain. If your answer is the latter, then chances are that you are an empath as well.
Suggested read: The Psychology Of Ignoring Someone: Here’s Everything You Need To Know
10 Different Signs of an Empath
In order to learn how to deal with being an empath, it is important to look for various signs that can make you an empath in the first place. Since people react to someone else’s feelings differently, there is not a strict guideline to identify an empath. In most of the cases, an empath shows the following signs:
- The most evident sign of being an empath is their intuitiveness. They rely on their intuitions and gut feeling strongly.
- Empaths are likely to be more sensitive than others. They can easily be hurt by others and find joy even in the smallest of things.
- Most of the empaths are spiritually awake and are open to new ideas. They have a natural feeling to nurture the people around them. They feel happy when their friends and family grow and fulfill their goals.
- Some empaths are also known as healers. They absorb the energy of the people around them in order to make them feel better.
- It has been observed that empaths are natural loners and they love solitude. The truth is it also helps them to heal as well.
- Empaths share intense and extremely intimate relationships with the people around them. Since they feel everything so strongly, they give their all in a relationship.
- If you are an empath, then you might crave to spend some time in nature. Sitting alone by a beach or going on a hiking expedition feels like a therapeutic experience to you.
- Empaths give way too much and have a big heart. They believe in living a minimalist lifestyle and are easily satisfied.
- They have highly sensitive senses (mostly touch and smell).
- Last, but most importantly, empaths are usually the target of energy vampires as they feed on an empath’s energy quite often.
Why being an Empath can be a Curse?
It is both a curse and a blessing to feel so much constantly. Sadly, in the world we live in, empaths usually feel drained of their energy. Here are some reasons which make us believe that being an empath can be a curse at times.
- Empaths mirror the emotions of others
This is one of the major reasons why being an empath is considered so tough. Mostly, empaths mirror the emotions of the people around them. If you are being surrounded by a lot of people, then you might undergo an endless trail of emotions. It can be too much for a single individual to experience so much at once.
- It is tough for empaths to be in a relationship
In every relationship, there are some conflicts. Though, when it comes to empaths, they feel overly attached to their partner. Since they experience the emotions of their significant other, it becomes tough to attain a balance in the relationship.
Also, if you are an empath and your partner is being dishonest, then it can mess you up in more ways than you can imagine. You can’t confess them as you don’t want to sound needy, but you can’t move past that feeling at the same time.
- They feel bombarded with the issue of others
People like to talk to empaths as they are able to connect with them on a deeper level. This often becomes a curse in the long run as empaths are being bombarded with the issues of others. After all, everyone likes to be heard and in empaths, they can find an intuitive soul who just gets them.
- Empaths walk an extra mile to help others
If you are also an empath, then you might already know how tough it is to stop caring for someone else. Be it a person in crisis or a friend who needs our help, we bend over backwards for them. Sadly, this comes with a price of its own.
- Empaths feel drained of their energy
Most importantly, empaths feel drained of their energy way too often. In a world full of energy vampires, empaths are like a source of positive energy that everyone wants to take a piece of.
Suggested read: Here Are The Ultimate Signs He Is Falling In Love But Scared
How to cope with being an Empath?
Now when you know how being an empath can be a curse at times, you need to take some necessary measures to avoid it. Here’s how you can learn how to cope with being an empath and maintain a perfect balance in your life.
- Pick the people you interact with
As you know, empaths feel strongly for the people they interact with and even the amount of time they spend with them can play a crucial role. Therefore, you should make sure that you spend your energy cautiously. You need to understand that you can’t help everyone around you. Pick the people you can help and pray for those you can’t. That’s the best you can do.
- Spend some time alone
It is quite important for empaths to spend some quality time on their own. Not only will it clear your mind, but it will also help you replenish your energy. Try to be close to nature and stay grounded so that you can uplift your mood. It will also give you a chance to know yourself better and not be clouded by the feelings of others.
- Surround yourself with the people you love
It is really important for empaths to be surrounded by people who can nurture them as well. In this way, you can be your natural self most of the times and enjoy the company of your loved ones. Since your friends and family will be able to understand you better, it will let you clear your mind quite easily.
- Practice yoga and meditation
Almost all the empaths find it hard to attain an ideal balance in their life. If you feel overwhelmed with emotions, then you need to practice some self-healing exercises. Yoga and meditation will help you unlock your mind and utilize its true potential. There are also several energy-clearing exercises that you can practice to further calm your mind.
- Find a way to channel your energy
Since empaths are filled with energy and emotions of all kinds, they should identify a way to release it all. It is recommended to find a creative channel to let it all out. You can try to write, paint, dance, or even sing your heart out. Music, arts, and even sports can be some ideal ways to channel your energy constructively.
- Categorize your emotions
This is one of the most important ways to learn how to cope with being an empath. As an empath, I often get confused with my emotions. You need to take a step back and ask yourself – is this my own emotions or am I just mirroring someone else’s feelings. Too often, empaths mirror someone else’s emotions, which affects the biggest things in their life. Therefore, it is important to identify and categorize your emotions wisely.
- Record your journey
If you are an empath, then you should make a record of your emotions for sure. There are different ways to do it. You can own a journal and simply pen down your emotions every now and then. There are also readily available smartphone apps that can help you do the same. You simply need to mark your emotions and mention a date. If you want, you can add some notes as well. Later, the app will give insights related to your emotions with tons of useful stats.
Suggested read: Learn The Art Of Complimenting And Make Someone’s Day
Being an empath can feel like a job in its own way. If you don’t want to drain your energy, then you need to learn how to deal with being an empath. Remember, you can’t help everyone. Have an intimate circle and surround yourself with people who care about your well-being. Spend some time alone to know yourself. You don’t have to rush things. Take it one day at a time and put your own mental peace first. Trust me – there is nothing wrong with that.
Featured image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License
Facebook
Disqus
Google + 
