Empath: a Gift or a Curse? By Megha Seth
Have you ever been called highly sensitive or too emotional? Can you feel the energy of someone when talking to them? Can you easily form deep connections with people? If yes, chances are you might be an empath.
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mpaths are like an emotional sponge where they tend to absorb other people’s emotions and energy into their own body. They are highly sensitive and very intuitive, which leads them to take on the stress of the world. This is because, as Dr Judith Orloff says, they don’t have filters like other people. Particularly in a stressful work environment, empaths face difficulty when they’re next to someone uncomfortable. Empaths can face many such challenges in life; hence, it’s essential for them to understand how to hold the space to others but not take on others’ emotions. The present times are even more difficult for empaths. The sadness and pain present in the world currently can push an empath down and make them feel confused. Although empaths struggle much, they have an extraordinary power to connect with their surroundings. They can feel and understand the vibrations around them. 124
An ‘unawakened empath’ (person who has not yet realised their power) might feel anxious and confused because of feeling ‘too much.’ On the other hand, an ‘awakened empath’ understands their feelings and can navigate their emotions better. They have learnt to regulate and navigate their emotions, and experience the surroundings without getting lost. The story of psychiatrist Dr Judith Orloff resonates with almost every empath. As a child, she was always anxious to go to crowded places and shopping malls because it would bring exhaustion that she didn’t have earlier. As a little girl, she says that she didn’t realise she was picking up the energy and emotions of other people and the environment. The phenomenon of ‘emotional contagion’ was unknown to her then. Emotional contagion is an unconscious transfer of emotions among people. It is a natural tendency of human beings to take on the emotional expressions of others. For example, notice how in a hospital, if a baby starts crying, others start crying, as well. In a work environment, you will often feel the negativity of one person rapidly spreading to other employees. For an empath, this phenomenon of emotional contagion is more intense.
LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE
ARE YOU AN EMPATH? You can only manage what you know of. Empaths can get very frustrated with themselves because of their inability to handle their own emotions. Here are some signs you might be an empath: • You rely on the ‘vibe’ of your surroundings. Different environments make you feel starkly different. • You are easily hurt. • You feel others’ emotions like your own. When you are talking to an upset person, you feel sadness. • People often turn to you for advice. • You are called a good listener. • You can strongly sense when something is not right. Your intuition is mostly correct. • You are emotionally drained in crowded places and even physically exhausted. • Sometimes, you experience a sudden rush of overwhelming emotions which you can’t explain. • You feel extremely guilty when you say ‘no’ to someone, even when you don’t want to do the task. • You can easily spot lies. www.lancmag.com
