Hey everyone, and welcome to TopThink.
Today, we are going to learn about 10 signs that you’re an empath.
Now, let’s begin.
1.
Caring Too Much Has anyone ever told you that you care too
much?
This is a problem every empath faces.
You try not to care.
You try to think about other things, but you struggle to distance yourself from arguments
and toxic relationships.
Empaths feel deeply for every person they meet.
For an empath, every relationship is emotional, no matter how new or casual.
Every person has something to get attached to or excited about.
But if you’re not careful, your emotional investment can hurt you down the road.
At some point, empaths must accept an unfortunate reality.
You may care more about someone than they care about you.
You may spend more time thinking about your relationships than your friends and partners.
You may feel like you’re doing more work, making more investments, and taking your relationships
more seriously.
Even though you’re working hard, you almost always pay the price.
Many empaths experience disappointment, shame, and regret in their relationships.
You build up your expectations, but your friends and partners rarely deliver.
This can be problematic for many empaths.
Not only can it damage your relationships and self-esteem, but it encourages toxic people
to take advantage of your sensitivity.
You struggle to stop caring.
You can’t cut ties like everyone else.
So, other people abuse your trust, generosity, and compassion.
In any case, relationships are challenging for highly empathic people.
For better or for worse, caring too much is a part of who you are.
2.
Emotional Overload Empathy can be an incredible gift that allows
you to understand powerful and intimate experiences.
But if you’re an empath, there’s a limit to how much emotion you can handle.
Many empaths get overwhelmed when their emotions are riding high.
Particularly negative emotions create overwhelming stress and worry, forcing you to distance
yourself from emotional situations.
During these moments of emotional overload, empaths require space and solitude, taking
a necessary respite from their overwhelming empathy.
Emotional overload is a difficult experience to avoid or predict.
Sometimes, listening to another person’s experiences drags into an emotional vortex.
Suddenly, you’re overtaken by powerful, unrelenting feelings.
If you’re not careful those emotions can leave you stressed and emotionally exhausted
for hours or days at a time.
If this sounds familiar, you, like many empaths, may need strategies to neutralize overwhelming
emotions.
For example, when you reach any emotional extreme, physically separate yourself from
the source of your emotions.
Step outside.
Walk into a different room.
Find a neutral space to sort out your feelings, reorient your mindset, and leave that stress
behind you.
Otherwise, you’ll carry other people’s negativity everywhere you go.
3.
Social Isolation Many empaths feel isolated from the rest of
the world.
You excel at understanding other people, but other people struggle to understand you.
When you experience high highs and low lows, your feelings are rarely met with compassion
or understanding.
Instead, you may be ignored or criticized.
People may say things like, “You’re too sensitive” or “You’re being dramatic.”
This can be an isolating experience.
Not only are your feelings invalidated, but you also feel ashamed of something you can’t
control.
But your feelings are as valid as anybody else’s.
Other people might not understand you or the way you feel, but, as an empath, you have
nothing to be ashamed of.
4.
A Calming Presence What kind of atmosphere do you give off?
Some people are energetic and inspiring.
Others are stressful and negative.
But empaths tend to create a unique atmosphere that attracts a wide variety of people.
Instead of high energy or negativity, empathetic people have a calming presence that puts other
peoples’ nerves at ease.
As an empath, people feel more confident and secure when you’re around.
They feel more comfortable exposing their vulnerabilities.
Maybe they feel empowered to address problems they couldn’t address before.
That’s why many empaths attract people going through tough situations.
You’re a magnet for other people’s problems because you put people at ease.
Your friends, for example, seek your advice in tough situations.
They come to you because, unlike many people in the world, you give them a safe space to
be open and honest.
Yes, it can be exhausting to constantly listen to people’s problems, but it’s also one
of the greatest qualities a person can have.
5.
Violating Boundaries Do you have a hard time setting boundaries?
Many empaths try to enforce emotional boundaries.
You know you care too much.
You know you invest too much time and effort in other people and too little in yourself.
So, you set boundaries to preserve your wants and needs.
But, if you’re an empath, you probably break those boundaries 99% of the time.
