Are you an empath? This will help you decide.
Growing up, I pretty much accepted what I now know are the traits of an empath and made peace with how odd I used to feel. I would easily get much more frightened than my peers, jumping at every sound and feeling startled. There were times when I would start crying for reasons others were not able to understand.
Also, for the last 20 years I was not able to eat and talk about some emotionally disturbing things because I would instantly get a stomach-ache.
The day I picked up on my close cousin’s fear, although we were physically apart at a time I’ve started exploring the subject of being an empath.
What I have learned helped me understand some things that up to that point in my life seamed inexplicable and whcih left others to perceive me as moody and hypersensitive.
There are many types of empaths and here are some most common traits that will help you decide if you too are the one.
- Sensitivity to other people’s energies, emotions and physical states. Empaths have the ability to understand and feel other people by reading into their desires, intentions and motives. Sometimes they would know things they would not know how to explain, they would just feel them.
- Empaths are affected by the things they see on TV, news, movies and through other media. It was one of the first things that made me think I was odd since I was easily upset by bad news or by watching violence on TV. Witnessing any kind of suffering even the one not real (movies vs news or animal planet) would provoke strong feelings of anger, fear or pain. It’s been years now since I stopped watching news and begun differently selecting the movies I watch.
- Crowded places tend to overwhelm any empath. No matter how social or extrovert they might appear places full of people easily get any empath feel overpowered.
- Empaths are sensitive to loud noises and sudden movements
- They enjoy solitude and silence.
- Empaths connect easily with other people. They appear as magnets to others sharing their life stories and problems even if they barely know each other.
- They can be of addictive personality. Empaths can reach for drugs, alcohol or food to “silence” strong emotions.
- They are drawn to metaphysical and things “supernatural”. They can be amazing healers and practitioners of energy work.
- They are creative, daydreamers and seekers of knowledge. They need to know and will find the answer. They have a vibrant inner life and easily drift to another universe. They search for ways to express and arts and dancing are some of them. Easily get bored in not stimulated.
- Problem solvers that don’t like to multitask.
- See things/situations/people deeply all the way to their core.
- Can have difficulties with lower back and digestion. The stomach is known as the second heart, so having too much of undigested emotions can cause stomach pain and many others bowel disorders. Having lower back pain is a sign that the person is not grounded and the empath who not aware of one’s abilities will always be ungrounded.
- Always feeling for the underdog. If you reading a book or watching a movie you always instinctively identify with the underdog please do check for other traits listed here. Even more so if in real life you are always looking out for the underdog.
- Feeling constant fatigue. They tend to feel drained and tired which can be due to taking on too much from others and their emotional apparatus is always strained.
- Free spirited. Empaths cherish freedom above many things, love to travel, and can be adventurous.
- Lovers of nature and animals. Animals are drawn to them, like with Dr. Dolittle.
- Prone to being overweight without overeating. All that extra layers are there just to protect them from the outside world.
- Extremely intolerant toward egocentric people who put themselves first.
- Empaths are very expressive and open and easily show and talk about their emotions.
- On the other hand they can appear moody, aloof or shy. They are prone to the mood swings, and don’t like to hide their feelings.