7 signs you may be an empath

By: Andrea Sipcic

 

The term empathy is generally defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Furthermore, we can define the term as being able to sense what others are feeling or experiencing.

There are three main types of empathy, as categorized by psychologists. The first, Cognitive Empathy, is being able to see or take on someone’s perspective and put yourself in their place. Emotional Empathy is literally being able to feel the other person’s emotions. Lastly, Compassionate Empathy is being able to understand and sympathize with what someone is going through and help them towards taking action to resolve the challenge. 

How do you know if you’re an empath? Here are a few traits or signs to look for in an empath, whether in yourself or others:

  1. Experiencing sudden/overwhelming emotions that seem to come out of nowhere
  2. Sensitivity towards the “feel”/”vibe” of a room/your surroundings
  3. Ability to sense/understand where people are coming from/what they’re trying to express
  4. Others often come to you for advice or support
  5. Violent or gruesome movies, shows, tv events, etc. bother you
  6. Compelling love for animals and babies
  7. Inability or difficulty to “turn off” concern for others and the desire to help