Are you an empath?  What does that mean to you?

Empathic people are emotionally sensitive. In these changing times, people who have always been sensitive may find they are even more sensitive now.  And people who were not that sensitive may find they are becoming more so.

According to Dr. Kyra Mesich, sensitivity is an issue of our times. And for the reasons stated above I totally agree.  It impacts all types of personalities, ages, cultures. It is especially prevalent in people who try to impact other people in a positive way.

It is more often activated in situations with people who mirror our subconscious feelings and beliefs.

Why should you care about this?  Well first of all, if you are not aware of it, it can explain certain phenomena happening in your life that you may not have understood before such as unexplained mood swings such as crying for no apparent reason or very angry about something that might normally just be an irritant, increased fatigue, insomnia, body aches and tension, and illness … also could be buoyantly happy..

From a business or career perspective, it can impact your ability to be productive, interact with others, make a contribution in the world and have the energy to make a good living doing it. From a personal standpoint, it can impact your ability to have fun, partake in physical activity, your relationships and your well-being.

And that’s just a start.

What are signs that you are an empath? (emotionally sensitive)

1. Emotionally sensitive people feel emotions often and deeply. They may feel as if they “wear their emotions on their sleeves but not necessarily. Men may feel things but not show it as much due to cultural training that it is not okay to do so.

2. They are keenly aware of the emotions of people around them.

3. Sensitive people are easily hurt or upset. An insult or unkind remark will affect them deeply.

4. In a similar vein, sensitive people may strive to avoid conflicts because the negativity affects them so much.

5. Sensitive people are not able to shake off emotions easily. Once they are saddened or upset by something, they cannot just switch gears and forget it. (this appears to be changing)

6. Sensitive people are greatly affected by emotions they witness. They feel deeply for others’ suffering. They may cry at Hallmark commercials or when others cry or when they connect deeply with someone.

7. Sensitive people may suffer from recurrent depression, anxiety or other psychological disorders.

8. One the positive side, sensitive people are also keenly aware of and affected by beauty in art, music and nature. They are the world’s greatest artists and art appreciators.

9. Sensitive people are prone to stimulus overload. That is, they can’t stand large crowds, loud noise, or hectic environments. They feel overwhelmed and depleted by too much stimuli.

10. Sensitive people are born that way. They were sensitive children. I think this is not as true as it once was.  As I said before, people are becoming more sensitive than they ever were.

11. A truly sensitive person sometimes feels animosity toward his sensitive nature. Most sensitive people whole-heartedly wish they were tougher and more thick-skinned. They feel like their sensitivity is a weakness. Therefore some sensitive adults have learned how to hide their sensitivity from others.

How many did you check off? Go to the comments below and tell me if you think you are an empath.