Written by: Tracey Gazel, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Have you ever felt someone else's pain as if it were your own? Sensed someone's emotions so deeply that you could feel them in your body? If so, you might be an empath. Empaths are highly sensitive people who absorb the emotions of those around them. While being an empath has its perks, it can also be challenging at times. If you think you might be an empath, read on to learn more about this rare trait found in 1-2% of the population.
You Feel Overwhelmed by the State of the World
Our modern day world can feel chaotic. We’re years into a pandemic, political unrest, and now grappling with the tension in Eastern Europe. Coupled with the prevalence of constant news available on television and social media, we’re now faced with a seemingly unending stream of upsetting information.
It’s normal for anyone to feel more stressed than they did a few years ago. However, if you’re an empath, you may find it difficult to turn off your state of overwhelm. Perhaps you feel anxious most of the day, regardless of whether you’re watching the news or not. You may even notice yourself waking up feeling anxious first thing in the morning. Empaths are prone to anxiety as they subconsciously take on the problems of their external environment and match its energy within their own body.
You Have a Natural Ability to ‘Read the Room’
Have you ever walked into a room right after an argument has taken place and you could instantly feel the tension in the air? It’s like that old saying, ‘you could cut the tension in the air with a knife’. It’s as if the air itself has a heavier density which can be perceived instantly by empaths.
How is this possible? Neuroscience has found empaths likely have hyper-responsive mirror neurons – the group of brain cells responsible for triggering feels like compassion. Heightened mirror neurons would make it possible to intuit the charge created by electromagnetic fields of the heart and brain of others. If you’ve noticed you’re able to easily feel the emotions of other people simply by walking into a room, it’s likely due to the heightened state of being an empath.
You Have Difficulty Saying ‘No’ to Others
Picture yourself exhausted from a long day at work, taking care of your kids (if you have them), and scrambling to get dinner on the table. When you get a call after dinner from a friend who’s asking for help, what do you do? Even though you know that you’re tired and not in a great place to help someone, do you automatically say yes?
Empaths tend to have difficulty with boundaries and saying no to others. There is a deep desire to help everyone else and put their needs before your own; even if it’s to the detriment of their own health. Empaths have a heightened feeling sense where they feel the emotions of others within their own body as if it were their own. If someone else is feeling desperate, sad, or needing help in any way, rather than feel their heavy emotions within our own system, it seems easier to help the other person feel better rather than take care of our own needs first.
Watching the News or a Sad Movie Feels Too Overwhelming
Have you found yourself avoiding watching the news, a sad movie, or even perusing social media because it just feels too intense? When you’re an empath, seeing the conflict and injustice of the world can feel so intense that it becomes overwhelming. Watching movies can become so engrossing that you may feel as if you’re a character right in the movie.
This is because without proper boundaries established, empaths tend to internalize the feelings and pain of others as if it were their own. Rather than deeply feel the pain and suffering of others, it can feel easier to avoid the news or sad movies altogether.
You Tend to Avoid Conflict
If someone says something that upsets you, do you find yourself choosing to let the situation slide rather than engage in conflict? Empaths tend to be people-pleasers, where they put prioritize the needs and happiness of others before their own to a fault. Usually, this characteristic begins as a child where it turns into a habit and becomes commonplace in adulthood.
Empaths have a deep desire to help others and they tend to feel happy only when they’ve ensured everyone else around them is happy, too. Although common, this trait can be challenging as it leads many empaths to feel exhausted due to their inability to prioritize their own self-care.
The term ‘empath’ is widely used today yet society still tends to portray empaths as weaker and more fragile than the rest of the population. Being an empath is a strength. By reading the energy of your environment, you can access real-time guidance on how to live your best life.
Looking to learn more about being an empath and how to use it as a strength? Be sure to join my free Facebook group where I provide daily guidance and support.
Tracey Gazel, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Tracey Gazel is a Neuroscience-Mindfulness Executive Coach, 1 Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker and Meditation Teacher. She specializes in helping others live with less stress and more calm by de-mystifying the brain and its complex processes so that feeling calm and grounded every day becomes your new normal. She is the founder of Rising Higher Consulting Inc., a coaching agency that helps high achievers who are wanting to accomplish the same amount of work with less stress, enhance their decision-making with clarity of mind, feel calmer on a regular basis, and simply enjoy their life more.
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