What is an Empath? In this article, we address the 15 common signs & characteristics of one.  Empaths are individuals who are extremely compassionate and have the rare ability to sense how other people are truly feeling.

For this reason most are able to put themselves in other people's shoes and to see life from different perspectives.  

If you believe that there is a high chance that you could be an intuitive empath, simply continue reading to discover some key signs and characteristics which they display.

Related Post: The 11 Types of Empaths (Common & Rare)

What is an Empath? 15 Signs & Characteristics:

An empath is a psychic who is extraordinarily receptive to the emotions of other people.

They can feel depressed, angered, or overjoyed for no apparent reason as they take on the feelings of others.

Able to understand the seemingly irrational behaviors of other people, empaths can be ultra-picky about the kinds of folks they hang out with, as well as the types of rooms they enter.

If you believe that there is a high chance that you could be an intuitive empath, simply continue reading to discover some key signs and characteristics which they display.

Empaths often feel drained by social interactions:

While people naturally gravitate towards empaths due to their strong energy, kindness and generosity, they often feel drained after social gatherings.

This is due to the fact that they are sensitive to other individuals' energy and it can be extremely draining to feel other people's emotions.

If you're an empath it's important to maintain a healthy balance between interacting with other individuals and fulfilling your path as an empath and spending time alone in order to restore your energy reserves.

They are highly sensitive:

If you're an empath you may have been told that you're too sensitive and need to develop a thicker skin. For example, if a friend makes a joke at your expense, their words may haunt you for several hours or days.

The reason why empaths get easily upset by cruel comments is that they can sense the negative energy behind cruel comments that other individuals aren't capable of sensing.

Their first impressions of strangers are surprisingly accurate:

While most individuals are guilty of making inaccurate assumptions when they first meet new individuals, empaths instinct driven first impressions of strangers tend to be eerily accurate.

For example, empaths may be able to sense when they meet an individuals who they can trust. 

At the same time, they are often able to tell when a stranger is bad news and should be avoided at all costs.

They think carefully before they speak:

Empaths think carefully about their comments, before they choose to share their thoughts with others as they care about the emotional impact which they comments can make on their friends, family members and colleagues.

While most individuals freely speak their minds, without worrying about how their comments may hurt the individuals that they care about.

They often find it difficult to set clear, healthy boundaries:

It's not unusual for empaths to put other people's needs above their own.

For example, they are likely to use one of their sick days, in order to help out a friend who is experiencing personal problems.

If you believe that you could be an empath, you may even take late night calls from friends who feel the need to vent about their issues in the middle of the night and can't wait till the morning to ask for your help.

If you're certain that you're an empath, it's important to learn how to put your well being first and to set clear, healthy boundaries which your loved ones will learn to respect.

For example, if you frequently get woken up in the middle of the night by friends in need, get in the habit of turning your phone off at 9 pm. This will help to ensure that you give yourself time to relax and unwind before bed and to enjoy a restful night's sleep.

They are emotionally triggered by violence and cruelty:

Empaths get upset by witnessing or hearing about violent acts and unnecessary cruelty. In fact, they are highly likely to become upset or overwhelmed by their emotions, when they watch the news and learn about racially based attacks, terrorism or war related events.

If you're an empath, you may have become distressed witnessing other kids, who you don't know personally, being bullied at your school.

While you may assume that all individuals are upset by violence and cruelty, the average individual only feels emotionally distressed if someone they care about it being treated unfairly.

Some empaths suffer from social anxiety:

A large percentage of empaths suffer from social anxiety and quickly feel overwhelmed in crowds and packed venues. Some actively avoid attending events that are packed full of people such as music concerts, large parties and sports events, in order to avoid feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

They often enjoy spending time exploring nature:

Empaths naturally gravitate towards spending time in nature as spending time exploring natures can help them feel grounded, balanced and rejuvenated.

