Kindle Notes & Highlights
Being an empath can be very isolating and confusing, and it is common for us to second-guess ourselves at every turn.
difference between having empathy and being an empath, as well as the difference between highly sensitive people (HSPs) and empaths.
Empathy is an aptitude that allows us to feel connected with one another and that validates the experiences and emotions of others.
The word empathy comes from the Greek word empatheia, which simply means “feeling.” It makes sense, then, that empathy is the ability to understand, even experience, what another person is feeling.
An empath is able to physically, emotionally, and mentally feel the emotions of others in a way that is identical to what the empath would feel if they themselves were going through those emotions.
Psychologist Elaine Aron, who coined the term highly sensitive person, estimates that 15 to 20 percent of Earth’s population is highly sensitive.
Empaths are HSPs who have extrasensory or intuitive abilities. All empaths are HSPs, but not every HSP is an empath.
Judith Orloff, MD, a leader in the field of the empath experience, says that empaths have an extremely sensitive neurological system.
In 1839, a man named Heinrich Wilhelm Dove discovered that different sound tones have different physical effects in the body. Binaural beats are tones that have two different frequencies. One is heard in the right ear, one in the left.
Specifically, studies have shown that listening to binaural beats can decrease anxiety, increase
concentration, stimulate creativity, improve sleep, decrease stress, and reduce levels of cortisol in the body, among other benefits.
Empaths, in this metaphor, are the cars. Alone time is the gas. Empaths need alone and/or quiet
we commonly isolate ourselves a bit more than other people do. This isolation can sometimes lead to loneliness.
Humans have numerous types of boundaries including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Emotional boundaries serve two important purposes: They keep us from taking on the emotions of other people, and they keep us from imposing our emotions on others.
Empaths generally need to work on having strong emotional boundaries over the c...
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Learning to put yourself first is a challenge for the empath. I tell all of my clients that their needs are just as important as everyone else’s.
Being around people, especially in groups, must be balanced with alone time and self-care. →Setting boundaries starts with saying no, identifying your wants/needs, and asking for help.
Empaths often struggle with the internal conflict of wanting to love and be loved, and the desire to be alone.
The codependent will go into “fixer” mode quickly when someone asks for their support because they cannot tolerate the other person’s emotional discomfort.
The empath, on the other hand, is able to hold space for others who come to them for support. By listening and allowing the emotions of another to be what they are, they offer validation, even resolution.
Friends will encourage and support the empath, helping them to see the best parts of themselves even in dark times.
If you have empathic children, you’re modeling how to communicate lovingly with nonempaths and how to set healthy boundaries.
is important to practice separating your emotions
from your child’s emotions. Doing so will help you stay centered and provide your children with a role model for healthy behavior.
People who are skilled at understanding others’ emotions and individual circumstances, like empaths, are more likely to be viewed as effective leaders. In fact,
Empaths are frequently sought out and recognized for teamwork, in part because we are good communicators.
leaders motivate teams to do their best work.
