Empaths are special people who can detect other people’s feelings, and know just what to do to make things better for everybody. Learn empathy meaning, signs you are an empath, and how to use your empathic abilities without being drained spiritually.
Empaths are spoken of a lot, but not everybody knows what an empath is, what their capabilities are, and the amazing things they can do. Just what makes an empath special, and how do you know if you are one? Join Mysticsense to discover the powerful abilities of empaths and some signs you are an empath. Learn what empathy isn’t about, and the amazing ways you can make things better for everybody if you are an empath. Psychic protection for empaths is especially important, so they don’t become emotionally drained while they are making the world a better place. Find out simple ways to protect yourself if you are an empath, and why you can preserve your energy and use it to help other people at the same time.
What is Empathy
Empathy is the ability to feel and understand the feelings of others. Some people are natural empaths with other people, but some empaths can feel animal’s feelings too. People with powerful natural empathy typically spend a lot of time being helpful and they can't stand it if they don't. Some people compare them to emotional sponges soaking up the feelings of the world. Empathy is different from sympathy. Empathy means that you can actually feel the feelings of others. Sympathy is having understanding and feeling sorrow for the suffering of others. People who are sympathetic can't feel someone else's feelings like empaths do.
Empathy means that you can see things from someone else's perspective and when you're sympathetic you have more of an emotional distance. People who are sympathetic have an understanding of others feelings, but empaths feel it right along with them. For some people, the ability to empathize can be overwhelming. For others, it is the beginning of their active role in creating positive change for other people. Empathy is one of the psychic abilities. Psychic abilities are not sensed with the five physical senses of vision, smell, taste, touch, or hearing. Psychic empathy is sensed with emotions and instincts. While everybody has at least one psychic ability, not everybody is empathic. Read about some other psychic abilities and some tips to develop them here: What Does It Mean To Be Psychic?
Signs You Are an Empath
Other than a natural instinct for knowing how people feel, what are some signs that you might be an empath? If you've been told many times that you're a good listener, or you can naturally tell how animals are feeling, you're probably an empath. If you want to make everybody's pain go away and you are easily overwhelmed at funerals and hospitals, you're probably empathic. If your feelings get hurt very easily and you are constantly giving to other people, you're probably an empath. Other signs of being an empath include being like another parent to friends, having a hard time dealing with conflict or setting boundaries, and needing a lot of alone time.
You Are a Good Listener
Empaths are naturally good listeners. They're just born that way. They are intimately interested in how other people feel, and they don't just want to know about your feelings. They want to know why you feel that way and what they can do to understand you and make you feel better. If people seem to always gravitate toward you when they need advice, or they just need somebody to listen, you're probably an empath.
You Understand Animal’s Feelings
Animals don't speak the same language as humans, but if you listen they can express themselves. A lot of empaths just naturally know what animals are trying to express. A lot of empaths work in medical care or volunteer care for animals. They may also tolerate their own allergies to have pets that their doctors tell them they shouldn't have. If you are always rescuing animals, and can somehow sense where an animal and distress is even before you see it, you're probably an empath. Is your pet psychic? Find out here: Do I Have a Psychic Pet?/ Pet’s Mystical Abilities
You Want to Make Pain Go Away
If you are always looking for ways to alleviate suffering, that could be because you can feel other people's suffering. Empaths don't usually just experience other people's suffering, but they want to do something about it. Empaths make excellent advocates and activists, and a lot of them are always crusading for some kind of a noble cause. They may just be the neighbor who checks up on everybody or at the family member who takes care of everybody. They are the helpers of their communities and people say they don't know what they would do without them.
You are Overwhelmed at Funerals and Hospitals
Empaths can get over stimulated at places where there is a lot of suffering. Funerals and hospitals can be especially difficult for empaths to deal with. Some empaths avoid hospitals and cannot attend funerals because it overwhelms them too much. It's not that they don't want to go or that they're not caring, it's just that they can't deal with it. An empath might not be able to help you with your grief at a funeral, but you can read some tips for dealing with grief here; How Can We Deal with Loss and Communicate with the Dead?
Your Feelings Are Hurt Easily
If your feelings are hurt very easily, there's a chance you're an empath. You're not just sensitive to other people's feelings, you're sensitive to other people's aggression also. Insulting things that people say might not bother you as much as the hostility that they project when they insult you. If people tell you that you are “too sensitive” or that you need to “toughen up”, chances are that you're an empath.
You are a Giver
If you are always thinking of things that you can give to support a cause, to support somebody, or to alleviate some kind of suffering, you might be an empath. Not everybody can tell what is needed, but an empath can. Some empaths have a hard time doing things for themselves because they're so busy doing for others. They might refuse to buy new clothes for themselves because they know somebody else who they think needs clothes more. They might drive the cheapest car and give a new car to somebody else. They might hold off on their own dreams so they can make other people's dreams come true. Their generosity is a virtue. Learn more about virtues here: What is a Virtue and How Can You Embody it?
