6 Signs That You Are An Empath

Chances are, you have heard of being ‘empathetic’ before, or you have shown empathy toward another person’s feelings, situation, etc.

But have you ever heard of actually being an empath? More people file themselves under this label than you might realize.

An empath is someone who is affected by other people’s energies. This can be anything from another person’s deep desires and wishes, to simple thoughts and moods.

It doesn’t happen consciously for the empath, but is more of a constant ‘feeling,’ as though the empath is the magnet, picking up energies and ‘auras’ of everyone around them at any given time.

Being an empath isn’t something that can be learned or taught. Simply put, you either are an empath, or you are not. Still, because many people don’t even realize what an empath actually is, there is a chance there are people with this gift who may not even fully recognize it.

Check out these six signs that you are an empath, and see if you fit into any of them! If not you, perhaps you might know someone who frequently experiences some of these ‘symptoms.’

Being an empath can be a lot for a person to carry on their shoulders, so being able to understand it can be important in utilizing the gift of it well.

1. You Know Things

This might seem like a broad sign, but there is really no better way to put it. empaths pick up on things far more than common human intuition does.

They are also great ‘lie detectors,’ and can readily pick up when someone is not telling the truth. For that reason, empaths try to surround themselves with honest, genuine people as much as possible.

Anything untruthful feels wrong, and is hard for the empath to deal with since their emotions are so strong.

2. You Take On Others Emotions

This is something that is truly at the very core of empaths. If you feel empathy toward someone, that’s one thing, but actually taking on someone’s emotions as your own is quite another, and empaths do just that.

Remember, it is not a ‘skill’ you can turn on and off, so it can be overwhelming at times. empaths can sense emotions of friends, family, and even strangers when they are out and about. For this very reason, many empaths tend to avoid overly-public places like grocery stores, malls, etc., because there can be intense waves of emotion coming from all the different people.

An empath who is extremely in tune can also feel physical symptoms or ailments from another person nearby, like body aches, headaches, infections, etc. A point of comparison is ‘sympathy pain,’ but on a completely higher level.

3. You Are Creative

Most empaths are extremely imaginative and creative people, and are often involved in the ‘arts’ in someway, from singing and dancing, to writing or drawing.

They can use these resources as a creative outlet. empaths also get bored very easily, and having something creative to keep both the mind and hands busy can be beneficial to their own mental health.

4. You love to dream, and soak up knowledge

These might seem like two opposite ends of the spectrum, but most empaths cannot get enough of learning.

They want to know everything about everything, and can actually feel quite uneasy not knowing the answer to a question, or feeling like there is something they should know, that they simply don’t.

Most empaths are also big daydreamers, and they can easily get lost in their own thoughts or with their ‘head in the clouds.’

5. You have a sense of adventure and a desire for freedom

Those daydreams often shift over into real life when you are an empath – they love adventure, and to try new things.

They are very often described as ‘free spirits,’ and often travel to different locations. empaths also find routine and rules to be extremely stifling, to the point of being debilitating, since they feel as though it is a lack of freedom.

These two traits tend to go hand in hand when it comes to an empath’s personality, they have a strong desire to be completely free and unattached, without any rules to really hold them down.

6. You sense energy in inanimate objects

Some empaths who are incredibly in tune can actually sense the energy of their food, and most are vegetarians or vegans as a result (ie; they can sense the emotion/energy of the animal that was killed, etc.).

Many empaths will also avoid buying used, or antique items, since the energy from one place or one person to another can be too much for them, especially if there is a negative, or sad emotion behind the object itself.

An antique object for an empath is almost like opening a personal history book of the individual who had it before.

While there are many other symptoms and signs of being an empath , these six characteristics are strong things to consider when it comes to the idea of being an empath.

The ability to feel and be affected by other people’s emotions, thoughts, and more can truly change someone’s life, and empaths cannot control when or how this happens to them.

It is not an easy task for anyone to take on, but it certainly is a fascinating thing to think about. If you experience some of these signs, know that you are not alone, empaths are far more common than we might think!