12 Signs of an Empath How to Know if You Feel Deeper than Others

Being an empath isn't easy. You can often feel left out and disconnected from people. Knowing the signs of an empath can help you understand why.

Empathy is a major part of life. Everyone needs to have it in order to live life as a good human being. Without it, you'll end up being a douche bag who's only concerned with yourself. But having empathy isn't the same as being an empath. Knowing the signs of an empath can help you figure out the difference.

What is an empath, anyway?

You know what empathy is. It's the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and understand why they feel the way they do. An empath is a person who has this ability tenfold. Instead of putting themselves in the other person's shoes, they become that person, in a sense.

They actually feel what they do. If someone is heartbroken over a family member passing, an empath will feel those emotions right with them. It's a deeper level of empathy that not everyone has.

The signs of an empath that point to a deeply emotional connection

Being an empath can be really lonely and isolating at first. You don't know why you feel things so deeply and although you can connect with how people are feeling, it's hard to get your true self out there.

Not to mention the fact that most empaths have no idea what they are. It's confusing and a little scary sometimes. That's why knowing the signs of an empath can be so helpful. Here's how to know if you fall under this rare category of deeply feeling people.

#1 You're highly emotional. This is just in general. You feel your own feelings on a deeper level and you're a bit more sensitive. The more you avoid certain situations and even shows or movies because you know they'll hit your emotions hard, the clearer it is that you're an empath.

#2 You feel strongly about certain causes. People would probably describe you as a fiercely passionate person. You feel very strongly about causes that have to do with giving back or equality.

And that's because you can easily feel what the oppressed people are feeling. Pay attention to the causes you feel most strongly for and it'll show you how much of an empath you are.

#3 You're passionate about helping others. This has to do with empathy completely. Those who help others purely because they want to give back are usually empaths.

They feel strongly about making sure people have what they need because they can feel how it is to be without. If you volunteer at shelters of any kind or often donate to charity, you may fall under the category of an empath.

#4 You feel things that don't make sense. This is probably one of the most frustrating parts of being an empath. You feel things that don't make sense in your situation or even with the mood you were just in.

It's like you actually “catch” how other people are feeling. Even if you have a great day, you could end up feeling like crap if your partner or friend is down. Even reading something can make your emotions go crazy.

#5 You're a strong listener. This is simply because you're an empath. You care so deeply about how others feel because you don't want to feel their pain. So you listen well. You want to know about their struggles so you can help them.

It also has a lot to do with knowing how it feels to be ignored. You never want to make anyone feel upset and so you listen intently so you can offer aid when needed.

#6 Your intuition is really powerful. For some reason, empaths have a stronger gut feeling. Perhaps it's not necessarily stronger, but they are more likely to listen to it and it often proves them right.

This is usually because they're more in tune with how they feel. They can look at the end result of something and feel how many different people would react and that prompts them to make a decision based on that outcome.

#7 You feel exhausted in crowds. Emotions are very taxing on your mind. Even though you're not doing anything physically overwhelming, being in a crowd and around large groups of people still zaps your energy.

You pick up on so many different emotions. Your mind is going a hundred miles a minute and that'll leave you aching for your bed and some quiet.

#8 Negativity is overwhelming. Just like emotions in general leach your energy, negativity does too. Except in this case, it's even worse. Being around negative people or in a toxic mindset for too long is very tiring. You're struggling to keep yourself in a positive mood and so you get exhausted easily.

#9 You're impacted by those closest to you. Your significant other or a really close friend will affect you more than a stranger. That's because you know them the best. If you find that you get just as angry as your partner does over something that normally wouldn't irritate you, you might be an empath.

#10 You avoid negative news stories. Empaths struggle with bad news. They feel what the victims feel in mass shootings, they can easily put themselves in the shoes of someone else, and that's very hard to deal with daily. If you tend to avoid negative news stories to protect your emotions, you're probably an empath.

#11 People tell you you're too sensitive. This will happen a lot. You'll get into arguments or just discussions with people and end up being called sensitive. That's just how normal people see empaths.

They think you getting upset over someone else feeling down is odd. A lot of people can look at a person who's upset and not really think much of it but it means more to you. Therefore, if you cry during sad movies or when reading a sad book, you'll be called too sensitive. That just means you're probably an empath.

#12 You're creative and imaginative. This is one of the top signs of an empath. Since you can feel so many different things, you're very creative. Writers and actors and even artists are usually highly empathetic people.

Because of feeling so many emotions, they can easily pick one they need and show it in whichever way they can. Empaths often feel a need to have an outlet for their emotions and this almost always manifests in something creative.

Although reading the signs of an empath can be tricky, knowing you are one is super valuable. Not many people have this ability and once you realize what it is, you can use it to your advantage.