13 Signs That You’re an Empath

hey everyone and welcome to top think today we’re going to learn about thirteen signs that you’re an empath now let’s begin number one understanding empathy if you’re an empath you understand what empathy actually means many people treat empathy just like this superhuman power almost like reading people’s minds they brag about their empathetic abilities not because they genuinely care about people but because they need something to make them feel special real empaths on the other hand don’t need titles or superpowers because they know that empathy is a gift as well as a curse at its core empathy is a very complicated human emotion according to the encyclopedia of social psychology it’s defined as understanding another person’s experiences by putting yourself in their place in other words empathy is your ability to stand in someone else’s shoes to see the world from their perspective but the interesting thing about empathy is that almost everyone can feel it most people experience shades of empathy on a daily basis you’ll empathize with a mailman walking around on a hot day you’ll empathize with a mother struggling with her toddler in the grocery store we’ve all had experiences like these so in one way or another we’ve all practiced empathy so what separates an empath from everyone else well empaths have more emotional potential and sensitivity they feel stronger emotions and identified closely with the world around them now naturally that changes how they interact with people places and ideas sometimes this extra empathy helps them bond with new friends or understand their own emotions other times it leaves them feeling reckless anxious or downright exhausted my point is empathy is not a bragging right and it’s not magic either psychologically empaths are just sensitive individuals whose emotions often get the best of them so if you understand what that’s like then you just might be one of the number two matching your environment in the mind of an empath environments are more than just physical spaces each one carries its own mood attitude and energy level which means different environments evoke different kinds of emotions some for example are calm and quiet they might create emotions like peace and comfort but others are loud and chaotic so they create things like stress fear and concern if you’re an empath you may pick up on these emotions the moment you enter the room then mirror those emotions with your own mood and energy why is that well because empaths absorb and reflect their environment even if those reflections drive them crazy number three a source of support does everyone come to you for advice it’s no secret that empaths or fantastic listeners they genuinely care about what people are saying they take the time to understand their problems and identify with their struggles it may feel natural to you but that kind of support and validation is hard to find but something else separates an empath from any other good listener empaths don’t sit there quietly they don’t just smile and nod along they’re actively involved in the conversation and they try their best to respond in meaningful ways empaths know there’s a big difference between sympathy and empathy most good listeners are sympathetic they listen to your story and maybe they’re moved by your experience but they’re standing on the outside looking in an empathic person on the other hand adopts your perspective they stand on the inside looking out they try to understand how your experience feels and they take your experiences to heart unfortunately this kind of empathetic listening can be incredibly taxing especially for an empath you get so involved in another person’s life that it drains your energy and it leaves you feeling emotionally cluttered so if you’re an empath it’s important to stay within your limits yeah be there for your friends give them the support they need but remember to look out for your own emotional health first you can’t always be there Rock or their springboard otherwise you’ll get so tangled up in their problems you’ll never stop to think about your own number for imaginary simulations do you ever lay back and wonder how life could have gone differently what if you were born into a different family what if you met a different group of friends in school what would your life look like today many empaths ask these questions on a daily basis and they use them to run something called a mental simulation according to Leslie University simulations are one of the most common avenues for human empathy before you can walk a mile in someone else’s shoes you have to run a simulation of their life you have to imagine what their existence must be like first you build the world then you can walk inside of it you’re doing essentially the same thing when you daydream about different possibilities you’re running simulations you’re imagining new experiences and you’re feeling empathy for another person even if that other person doesn’t exist number five deepening your relationships empaths will form special bonds with the people in their lives their friendships for example tend to be more intimate and emotional because empaths like to connect with people on a deeper level they want to hear about what you love what you hate and what you’ve gone through they like to embrace the little moments that shape you as a person and show you they don’t just like you they really know you that’s why empaths tend to have a small number of stronger friendships they take the time to explore the people they have instead of searching for someone new number six emotional resonance many empaths experience a phenomenon called emotional resonance this comes from a 2009 study published in the journal emotion the study explains how other people’s emotions can trigger a chain reaction in the mind of an empath first you gauge how the other person is feeling asking yourself simple questions like are they happy or are they sad once your brain lands on an emotion it activates a representation of yourself in other words you imagine what if I was happy or what if I was sad and that’s when emotional resonance comes into play you’ve now internalized those representations of yourself so your active emotional state resonates with that representation in simpler terms you’re matching the emotions of other people so if that’s something you do on a regular basis you’re probably an empath number seven meaning in everything living as an empath can be quite an emotional burden yet most of them are happy and healthy people so why is that let’s go back to that 2009 study on emotional resonance the same researchers found that empathy increases well-being over time even though empaths have extreme emotional highs and lows they’re actually more satisfied than the average person why is that because they find more meaning in their lives they discover emotional depth in the tiniest things like every casual conversation or every passing glance if you’re the kind of person who finds meaning and everything you may be an empath number eight reckless giving empaths often give more than they can afford they get swept up in the power of a story a season for a cause they identify with the hardships of others and do everything they can to help even if that means taking on too much while it’s a wonderful idea over-commitment can be a disaster in practice because many empaths just don’t know when to stop they spend too much and they care too much until eventually they’re reckless giving becomes someone else’s problem number nine extreme sensitivity do people say you’re too sensitive empaths hear this all the time because the tiniest thing may trigger the largest reactions the truth is empaths get their feelings hurt pretty easily they feel things very strongly so they’re generally sensitive there’s nothing wrong with that but it can lead to some unnecessary drama if this sounds like you you just might be an empath number 10 negative susceptibility negative people affect empaths more than anyone because empaths draw emotions from the people around them so if they’re spending time with someone negative it’s going to have a huge impact on their attitude the bad news is empaths are attracted to toxic people you’re drawn to their intensity and emotional volatility even if these people drain your energy and constantly stress you out number eleven standing up for others do you stand up for others in need empaths are often the first to get involved because they empathize with people who are struggling this comes from a 1990 study in the journal motivation and emotion they found that empathetic people have a powerful reaction to emotions like distress and while most people stand by and watch empaths are much more likely to take action number 12 setting time limits if you’re an empath you’re probably the first to go overboard and the first to get carried away so like many empaths you have to set firm boundaries for you and your time you may say things like I can only give 10 hours a week or I need at least three hours for myself these strict time limits keep your giving under control otherwise you’d spend too much time on other people and not nearly enough on yourself number 13 dependence on solitude empaths need space to stop digest and think things through without these moments of solitude empaths stay swept up in the moment you’ll make rash emotional decisions without using your head luckily some alone time can help you relax and reset and that way you can think logically adjust your priorities and move forward with a clear head hey thank you for watching top think and be sure to subscribe because more incredible content is on the way