Are You An Empath?
What is an empath? If you’re wondering that question, (or wondering if you are one), then you’re in the right place.
According to the dictionary, an empath is a person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual. Does this sound like you? Below, I’ve uncovered the top 10 traits of what an empath “looks like”.
1. You hate having secrets
You might be an empath if you’d rather have the flu than keep a secret from someone you know. Empaths feel like people can see right through them. That’s because they are able to “feel out” other people and can usually detect when someone is lying to them. So keeping a secret can feel like absolute torture to an empath. Empaths are usually bad liars. Being put in the middle just feels gross to them. To be put in a position to be secret- keeper can absolutely make an empath sweat.
2. You don’t like to rock the boat
If someone gives you a choice- do you try to pick something that makes everyone happy? Lunch time rolls around and you would rather not have Mexican for the 5th day in a row, but you don’t want to rock the boat. Empaths typically like to keep everybody happy. Since they can feel others emotions, it feels terrible for an empath when others are mad because they feel it on a much deeper level.
3. You hate disappointing others
Empaths take disappointment hard. Were you the kid who got upset if you got in trouble at recess? Or forgot to do your homework? Or got grounded? And I’m not talking just upset. I mean, it felt gut-wrenching to you? Or has anyone ever called you overly-emotional? It’s OK- I’ve been called this a lot. The thought of you letting someone down or someone accusing you of being in the wrong feels devastating. That’s because you are taking emotional energy in and amplifying it. Know that you are NOT what you feel and that as an empath you are here to be wise about emotions. Look at this as a blessing, not a curse.
4. You don’t like to say no
As I’ve discussed before, you hate rocking the boat and you hate disappointing people. So what do you do? You become the “Yes Man” or “Yes Woman”. You don’t like it when you have to say no to someone because you feel the disappointment. You could have the flu, strep-throat, and and a broken leg all at the same time and if someone asked you to volunteer for your kid’s soccer game- you would say yes (before your hubby elbowed you in the ribs and told you that you were crazy). If your plate is often full and you have a lot of irons in the fire from your ability to never be able to say no- then you might be an empath.
5. When someone’s crying- you’re crying
You feel other people’s emotions deeply. If they are sad, you feel it, Happy, you feel it. Miserable, disgusted, angry, scared, ALL of the things- you feel it. It can get overwhelming sometimes. Just know that these emotions will go away. They won’t last. But I bet you are an amazing wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend- you name it. Why? Because others will feel like you truly and deeply care. And you do. You can feel what others are feeling and can therefor be the best confidant because of it.
6. You can feel the tension in a room
If you work in a place with other people- you have the uncanny ability to walk into the room and know somethings up before anything is ever said. You can feel the quiet. “Something’s wrong”. You have no idea how you know this, but you know. And chances are you’re never wrong. I can do this with my daughters when they come home from school. If they’ve had a bad day- they can’t hide it from me!
7. You might be great at sales
Have you ever bought something from someone and have no idea why? Chances are- they were an empath! Empathic people are naturally good at sales. They can feel into the reason you want/don’t want to buy something. When you’re empathic, you can adjust your sales pitch in the blink of an eye. You understand the pain points your customers are going through and know the exact things to say in order to get them to buy. Being an empath is actually good for business!
8. Your mood changes all the time
Do you feel like you’re ever sad for no reason at all? One minute you’re happy and life is great- someone walks by and you feel like a huge weight is on your chest. What happened? You don’t know but there’s no logical reason for you to feel like this. Take a moment, or minute, or whatever time you need and realize you are taking in other’s emotions. You are here to be wise about emotions, not to identify them as your own. This will pass. You’re going to be OK.
9. You avoid large crowds
Social anxiety, crowd phobia, introvert… call it what you want. Being in large crowds means a lot of emotions. Chances are, you are taking in ALL of them. If you don’t know what’s going on- it feels like anxiety. I used to get overwhelmed at the airport. Like, want to curl up in the fetal position overwhelmed. Since I’ve gotten a lot better at distinguishing between which emotions are mine, and which emotions aren’t- flying has become a lot easier! It’s ok to not want to engage with a room full of people, but understanding the real reasons why this is happening to you can make is SO much better!
10. You have an OPEN Emotional Solar Plexus
In Human Design, the Emotional Solar Plexus is where we take in (and amplify) the emotions of others. Here is what it looks like:
This is the center that is responsible for feelings, emotions, passion, and desire. When this center is open, you can feel the emotional reactions of others. This can cause a lot of stress and anxiety if you’re not aware of what is happening. People have a lot of common misconceptions about empaths: this automatically means you’ll be depressed, you’re a liar because you avoid truth and confrontation, you can’t be in large crowds. None of these are true.
My advice would be to learn as much about yourself as you can. Do any of these triggers come up for you?
You feel overwhelmed by your environment
You avoid confrontation at all costs
You don’t like to rock the boat
You react strongly to other’s emotions and amplify them
You can over-react in emotionally charged situations
You feel like you have to fix other people’s emotions
Emotional problems make you feel very uncomfortable .
If any of these apply to you, use the following affirmation to help you navigate being an empath:
“I can make decisions in the moment. I pay attention to the source of my emotions and allow others to experience their feelings without making their experience my own. I am very sensitive and I trust my insights about other people’s feelings. I take frequent breaks when the emotional energy is too intense.
— Karen Curry Parker
If you’re interested in finding out if you have an OPEN Emotional Solar Plexus in your Human Design chart, snag a copy of your free mini report! Human Design is an accurate personality assessment that never requires you to answer any questions. It is solely based of of your birth information and provides you with valuable insights about how to live your life in order to meet life with the least amount of resistance. Learn more about what Human Design is here.
Much love to you,
xo