Are you an empath?
Being tuned in to others is an asset, but it comes at a cost.
Your partner slams a door and you jump, wondering what you did to upset them...
Your toddler is growling at their shoe because it won’t go on their foot easily, and you run to help them before the meltdown can happen…
You sense a disparaging tone in your tween’s voice and start to spiral, wondering what you’ve done now, and how you can get them to be nicer to you…
When we are hyper-attuned to other people’s moods, it's no wonder we try everything to manage them. But the truth is, we CAN’T control all the variables that lead to other people’s emotions. And to be honest, our loved ones are entitled to their feelings. We may not even realize how much of our energy is going towards managing the environment so our loved ones stay calm, so that we can stay calm. It eventually becomes an unconscious habit that drains the last drops of our energy.
According to research, empaths tend to have a higher degree of anxiety, depression, burnout, chronic stress, and even inflammatory conditions. Learn the signs you may be an empath and some things you can do to thrive, including journaling and body-based mindfulness practices like gentle yoga.
5 Signs You Might Be an Empath:
Vulnerable to emotional contagion - is this my feeling or yours?
Porous boundaries, because we don’t know where we begin.
Easily overwhelmed or checked out - struggling to regulate sensory input.
The dopamine hit of being needed perpetuates prioritizing others.
Roller coaster relationships - entangled intimacy or intense separations.
"Do you often wonder which emotions are yours, and which belong to someone else? Is it hard to figure out your own needs?"
-Bo Forbes in The Empath's Guide to Embodiment
There are of course highlights to being an empath.
“We are a species that can inhabit nearly every landscape... We haven’t achieved this by weeding out weakness, but by taking care of each other. Nature, in humans, is consistently expressed in our efforts to subvert the brutality of the wild, to protect the most vulnerable and to revel in their value. That is how we evolve.”
-Katherine May
You can revel in your own value as an empath!
I'm an empath too. I grew up being praised when I was helpful and productive, and ignored when I spoke up for my needs. I learned that people pleasing was the way to survive.
Gentle yoga and journaling (in combination with therapy) have helped me untangle my most enmeshed relationships, celebrate my sensitivity, and communicate my feelings and needs courageously.
I want the same for you.
My new series for empaths, Beyond People Pleasing: 3 Keys to Thriving as an Empath, is available this week as part of the free Best Summer Ever Bundle. You won't want to miss what I'm planning, ESPECIALLY if you're a people pleaser with porous boundaries.
You can join as my guest, and get other free gifts, through The Best Summer Ever Bundle between June 5th and 8th. Find my name in the ‘Mindset, Career, & Personal Development’ section.
As a people pleaser, I know it can feel unsafe to prioritize yourself, but it is so important! Your unique empathic gifts are going to make this world a kinder and more equitable place. In this series you are going to unlock your inner strength and empower yourself to embrace authenticity, joy, and ease.
You don't have to put yourself first - just give yourself the SAME grace that you would give to a friend! Care for yourself AS MUCH AS you care for others. No one who truly values you wants you to sacrifice your needs.
You don't have to come live, and if you come live you don't have to put your camera on or be heard unless you want to. The replays will be there for you. But know this: a supportive community who understands you can be a soft landing as you make changes in your relationship with yourself.
“Empaths are so attuned to others’ bodies that we often vacate our own... sensory presence gives us agency, a sense often missing in empaths.”
-Bo Forbes
If you're ready to embrace your sensitivity, unlock your emotional resilience, and empower your intuition, this 4 part gentle yoga and journaling series was made for you. Beyond People Pleasing is a great intro price at $45, but it is FREEE right now through The Best Summer Ever Bundle 😎.
The live gentle yoga and journaling classes will be recorded via Zoom June 20-23. You can join live or via replay. It will be freeing and fun! Will you join me?
Tip: On the gift page, scroll down to MINDSET & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT to find Beyond People Pleasing.
Your description of “empathy” is eerily similar to how male doctors used to define “codependency”. I find the latter term increasingly just sexism under the guise of a medical term. Community needs empaths. Community is all about co-dependency?