You Are Another Parent to Friends
Are you the “mom” or “dad” friend to your friends? Are you the one who they can always count on for help or when they need a place to stay? Are you the one who they always turn to for advice? Are you the one who they look up to as wise and experienced even though you're pretty much the same age? Are you the one who takes up for your friends and teaches them how to take up for themselves? If you have answered yes to any of these or all of these questions, you just might be an empath.
Conflict Is Extra Difficult for You
If conflict is very difficult for you, it might be because you're an empath. The negative emotions, shouting, arguing, or just being in opposition with somebody else that conflict brings is very difficult for empaths. Empaths don't want people to be at odds with one another period. They want everybody to work together and they want everybody to be happy. They might even be uncomfortable playing sports because they're non competitive. They want everybody to win. A lot of Pisces people are naturally empathic, and you can read about that Zodiac sign here: Pisces Traits | Star Sign in the Spotlight
Setting Boundaries is Difficult
If you have a difficult time setting boundaries it might be because you don't want to upset anybody. Empaths have a really hard time setting boundaries because they don't want to hurt people's feelings. Some people are just naturally good at saying no, but even if it doesn't come naturally to you, you can learn to do it. Setting boundaries allows for healthier relationships and it makes sure that you don't enable toxic behavior. Even if it's difficult for an empath, an empath can learn to do it.
You Need Alone Time
Empaths need alone time, and some empaths need a lot of alone time. That's because they are especially sensitive to other people's energy, and they need time to disengage from other people and be surrounded by only their own energy. Being an empath is exhausting sometimes. Feeling all of the feelings around you as well as your own can take a toll. Sometimes you just have to listen to your own feelings and not be exposed to other people's feelings especially when you are empathic. Energy vampires can be especially exhausting for empaths, but they can be dealt with. Find out how here: How to Deal with an Energy Vampire
What Empathy Isn’t
Empaths can sometimes fall into the trap of allowing certain bad behavior from other people, but that's not what being an empath is about. It is a misuse of your empathic abilities if you let people abuse you. It is also a misuse of your empathic abilities if you enable people's toxic behaviors. As an empath, if all your empathy does is make you suffer, something's wrong.
Allowing Abuse
Especially the empaths who have a hard time setting boundaries are at risk of being abused. Some say that narcissists especially love empaths because empaths will allow them to prey upon them, but if you are letting people abuse you, there's something you should know- If someone is abusing you, you have the right, the ability, and the responsibility to take away their ability to abuse you. Find out if you are an abuse victim here: Are You Abused? | The Signs You May Be
Enabling Toxicity
Like abusers, other toxic people gravitate toward empaths, because they like to manipulate empaths into doing things for them. They are the toxic family members who manipulate empaths into talking the other family members into putting up with them. They are the deadbeat friends who want to couch surf instead of holding down a job. They are the so-called friends who are empaths to give them money so they can continue their alcoholism. Enabling toxicity is not the task of the empath, so don’t allow yourself to be pressured into it.
Just Suffering
If being an empath does nothing but make you miserable, you are not emotionally protecting yourself. This is something that a lot of empaths go through and the wonderful thing is, you don't have to. If you set boundaries with people, even though it's difficult at first, you will suffer a lot less as an empath. Saying no is very important for empaths because it allows you to say yes to the right things. When you prioritize helping the right people with the right things, it doesn't allow space for doing things that are unnecessary. It's very important to emotionally protect yourself as an empath, and setting boundaries is the way to do it. Learn about setting boundaries here: Setting Boundaries in Your Life and Relationships
How To Use Your Empathy
So if empathy isn't for toxic people, or to just suffer from, what's it for? Empathy can be used for a lot of powerful things. You can use it to inspire you to protect those who cannot protect themselves. You can use it to know who to listen to, or you can just let it guide you to understand someone's feelings and what they need. You can use it to let you know what needs to be done and then you can react to that by helping.
Protect the Defenseless
Seeing suffering breaks an empath’s heart. Empaths care enough to step in when horrible things happen and provide protection. When there is injustice, empaths are called to speak out, and sometimes remove people or animals from the path of harm. Empaths know just what to do about poverty. Giving food, shelter, medicine, clothing or anything else that's needed is no problem for an empath. Brave empaths speak out against cruelty and hold the guilty parties responsible.
Listen
Sometimes empaths aren't called to take any action. They're just called to listen sometimes. There are times when no solutions need to be offered, people just need a friend to cry to. Or sometimes they need someone to listen to them while they are brainstorming for their own solutions. Never underestimate the healing power that you are capable of if you listen to people.
Help
Being a helper in this world is sometimes the greatest thing you can be. Even a kind smile for someone who is having a stressful day can be more helpful than you realize. Sometimes more than a smile is needed though, but you don't quite know what needs done. Never hesitate to ask. A lot of people can detect that a caring empath is the one who is asking what they need help with, and they will trust you because of your great kindness.
It is a great honor to be an empath, but it can be exhausting too. It doesn’t have to be. When you know the signs you are an empath, you can choose who to do things for and who to shield yourself from. Just because you are an empath doesn’t mean you have to be all things for all people. Remember, being an empath is a sacred psychic gift, and you choose who you will help with it. You are a blessing. Thank you for all you do.
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