The characteristic trait of empathic people is that they are individuals who know how to put themselves in the shoes of others and understand their emotions and/or physical symptoms. They are extraordinarily sensitive people.
Their vision of the world is very intuitive, they relate to others prioritizing their emotions and sensations over calculation and coldness, and it is usually difficult for them to describe and put into words everything they feel.
Empathy: a quality to develop
Being an empathetic person is something positive for life. But it also has quite a few less desirable points. People with this trait may also be more vulnerable to the emotional impact of things happening around them.
For example, they may be more likely to suffer from anxiety attacks, depression, chronic fatigue, and other symptoms and disorders related to emotional instability.
However, Empathy is a virtue that can help us a lot throughout life , especially if we learn to manage it effectively. The first step is to know if you are really an empathetic person.
The 10 traits of empathy
In this article we have described the 10 characteristic traits (habits, attitudes and behaviors) typical of people who have highly developed empathy.
1. They are more sensitive than other people
Empathic individuals are detached, open to new experiences, kind and good ‘listeners’. They are attentive people and know how to transmit these good feelings when communicating with others.
They are always willing to help and offer a shoulder to cry on. But they can also feel hurt and offended with astonishing ease They are very sensitive people, to the point of being truly susceptible in some cases.
2. Empaths “absorb” the emotions of others
People with high empathy are influenced by other people’s emotions and moods. For better or worse.
They are able to feel what others feel more vividly than the average person , and this can sometimes be a difficult slab to overcome. If they are around someone who is anxious or stressed, they have a hard time not having their mind emulate those attitudes. Luckily, they are also infected with positive emotions.
3. They tend to be introverts
In an article a few months ago we talked about the difference between introverts and extroverts. In the case of empathetic people, It usually happens that they tend to be quite introverted They do not enjoy large parties too much, but rather prefer small groups or going for coffee with just one friend.
Even among empathic subjects who are more open to going to parties and places with many people, they tend to be careful and prefer to greatly moderate the amount of time they spend in these types of environments.
4. They are more intuitive than average
Empaths perceive the world through their intuition They like to develop their intuition and listen to their hunches on a regular basis. This allows them to surround themselves with positive people and get away from those who may upset their emotional balance.
5. They like to spend time alone
They are very sensitive people and They tend to be affected if they listen to and help others for a long time For this reason, they periodically need to be alone in order to return to their emotional balance.
6. They can be overprotective of themselves in romantic relationships
Living as a couple can be complicated for an empathic person, and they can even develop Philophobia or similar manifestations. They avoid falling in love with someone so they don’t have to suffer later if things don’t go well
They may be afraid of being emotionally swallowed up by their partner. They need to redefine their concept of a loving relationship in order to have positive and happy relationships.
7. They are easy prey for emotional vampires
Have you heard of emotional vampires? They are those people who They have a bad habit of unloading all their negativity on other people those who “suck” their energy in order to continue in their spiral of fatalism, rage and resentment.
Empathic people can especially suffer the effects of having an emotional vampire around, since they are especially vulnerable to all the bad feelings that these individuals transmit.
8. They feel very comfortable in contact with nature
The obligations and stress of daily routines affect us all, but especially empathic men and women. They tend to disconnect and recharge their batteries when they are surrounded by nature : climbing mountains, enjoying a sunny beach or simply walking through a green meadow.
9. They have sensations on the surface
Empathic people are more sensitive in general. They may feel very bad in noisy environments, or when they notice that there is a lot of tension in the environment.
10. They are good people, even to the detriment of their own well-being
Empathic individuals are good people: they have big hearts and sincerely care about others. They feel bad when they see someone suffering on the street, and they cannot help but treat them to try to alleviate their pain.
Although it is an undeniable virtue, The truth is that empathic people can go too far and become obsessed with dealing with other people’s problems and feel frustrated or disconcerted if they cannot solve their problems.
Manage empathy
Empathic people, as we have seen, They have a series of virtues that are associated with other problems for their emotional well-being
There are techniques that can help these people manage their personality and not be too damaged by their sensitivity. Controlling time and agenda, establishing limits with people who need help, and habits such as meditating and practicing Mindfulness can restore psychological well-being.