If you identify with being an empath, when you feel overwhelmed or upset it's a great idea to spend time at the beach, in order to feel grounded again.

As staring at the ocean and walking along a beautiful beach is incredibly grounding and therapeutic.

They prefer freedom and flexibility over rigid routines:

While the average individual may prefer to have set routines and structure in their life, empaths quickly become restless if they are expected to follow the same monotonous routine on a daily basis.

As they need to visit new places, meet new people and go through brand new experiences in order to boost their energy. This is why many empaths prefer to work as freelancers, instead of working at traditional 9 to 5 jobs.

They tend to attract troubled individuals:

As empaths have welcoming, compassionate, supportive auras, troubled individuals who have self esteem issues or display narcissistic tendencies are often drawn to empaths.

As they can sense that empathetic individuals can provide them with the attention and care that they crave.

Unfortunately empaths can often be targeted by individuals who thrive on drama or who love to play victims.

Part of the soul mission of empaths is to become selective about the people who they choose to invest their time on.

As while there are energy vampires who empaths should avoid at all costs, there are also genuine individuals who are in need of of support, compassion and good advice.

They can often sense what others are about to say:

One uncanny ability which most empaths exhibit is the ability to sense what other people are about to say, before they open their mouths.

• In some cases empaths are able to intuitively sense the exact sentence which an individual is thinking, before they share it verbally.
• While in other circumstances empaths intuitively know what someone else is going to ask them. For instance, if you're an empath you may have a knack for knowing when a friend is about to ask you for a favor.

Empaths spend as much time listening as they do talking:

While most individuals seem to love the sound of their own voices and quickly get carried away when they're talking, empaths are a rare breed and typically spend just as much time listening as they do talking.

This may be due to the fact that empaths are more likely to understand the value which they provide by listening to their loved ones.

Empaths intuitively understand that what most individuals truely want above all else, is to feel heard and understood.

So while they are usually wise beyond their years and are able to provide thoughtful, useful pieces of advice, they also spend a lot of time listening to their friends and family members and validating their loved ones thoughts, feelings and opinions.

Many empaths spend less time pursuing romantic relationships:

Most of them have no issue with spending time alone and are selective when it comes to pursuing romantic partners or finding their soulmate.

In general empaths spend less time on dates than their peers as they have a strong sense of self and worry that they may lose their identity if they get to close to another individual.

This is one reason why when they do choose to date, they choose their partners carefully and will take steps to ensure that they'll maintain their individuality and sense of self.

They are prone to experiencing confusing mood swings:

As other individuals' energy can effect empaths, they can experience quick mood swings. 

For example, if an empath has a great morning they may feel on top of the world, until they encounter a friend who is a bad mood, which is likely to quickly dampen their spirits. 

• For this reason, many of them often feel overwhelmed by their emotions and may have issues keeping their emotions in check. 
• If you're an empath it's a great idea to work on learning how to remain unaffected by other people's emotions and negative energy. In order to protect your own energy.

They aren't ego driven:

Empaths tend to be highly idealistic and live their lives to make a difference in the world and are not ego driven.

Instead they tend to be extremely generous with their time and will go out of their way to help causes that they're passionate about and people that they care deeply about.

It's highly unlikely that you'll ever come across an empath who is overly materialistic or competitive as empaths care more about people than material objects or achieving traditional forms of success.

In conclusion:

If you can see some of the traits and characteristics which are listed above in yourself, congratulations you're an empath.

While there are a few challenges which are associated with being an empath who feels deeply and genuinely cares for every person that they meet, being an empath is a gift and can help you make a real difference in the world.

As an empath, you may also be able to help individuals who lack compassion for others to reconsider the way that they treat others. 

So if you'd love to be able to harness your innate spiritual gifts and to use your empathetic personality to truly help others, we'd love to gift you with a free 3-minute psychic chat reading with one of our highly accurate online psychics to see if you truly are gifted as an empath, and how you can use it to further help others on this planet. 

You can book your free session here: