This month in Gin-you-ary, we’re celebrating what it means to live authentically as yourself and how to step into your magic. Whether this is spiritual, emotional or physical, showing up as yourself unapologetically is what we encourage here at Wild Moon HQ. Today, we will be discussing empaths; what they are, how to know if you are one and what benefits this entails.
So, what is an empath?
An empath is somebody that is extremely empathic; often described as a sensitive type that feels things deeply. If somebody is feeling sad or going through a hard time, an empath often picks up on this energy from others, whether they have been told these feelings or not. They are very intuitive beings that are sensitive to changes in energy and can often sense the tone or mood of a situation clearer than the average person. Often called a “sensitive soul”, empaths are keen at understanding and relating to others’ pain, happiness, suffering, and so forth.
Our Welsh Witch, Jade, describes herself as an empath
How do you know if you are an empath?
There are many ways to know if you are an empath! Here are just a few tell-tale signs you might have empathic qualities:
You feel drained after being in social situations. Now, this isn’t always the case, but some situations that are particularly intense or emotional can leave an empath feeling depleted of energy or physically tired. You can sense when someone is sad, angry, or just generally off. Empaths have excellent abilities to detect changes in mood; this means you might pick up on something that other people wouldn’t. You can approach the person and offer support if it’s needed, or just let the person know you’re thinking of them.
Typically, empaths are also very sensitive to media, such as the news, advertisements, movies and music etc. You really put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re observing, almost as if you are feeling their pain with them. Watching sad movies is draining for you as you feel the characters’ pain and sympathise with them completely. Checking the news or becoming involved in voluntary charity efforts can affect you tremendously as you soak up the pain and trauma that is presenting itself.
Is being an empath a weakness?
Often, people think that being a empath, or just being “sensitive” is a weakness, but we’re here to tell you differently. Being an empath is a gift, as it allows you to connect deeply with others and your surroundings and understand the full emotional spectrum of events going on around you. Being able to sense someone’s pain may help them to trust you more, as your concern is genuine and you want to unburden them from their tricky situation. Around the world, empathy is what drives humanitarian efforts. It causes people to create animal shelters, fill food banks with food for less fortunate people. The ability to feel and recognise true pain and suffering is what helps us help others.
Here at Welsh Witch HQ, we are a team of empaths, and that is what gives us strength! Emotions are what make us human, and that shouldn’t be seen as a negative. In fact, it’s a strength to embrace those feelings and using your humility to help others, follow your dreams and be a person that others can turn to who they know will listen and understand.
Learn to set boundaries!
That being said, it’s important as an empath to set boundaries. Sometimes things can be draining and if you let yourself take on too many negative emotions it can weight you down and destroy your own mental health. Setting boundaries and learning when to say no, take time out and decompress is paramount to maintaining your sensitivity without it becoming a weakness.
There will be times that you can’t always help somebody! The age old saying is true: you can’t pour from an empty cup. Nourish yourself and take care of yourself first, then your empathy will be a strength and you can use your abilities to help others and show your loved ones you’re part of a valuable support network for them. Take some time to journal on your own emotions, rest and relax, do something you enjoy, and learn when to step away from a situation if it’s out of your hands. Consider therapy if you have heavy things you’re dealing with an need an outlet for your feelings and emotions, they are absolutely valid.
Setting boundaries is important to preserving your own mental health
Being an empath is important for humanity
Now, of course, being an empath isn’t all bad! It means that you can enjoy happiness and joy through others. When someone around you is full of good energy, you can bounce off of this too – what a superpower! It swings both ways, so there are of course positives and negatives to being empathic; but we think it’s a strength in itself.
So, whether you’re a newly discovered empath, a veteran of empathy or you just know somebody sensitive, give yourself some extra love today. The world is a big scary place sometimes! Our emotions sometimes get the better of us. This Gin-you-ary, we’re reminding you that it’s okay to celebrate all your wins, no matter how big or small!
Don’t forget, you can check out our selection of botanical tipples here, if you are an empath or know an empath that needs some relaxation and unwind time!