What I’ve Learned From Being an Emapth
A simplified definition of an empath is: one who experiences the emotions of others. A 7 word definition that doesn’t explain how complex the meaning actually is. Hopefully this post will help you have a deeper understanding of my world.
1. I understand people.
Everyone is different and I am aware of that. I am able to view the world through many lenses so that I can comprehend where people are coming from. People have diverse backgrounds and have gone through a multitude of scenarios in their lifetime. We all have the people in our lives that are very “black or white” thinking. They think that it’s their way or the highway and they aren’t able to see that there are multiple ways of looking at the situation. Yes, everyone has a box that they’re comfortable being in but some individuals don’t have the ability to see outside of their box and that is something I try to help people do. This world is full of so many different colors, not just black and white, but I get that some people have never been able to see it on their own. I pride myself in having the ability to know when to exude energy into these people and when to leave them alone.
For some reason, I have a keen sense of understanding others even when they don’t know how to express themselves. People like to throw out the word “vibes” a lot these days - but I truly feel that I can feel someone’s emotional vibration. I can tell when someone isn’t acting like themselves or is “off.” I especially love being a sounding board for these people. I can and will hold space for people when they need it. We all need someone that we can go to and not feel judged, and I hope to be that person for others.
2. I feel things very deeply.
When I love, I love hard. When I’m passionate about something, I am very passionate about it. When I’m sad, I’m really sad. When I’m happy, I’m fucking ecstatic. My entire life I have been called “sensitive.” “Don’t be so sensitive Linsey, it’s not a big deal.” “Why do you care so much?” A lot of people are trained to suppress their emotions, especially the “sad” ones but I embrace my emotions. I feel my emotions. No, this does not make me weak. This makes me extremely strong. It has taken 28 years for me to love this fact. I used to try to mask my emotions and wished they would go away, but now I can sit and feel every single one of my emotions and work through them. The majority of people aren’t able to do that.
My yoga teacher/goddess/amazing human being, leads an amazing experience called Solstice. This picture was taken after 60 minutes of crying, smiling, laughing, and freeing movement. She gives you permission to feel everything you need to. Shameless shoutout to the queen herself because everyone should experience her gifts: https://www.jaimisyoga.com.
So I’ll raise this challenge for you - the next time you start to feel an intense emotion… sit with it. Don’t try and distract yourself. Don’t act on it. Don’t try and suppress it or mask it with a different emotion. Sit in it and ride the wave. See what happens.
(if they include suicidal or homicidal ideations, please contact a therapist or call 911)
3. I am sensitive to smell and sound.
I have to turn the TV down more often than not. Especially during movies with a lot of action. My boyfriend tells me I’m the worst person to watch movies with because I get up a lot and can’t just sit still. Well - I can’t listen to all of the action, violence and fighting... so I get up and walk around to do something while he is watching those parts of the movie. I also can’t be around large groups of people that are raising their voice. Sometimes I have to remove myself from situations because of the amount of volume that is in the room. I will disappear for a couple of minutes until it dies down, or until the headache subsides. When I’m at work, a rule in my groups is: “no talking over each other.” I normally start to shut down when I’m around scenarios like this, and become quiet. I have a hard time dealing with it, but it’s something I’m actively working on.
I have a very keen sense of smell. People smell different to me. Strong smells make my head hurt or can make me feel woozy. Someone without deodorant on? I can smell it when they walk through the door. Someone tries on a new perfume? I notice. I can also smell when the cat starts to poop in the litter box all the way across the house. Gross.
4. I physically feel others pain.
I can’t watch violence. I cringe and close my eyes every time there is a violent scene in a movie. I have watched 2 UFC fights in my entire life, and I have had to drink alcohol to be able to get through them both. Watching a fight in person? Nope. Not happening.
Just being around someone who is genuinely hurting, physically or emotionally - if I haven’t prepared and don’t have my defenses up, I will start hurting somewhere. My head will start to ache, my chest will get tight, my neck gets stiff. This is where #5 comes into play.
5. I need to practice “self-care” Every. Single. Day.
I have my morning routine. I need to have time in the morning to get myself together and prepare for the day ahead. Coffee, sitting, petting my dog, breathing exercises, gratitude lists. It helps me build my defenses. I also prepare for the morning on the night before. I set things out so that I have less stress in the AM. Starting off my day smoothly.
Yoga and meditation are 2 main things that help me get through my weeks. Movement is something that I need. I notice that when I don’t move, I hold all of the emotions and energy inside of me. I start to stockpile my body with energy that needs to be released. If I don’t move - it doesn’t move. Meditation helps me to clear my mind and sort my thoughts. It has helped me to let go of things. Things that I can’t control and things that aren’t healthy to hold on to.
Drinking water. Water is something that has been very essential in my life. It may seem silly but it’s something simple. If I don’t drink enough water then my body starts to become off balance.
Sleep. Boy do I need sleep. If I don’t get a solid 8 hours of sleep then I am thrown out of whack. I need to be able to regenerate my body after interacting with so many people throughout the day.
I hope this helps give you some insight into my box.
xx,
Linsey
**if you want some more information visit: https://drjudithorloff.com/how-to-know-if-youre-an-empath/. She’s a wealth of knowledge**
