There are many terms in the psychic world, but did you ever wonder what’s an empath? A spiritual empath is an intuitive who has the ability to be able to sense the emotions and energy in others and hone into those emotions to reveal a deeper level of understanding and insight into whatever surrounds them. What does empath mean? The term is derived from the word “empathy,” which means they can understand others’ feelings and emotions.
There are several empath traits, but these gifted individuals can help you tap into emotions you may not have realized existed within yourself. For example, such an intuitive can recognize if you’re going through a period of sadness or depression. By honing in on your deepest emotions, intuitive psychics may help you uncover the underlying reasons for stress or negativity in your life. Their ability to discern whether you or the people closest to you are feeling sad, angry, or happy is particularly beneficial during an empathic reading, as channeling others’ emotions can help address a severe conflict at hand.
Also, there are different types of empaths, yet only one is directly associated with emotions: an emotional empath, of course. The seven other types include physical, intuitive, dream, plant, earth, and animal. Some signs of an empath include feeling the pain of others, whether near or far, being overwhelmed when you walk into a room full of people, feeling ill around certain individuals, being easily distracted (and bored) if not stimulated, and many more. Intrigued? Here’s how to know if you’re an empath in greater detail.
- Sensitive to Emotions
Empaths are sensitive to emotional and physical energy so that they can pick up on the mental state and health of others (for better or for worse.) The tricky thing is that it can be difficult for them to distinguish which emotions and illnesses belong to them or someone else. Being more self-aware can help an empath stay in control.
- Prone to Sickness, Pain, and Disease
One of the less desirable empath abilities is taking on others’ feelings, which can be stressful for an empath. If they don’t know how to handle this emotional energy — it can even manifest into a form of sickness or even disease. This is why an empath needs to distinguish where this energy is coming from to find balance and take care of their own mental and physical health.
- Powerful Listeners and Communicators
One of the main characteristics of an empath is, of course, their empathetic nature, so it should be no surprise that these in-tune individuals have an innate ability to use all of their senses to listen and communicate with others on a deep level. Empaths can sense and feel emotions (from pleasure to pain) as though they were going through the same experience. What is the definition of empathy, you ask? It’s the ability to understand and share the same feelings of another person.
- Difficulty Getting Close in a Relationship
It’s not that empaths don’t want to connect with someone and develop a steadfast union, but it can be difficult for them to do so because spending too much time with someone can make them feel overwhelmed, stressed, and worried about losing themselves. Excessive talking and touching can also cause sensory overload in an empath. As if that wasn’t complicated enough, telling a partner they need more space can hurt their feelings, which means they’ll wind up absorbing all of those sad emotions, making them feel even worse. Empaths must learn how to preserve themselves so that their energy and emotional tanks don’t become empty.
Even so, empaths are considered lovers and not fighters. They don’t like to get caught up with verbal or physical fights; communication is vital. Even though it can sometimes be difficult for them to embrace self-love, they love others and seek to be loved in return.
- A Keen Intuition
Empaths are incredibly intuitive, which means their gut instincts are rarely incorrect. They can spot dishonesty from a mile away, but they can also pick up when someone — or something — is positive.
- The Inability to Handle Crowded Places
Since empaths can assimilate positive and negative energy from people in the same room, overly crowded or busy places can cause them to become over-sensitized and overwhelmed to the point where they almost can’t stand it. Empaths do better when alone or in the company of a small group at most.
- Comfort: Nature, Animals, and Water
Considering empaths detest crowded places, it should be no surprise that they find solace when spending time in nature. While even non-empaths can find peace in the great outdoors, it’s incredibly helpful for those with this gift because they can calm their mind and take a break from the feeling of experiencing sensory overload. They also find comfort from animals’ unconditional love, so a walk through the woods with man’s best friend is like therapy to an empath. Empaths also feel the healing and therapeutic properties of water, whether they’re taking a dip in the pool or the sea, taking a warm bath or shower, or even walking in the rain.
- Feeling Tired All the Time
While those nature walks are vital for an empath’s mental and physical health, it’s not uncommon for empathetic individuals to struggle with perpetual mental, physical, and spiritual fatigue since they are always taking on others’ energy. Empaths mustn’t neglect self-care tactics such as getting enough rest (even a nap during the day) and taking breaks such as vacations or retreats to recharge their batteries. Empaths are typically free-spirited and enjoy an escape, and when they can’t, they become restless and irritated.
- Highly Sensitive to Just About Anything
In this case, we’re not talking about sensitivity associated with the emotions of others. Empaths can also have increased sensitivity to certain fragrances or odors, a blaring television or radio, and loud noises or specific sounds. They can also become overly emotional (sometimes even ill) when viewing violence, chaos, and cruelty — especially if it’s happening in real life.
- Feeling as Though They Don’t Fit In
Despite giving themselves to others, empaths always feel as though they don’t fit in and can’t relate to others. It’s possible that others simply can’t click to one’s empathic abilities, so they can’t understand why they’re often tired and stressed.
- Moody, Fickle, and Needy
Along with being stressed and tired, an empath person can experience regular mood swings and unpredictable behavior — one might almost confuse this rollercoaster of emotions as someone being bipolar. What’s happening is that the person picks up on others’ feelings and emotions, which can sometimes cause confusion and depression. On top of it, empaths can demand attention because they don’t feel as though they are being heard, which makes sense considering an empathetic person is typically putting others first.
- Prone to Addiction
An empathic burden is having an addictive personality because they need an escape or wish to feel connected to something. Unfortunately, this could lead to excessive smoking, drinking, eating, gambling, and drug use. In some cases, it could make them even more sensitive, which could snowball into a bigger problem.
- Vivid Dreams
Many people with psychic ability have lucid dreams, and empaths are no exception. They’ve likely been having them since childhood. These dreams are so vivid; it’s as though they are awake and can control what’s happening. When they wake up, they can describe their vision in graphic detail. On top of that, they can interpret the dream and apply this intel to their real lives.
- The Need to Be Stimulated
Empaths can be bored easily. Therefore their job, relationships, and personal activities and projects need to keep them stimulated and focused, lest they run the risk of becoming distracted. Changing up their routine is also helpful, as empaths are continually looking for new ways to express their passions and enjoy life as they believe in enthusiastically living it to its fullest.
- Clearing the Clutter
Empaths don’t just pick up on the energy from people, but from objects as well. With that in mind, a cluttered living or workspace can make them feel weighed down. They excel in clearing clutter to allow the balance of energy to flow freely. They are naturally gifted at the art of feng shui for this same reason.
