How deeply do you feel the emotions of others? Do you often find yourself burdened by the weight of the feelings of those around you? If you are constantly taking on the emotional load of others and making it your own, you may be what is known as an empath.
To find out if you fit the commonly accepted criteria, take our fast and free empath quiz.
Who Is This Empath Quiz For?
This quiz is for anyone who is curious about their empathy levels. It can help you find out if your empathy levels are high enough to be considered an empath, and to better understand your feelings and interactions with others. Each question relates to feelings and experiences common among empaths.
About This Empath Quiz
This empath quiz is based on feelings and experiences that are common for people who are described as empaths. There’s no official scale for being an empath, so your result likely reflects how you see yourself and your ability to show empathy.
What to Know About Empaths
Empathy is the ability to understand other people’s feelings. It’s a trait that’s important for human interactions and one that can be taught or built on. Being an empath goes beyond empathy.
Empaths don’t just understand the feelings of others, they absorb those feelings and take them on as their own.
There’s no scientific consensus on whether or not empaths exist, but some research suggests that sensory processing sensitivity, which could be connected to empathetic traits, can be found in about 20% of the human population.1
Researchers have also discovered the existence of “mirror neurons” in the brain.2 The mirror neuron system might help people mirror the emotions of others by generating a brain state that matches that of the person being observed, providing a direct share of their experience.
So, true empaths who feel deeply and experience the emotions of others could actually exist—they just might not be very common.
Since empaths are very sensitive to their surroundings and the emotional state of others around them, they can experience sensory overload or feel overwhelmed. In order to ground themselves or restore energy, an empath my need to spend time alone doing something calming.
They may also need to be more selective with people they spend time with, limiting the amount of contact they have with those who are consistently projecting emotions that feel draining.
What Are Signs You’re an Empath?
Empaths have more empathy than your average empathetic person. They’re also more skilled at recognizing the emotions of others. Here are some signs you may be an empath:
Mirroring
Highly empathetic people may mirror other people’s movements or emotions, meaning if they see someone else get injured, they might physically react too. If an empath is around someone experiencing a strong emotion, the empath might feel exactly what that person is feeling.
Reading People
Those who are more in tune with feeling emotions are also more likely to recognize and assess the meaning of facial expressions.
Empaths may pick up on subtle cues in someone’s facial expression or body language that indicate how that person is feeling. They can tell more easily if someone is being genuine or not.
Caring Deeply
The care empaths have and show for others goes beyond that of an average person. They may go out of their way to help others feel happy, comfortable, or safe.
Without checking in on their own capacity and needs, this automatic default mode may lead to blurred boundaries, emotional exhaustion, and burnout.
Sensitivity
Empaths are also more sensitive to elements of their environment, such as smell and sound. They might be more bothered by certain scents or find it hard to concentrate with loud noises.
How to Be Empathetic
Empathy is a trait that can be taught and learned, so it’s possible to increase your empathetic abilities. Here are some things you can practice:
- Pay close attention to others. Take some time to observe the people around you. Listen closely to what they say and watch the movements they make with their face and body.
- Share your feelings. If you want people to be more vulnerable and feel comfortable sharing their feelings with you, it is important to lead with vulnerability and openness. Talk about your innermost thoughts, feelings, and needs with those who you trust and listen closely when they talk about theirs.
- Don’t just hear—listen. When people share their feelings with you, it’s important to take a moment to remember that they are choosing to open themselves up to you in search of your understanding and sometimes even your help. So when they do choose to share those vulnerabilities with you, don’t just wait for your turn to talk—think about how those vulnerabilities may be impacting them. Instead of telling them how you feel or think they should feel, validate how they are actually feeling.
- Put yourself in others’ shoes. Imagine a time when you felt a similar way, or had a similar experience, and remember how that made you feel. By thinking about yourself and your own related experiences, you may develop better insight and understanding into the emotions of someone else.
It takes time and practice to become more empathetic, but if you’re committed to doing it, you have already taken the very necessary first steps that will have you on your way to being a more empathetic person.
Next Steps
If you scored low in empathetic traits, you might consider reaching out to a therapist to learn more about empathy and how you can build those skills.
If you display traits of an empath and are feeling overwhelmed, you might want to learn more about self-care strategies to help you care for your mental health. You may also consider reaching out to a therapist to learn how to establish healthy boundaries with people in your life.
Empathy is an important skill for social interactions. