Dear empath!

What is an Empath and How to Deal with the Challenges That Come With It

Do you feel like you're more sensitive to the world around you than other people? Do you often find yourself taking on other people's emotions as if they were your own? If so, you may be an empath.

Empaths are highly sensitive people who feel things very deeply. They are often able to sense what other people are feeling and even pick up on their energy. This can be both a blessing and a curse.

If you think you may be an empath, read on to learn more about this special gift and how to deal with some of the challenges that come with it.

On one hand, empaths are often very compassionate and caring people. They have a lot of empathy for others and can easily understand how someone is feeling. This makes them great friends, partners, and allies. On the other hand, this sensitivity can also make them easily overwhelmed by strong emotions, both their own and other people's. When an empath is in a highly emotional situation, they may feel like they're drowning in feelings that are not their own.

Empathy does not require that we have experienced what the other person is going through; rather, it is our ability to understand and to share the emotions that the other person is experiencing. It is our capacity to feel what another person feels. We can think about what we would do if we were in their situation, but that is not empathy. Empathy is an emotional response to what someone else is experiencing. When we are empathizing with others, we are not focused on ourselves; rather, we are completely focused on the other person and what they are feeling.

How to Know if You're an Empath 

If you identify with these traits, it's likely that you are indeed an empath: 

- You're a highly sensitive person. You feel things very deeply and are affected by the energy around you.
- You're an introvert who needs time alone to recharge after being around people for long periods of time.
- You tend to absorb other people's emotions as if they were your own. When someone near you is sad or angry, you may find yourself feeling sad or angry as well without knowing why.
- You have a hard time saying no when people ask for help because you don't want to disappoint them or let them down. However, this can lead to burnout if you're not careful.
- You have a strong intuition or "gut feeling" about things that often turns out to be correct.
- You're very empathetic and compassionate towards others. You have a lot of empathy for how someone else is feeling even if you don't know them well.
- You crave balance in your life and dislike chaos or discordance.
- You generally prefer peace over conflict and will do what you can to avoid arguments or confrontations whenever possible.

Empatheia is an ancient Greek word that can be translated as "passion" or "suffering." It is often used in the context of social justice and compassion. The word comes from the root "em," meaning "in," and "pathos," meaning "feeling." So empatheia can be thought of as "feeling into" or "identifying with."
The capacity for empathy develops early in life and matures through experience.

So whatever path you choose , I encourage you to stay open - minded , stay curious , and keep learning . Be kind to yourself along the way — this journey can be difficult at times , but it is so worth it ! I am rooting for you , fellow traveler ! We are all in this together !