Are You an Empath and What Are Your (Super) Powers?

An empath is an individual who possesses the ability to understand and comprehend somebody else’s emotions. Empaths are highly sensitive individuals who tend to categorize the world through different auras of emotions and feelings (whose symptoms may be either psychological, physical, or both). Even though being an empath makes one unique and sets them apart from most of us who fail to understand somebody else’s pain, they tend to have a hard time dealing with their own talents. When empaths have to deal with high levels of stress (due to overwhelming emotions) they often fall into a cycle of depression, anxiety, panic attacks, or substance abuse. However, regardless of the cons of being an empath, it is safe to assume that in the cold, callous world we live in today, being an empath is no less than being a superhero.

The term ‘empath’ itself is derived from the word ‘empathy’. Empathy refers to the ability to comprehend the experiences and emotions of somebody else from their perspective. For example, for an empath, a friend whose cat went missing would be enough to wreak havoc in their world. Empathy is what enables an empath to truly delve into the pain and sense of frustration their friend is going through – regardless of if the empath has ever owned a pet, let alone lost one. Therefore, it’ll be safe to assume that an empath can be easily stimulated by someone else’s emotions and feelings as if they were their own.

Having the ability to truly absorb and understand someone else’s emotions opens up a window for many of an empath’s friends to seek their help and advice. Besides, who would be better to ask for help than someone who treats your pain like it’s their own? Moreover, empaths are known to be excellent listeners, which compels their close friends and family members to seek their comfort in times of calamity. However, our advice to empaths would be to set healthy boundaries between their strengths and their well-being. One can easily get overwhelmed by a plateau of emotions that can prove to be extremely difficult to manage.

Being an empath doesn’t mean that your strengths are limited to just understanding people’s emotions. It isn’t rare for an empath to be sensitive to different smells, sounds, and sensations. Both fragrances as well as odors can be easily detected by an empath. Likewise, be it beautiful lullabies or nerve-wracking sounds – empaths would be affected by both.

Transfusing somebody else’s emotions doesn’t necessarily need to happen once both of you sit in a quiet room to discuss life’s challenges – empaths can be attracted to emotions anywhere – even if it’s a public setting bombarded with strangers. If you find it challenging to mingle in a public setting just because you’re afraid of the fact that you might get overwhelmed by heaps of emotions – chances are, you might just be an empath.

Unsurprisingly, empaths are highly sensitive to auras and ‘vibes’ – speaking of which, the general vibe of a room matters a lot to an empath. Empaths are known to absorb in whatever stimulus they’re provided with on the outside – if a physical setting is tranquil, peaceful, and calm, an empath would feel the same way. However, if their surroundings are tense, stressful, or strained, they’re in for a bad time. If you feel like the general vibe of surroundings matter to you, you might have made a new discovery about yourself.

Since we’ve made it crystal clear that empaths absorb other people’s emotions and take them on as their own, it isn’t surprising to state that many of an empath’s close friends or family members come to them for advice. If you feel like people value your advice, you may have learned a bit more about your superpowers.

Let’s face it, relationships are a challenge for everyone, let alone an empath – but hold on a second and just multiply the impact of emotional connections to the highly sensitive nature of an empath – that’s enough power to light up a dozen bulbs or more! Empaths are able to detect every like mood swing, change in overall behavior, and even lies from their partner. If you feel like we’re talking about you, you’ve received your answer.

It’s no less than a challenge for an empath to simply walk past somebody who’s crying for help. Regardless of if you are busy, running late for a meeting, or are generally exhausted if you make sure to stop by someone who seems to show clear signs of distress, chances are that you deserve the title of being an empath.

You should feel proud to be able to possess the unique ability to be a friend to anyone in need. However, dear empath, nothing should be more important to you than your physical and emotional well-being. Besides, how would you be able to help someone else if you yourself are in need of help? To strengthen your power as an empath, it is important that you set a limit to the amount of energy and time you are willing to give to other people. Being an empath is exhausting – sometimes it may feel like you live your life on behalf of other people. You may feel completely drained out by the time you reach home. In order for you to put your powers to best use, it’s sensible to separate your personal and public personas. This may feel like a challenge at first, considering empaths are the definition of selflessness, but once you get the hang of it, you’d notice that it helps you “recharge” much quicker for you to be able to make the most of your unique abilities.

Like we mentioned before, it is crucial for an empath to recharge themselves and shake off all that excess stress off their shoulders. Meditation can prove to be a useful way to do that. Not only is it quick, but it also helps the body feel rejuvenated afterward. Moreover, meditation techniques such as breathing exercises and yoga can help you cultivate and accentuate your powers and put them to better use since meditation itself requires an individual to take in the positive energies from their surroundings. Finally some positivity, right?

We truly appreciate your sensitive and selfless nature, dear empath, but you must give yourself the love you deserve as well. Empaths dedicate their lives to helping others and trying to make their lives easier, but it leaves little time for them to truly understand and love themselves. It’s important to remember that once you love yourself, you’re much more comfortable being who you are and will be ready to take on more challenges and finding out ways to help others. Be proud of yourself!

In a world where we’re so caught up in our own problems, dramas, and commitments that we find so little time and energy to pay attention to the people around us, the mere existence of superheroes such as empaths is no less than a breath of fresh air. Empaths are no less than any firefighter, doctor, or police officer – they’ve dedicated their lives to help those in need but unfortunately receive little to no praise at all. In order to change the world for the better, we need to start off by saying “thank you” to that empathetic friend that has proved to be a constant support system for us ever since middle school – the friend that has been there when your dog passed away, when you got married, lost your job or simply held you safe in their arms whenever a major event took place in your life, be that something positive or negative.