What Is Empathy? 8 Ways To Cope As An Empath…

Are you an Empath? If so, how do you keep your own sanity and mental health in tact while navigating everyday life amongst others?

Empathy is defined as the ability to understand, be aware of, be sensitive to, and vicariously experience the feelings, thoughts, and emotions of another person.

Some people are more empathetic than others, to the point of feeling as though all of the emotions in a room, are your own. If you are highly empathetic, you may be an introvert. You observe and listen carefully to what others have to say.

Because of this, you can usually pick up on the underlying feelings or intentions of others, allowing you to see perhaps a bit more than they are comfortable with.

People often come to you to vent or ask for advice. You tend to feel overwhelmed and exhausted in any kind of emotional environment. Often, you are told you are too sensitive. Large crowds can feel intense and suffocating.

The Pros…

On the other side of that coin… Because you understand people better than others, you are able to be more compassionate and able to better gage how you can help. This inevitably allows you to create long lasting, meaningful relationships. You tend to have a great sense of intuition, and go with your gut instinct when making decisions. Nature is a great comfort to you. You are very warm and caring towards others.

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While there are a lot of pros to being an Empath, it does come with it’s share of pitfalls. For starters, Empaths lack the tools most people have to combat surrounding emotions and stimulation within an environment. Because you are essentially a human sponge, all of those emotions and stimulation you take in on a daily basis, starts to affect you physically.

The Cons Of Being An Empath

– You may feel stressed out a lot about the problems of others, causing you to lose sleep at times.

– You may be very sensitive to sounds, smells or physical sensations, causing you to be become emotionally triggered at times.

– Closeness and intimacy may feel overwhelming at times, causing friction within romantic relationships.

– Any kind of conflict causes you a lot of stress. Not only are you handling your own emotions, but you are also absorbing that of the other person. This causes a break down in communication, and thus, a barrier to progress.

– Others tend to come to you with their problems, bringing along with it drama or negativity that you could otherwise do without.

So, how do you embrace the beautiful things about being an Empath, while maintaining your emotional, mental, and physical well being?

Here is a list of self therapy tactics I have utilized from time to time, for maintaining good mental and physical health as an Empath.

8 Coping Strategies For Empaths

1. Set Aside Time Without Technology

“Unplug” and shut down the technology for an hour. I have often kept my devices in a seperate room for a little while, just to get away from any type of noise. No tv, no phone, no tablet, and no music…just a book, and some good old fashioned peace and quiet. Whenever my husband and son go out to run errands together, I jump on the opportunity to just decompress with a bit of reflection time.

2. Music

While there are times I don’t like noise for a moment, there are also times when I want to sink into some good tunes. I put the ear buds in, play my favorites and just allow myself to get lost in the music for an hour or so. Again, the ear buds ensure there is no other outside noise to disrupt my mojo.

3. Showers And Baths

Ah, yes…a nice, long, hot shower or cozy bath will go a long way to helping you to relax! I will typically give a bit of a warning to anyone in the house, before I climb into my little Oasis. Everyone has a chance to go use the bathroom within a period of time. After that, they all know to leave me the hell alone. Mama Bear just needs a moment to clear her head and if you want her to remain in a good mood, you will allow her that time to decompress. Win/Win.

4. Walks

I must admit, I don’t actually go on nearly as many walks as I should. If I’m feeling a bit beat, sometimes, I will simply go outside to sit in my swing for a while. It may not involve any real excercise, but the rocking motion by itself, does have a calming effect. Add in the sweet sounds and visions of birds, squirrels, bunnies…Boom! Instant Calm. I really do appreciate nature for all that it is and does for me, mentally.

5. People Watching

I tend to be a very observant person and absolutely love watching perfect strangers in a park or on the beach. It doesn’t take you away from groups of people entirely, but if you choose a good spot to sit in, it can be quite rewarding. You can sit in one spot for as long as you want, and no one will bother you. We’re all doing the same thing…sharing a public space just to get out for a breath of fresh air.

If by chance, someone does interact with you, you are simply not required to have a full conversation. However, who knows? There have been plenty of times when I have run into some random situation with a stranger, that became exactly what I needed at the moment. I don’t know this person. I have no skin in the game. They are friendly enough to enjoy a quick conversation with. Then, I get to leave when I choose. No strings attached.

6. Cooking

I do enjoy putting my love into good food whenever I need a break from the rest of the world. Again, music typically comes into the picture during those times. That’s the only form of technology I want around when I am in my cooking zone. It’s relaxing, without being distracting. I can focus on my work and all is well.

7. Cleaning

I know, I know. Most of us really don’t enjoy cleaning all that much. I actually don’t mind it from time to time, simply because it does relax me a bit. Again, a bit of music or even a funny movie/tv show in the background….a broom or basket of clothes that need folding…I’m good. I complete a minimal task while decompressing at the same time.

8. Does The Situation Directly Impact Your Life?

Start by asking yourself that exact question and see what your answer comes to. When you care strongly about others and wish to ease their stress, it is very hard to distance yourself from the situation enough to give a true answer to the question. However, it is necessary to ask.

Your friend, family member, or colleague is experiencing something tough at the moment…Not You.

While you can offer a bit of advice from time to time, you also have to set some internal boundaries. The situation happening in the life of another, only impacts you as much as you allow it. Make a firm decision to lend a shoulder when it feels warranted, but while also keeping a clear distinction in your mind of who is actually experiencing the dilemma. You are less likely to get caught up in the emotional aspect of the situation if you try to remember the problem your friend is having, is not actually your personal problem.

From Personal Experience…

As an Empath, I do well understand the difficulty of separating yourself from the feelings of others. I recently found out a good friend of mine is experiencing significant health issues currently. It tears me up, just hearing about it. My mind immediately started going crazy with all of the different ways and reasons I needed to run right out and fix…I Don’t know…Something.. Anything ..for her and her family!

That day, I chose music to eleviate my anxiety. I had to put the ear buds in, take a deep breath, and force myself to relax.

It was indeed hard.

I know my friends are hurting. I also know there really is nothing I, myself, can do to solve their problem. All I can do is offer my ear, give her a bit of time for healing, and perhaps take a casserole or a batch of homemade cookies to her family. My tactics don’t take away from the reality of what’s happening. However, it does help me maintain a bit of sanity while I’m worried.

At the end of the day, Remember:

You can be of no use to anyone at all, unless you can maintain your own emotional and mental state, while still trying to assist those you care about. Appreciate the Beautiful Person that you are, and accept your limitations at the same time. With the right balance, you can enjoy all of the pros of being an empath without forfeiting your own self preservation.

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