The problem is… you care too much helping others to ignore their problems.
You can’t turn someone away when they’re in need, even if it crosses your boundaries.
So, yes you probably need boundaries.
But there’s a good chance you won’t use them.
6.
Attentive Leadership Empaths can be fantastic leaders.
They pay close attention to other people’s needs, and they try hard to solve problems
in a way that’s beneficial to everyone involved.
Many leaders only look out for themselves.
They’re willing to step on others to create advantages and find success.
But empathic leaders never take their teammates or coworkers for granted.
Often, you can identify empathetic leaders by the attitudes of the people they lead.
Empathetic leaders earn respect and admiration.
They maintain strong, meaningful relationships with the people they work with, and they try
to address everyone’s concerns, not just their own.
For those reasons, empathetic leaders create strong working relationships.
Your teammates and coworkers are happier and more motivated than most, and that happiness
encourages them to show you loyalty when it counts.
If you care about the people you work with and work hard to consider their needs, you’re
not only a good leader… you may also be an empath.
7.
Over-Positivity When an empath cares about something or someone,
they become totally invested, and that investment is obvious to everyone they meet.
Empaths gush about the people they love and the activities they enjoy.
They have a hard time containing their excitement and positivity, but sometimes… that rubs
people the wrong way.
Many people don’t understand why empaths go on and on about the things they love.
Unlike people who brag to earn attention or admiration, highly empathic people gush, not
to boost their egos, but to share their affections with the world.
When they encounter something or someone they love, they experience a rush of joy, and they
want to share that joy with others.
Despite their good intentions, empaths are often criticized for their “over the top”
personalities.
They’re known to ramble, brag, and take things too far.
But it comes from a good place.
8.
Letting Off Steam Empaths gush about the things they love, but
they also rant about the things they hate.
Empaths struggle to let things go of conflicts because every negative experience affects
you on a deeper level.
Simple conflicts, like off-handed comments or awkward moments, can completely ruin your
day.
You take everything to heart, and you wear your heart on your sleeve.
In other words, if you’re upset, people are going to hear about it.
Most empaths don’t hesitate to express their frustrations.
If you’re friends with empath, you’ve probably listened to them rant for hours about
the tiniest issues.
You might be thinking, “Who cares?
It’s not a big deal.”
But the smallest things feel like a big deal when you’re more sensitive than most.
For a highly empathetic person, empathy can be a blessing and a curse.
On one hand, you experience excitement and love like few other people can.
On the other hand, you’re prone to frustration and insecurity.
And when you get mad, everyone gets to hear exactly how you feel.
9.
Environmental Stress Do you like crowded places?
Are you fond of busy sidewalks, bustling crowds, or packed venues?
Empaths thrive in one-on-one situations because they can focus their sensitives on a single
person.
But in a crowded space, empaths can’t make sense of all the emotions whirling around
them.
And that can be a stressful experience.
Imagine dozens of people talking to you simultaneously.
You try to listen to each person, to make out what they’re saying, but you’re quickly
overwhelmed.
This is what it’s like for empaths in a crowded room.
They can’t make sense of all the emotions unfolding around them, which leads to stress
and emotional fatigue.
So, think about what kind of social settings you prefer.
If you prefer small groups to big crowds, you may be more sensitive than you think.
10.
Subtle Intuition Do you have good intuition?
Do you often pick up on subtle cues or feelings you can’t consciously explain?
This is common for highly empathic people.
Even if you can’t put these instincts into words, you subconsciously notice the tiniest
changes in people’s moods, attitudes, and states of mind.
The problem is… other people don’t always see what you see.
Your instincts may be telling you something no one wants to say out loud.
In these moments, it’s essential to trust your gut and listen to that little voice in
your head.
Because you’re picking up on these signals for a reason.
You may not be able to explain them, but your intuitive brain is recognizing something beyond
your perception.
It knows when people are distracted, dishonest or in pain.
It knows when someone is trying to deceive or manipulate you.
As an empath, you have strong instincts, so don’t ignore them.
You’d be surprised how insightful your instincts can be.
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