Empaths are very sensitive to the emotions, moods and energies of others. This means they get stressed out by things that don’t bother less sensitive types.
People pick up on more than just what other people say. We all interpret others based on their speech, actions, body language and energy. Empaths are particularly good at spotting when people’s words don’t match their body language or energy.
This means that Empaths can find it very uncomfortable to be around people who are pretending to be something they are not. For example, when a person uses kind words, but their body language and energy seem to show impatience or anger, an Empath will feel this difference and find it disturbing and unsettling.
This is why Empaths can usually spot liars easily, too. Dealing with people like this will leave them stressed out because they can’t trust them. If you find it hard to deal with people that give off contradictory vibes, then you are probably an empath.
Empaths are, of course, not perfect. They too get in bad moods and sometimes behave badly. But they do try to be positive as much as they can. They do this because they know how easily emotions can be passed to others. If one person in a household or office is in a bad mood, it’s not long before everyone is in a bad mood.
This transfer of energies can often affect Empaths more strongly as they are so quick to pick up on the emotions of others. For this reason, Empaths don’t like to be around people who are constantly negative or gossiping about others. Empaths would prefer to be around happy, positive people.
But of course, because they are sensitive to others’ needs, they find it hard to avoid people who need them. Empaths often attract negative people. This is because negative types know they will find a sympathetic ear to listen to their complaints.
If you find dealing with negative people exhausting and that time spent with them leaves you in a low mood, then you are probably an Empath.
Empaths have a hard time dealing with aggressive behaviour, including yelling and screaming, slamming doors and of course any kind of violence. Obviously, most people do not like to be around people in an aggressive mood as it is uncomfortable for everyone. However, for Empaths, this kind of behaviour can feel worse because they tend to have very sensitive nervous systems.
Being with angry people can cause their adrenaline levels to spike leaving them feeling anxious, jittery and seriously stressed out. If you find anger and aggression affect you in both an emotional and physical way, then you are probably an Empath.
Empaths find it very hard to see other people suffering because they literally feel the pain of others. This can make it unbearable for them to see others in pain. Empaths cry easily and cannot just brush off the suffering of others.
Watching a sad news story can affect them for hours afterwards and leave them feeling hopeless about the state of the world and why there is so much suffering and violence. If you find the suffering of others overwhelming, you are almost certainly an empath.
Anything that is too overwhelming can leave an Empath feeling stressed out. Too many people, too much noise, too much to do, strong smells, uncomfortable sensations – the list goes on. The stress comes from a sensory overload that the Empath struggles to deal with. If you find too much of anything overwhelming, then you are definitely showing the tendencies of an Empath.
Because Empaths are very aware of and sensitive to other people’s emotions, they find it hard when others don’t show the same sensitivity. They can’t bear to be misunderstood.
It is especially hard for them if what they do or say is misinterpreted or they are criticised for something they didn’t do. Because Empaths are very careful about what they say to others, trying to be kind and tactful rather than being straightforward, misunderstandings do happen. If you feel really uncomfortable being criticised or feeling misunderstood, you may well be an Empath.
Being an Empath can be exhausting and leave you feeling stressed out. But there are good sides to being an Empath, too. Being sensitive to others needs means you are probably well liked and loved and people often turn to you in a time of need. You may be able to use your empathy in your work, especially in artistic pursuits and jobs that involve helping others.
To keep from getting too stressed out as an Empath, it is important to make sure you get enough quiet time in your life to recover from life’s busyness. It can also be a good idea to learn techniques such as meditation, yoga or mindfulness to help you to deal with the emotions you easily take on.
There are also specific meditations you can learn to protect yourself from negative energies. A very simple one is to take a few deep breaths and imagine yourself surrounded by a bubble of golden light. Practice this if you know you will be experiencing something that might normally leave you stressed out.
What stresses you out as an Empath and what techniques have you used to deal with these issues? Share your thought with us in the comments below.
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The hardest, most perplexing aspect of socializing is dealing with people whose words and body language/vibe don't match up. How many times have my husband and daughter said that I'd love so and so because that person was so nice, so pleasant, so genuine? And within five minutes of meeting and interacting with that person, I'm so uncomfortable that I have to excuse myself briefly to go and settle my ruffled feathers. It makes me extremely uncomfortable and nervous dealing with people who wear two different personalities at once. I don't know which one to respond to.
Being around moody, gossiping types who are not being true to what they really are...bug me to my very core.
Maybe thus us why my direct family diesnt understand a lot of things i do or say. I feel i have to be so careful in what i say to them. Some oeople rely so much on intelligence for conversation rather than feelings or emotion.
I hate liars.. Sorry the word.. Hate.. They treat us like fools..
I pick up on the true personality too soon when meeting someone.I pick up on how they really feel when they say one thing and really are another. Sometimes I don't like what I see in people and I really am disappointed. What I have is really a gift of perception, but sometime it don't seem like one..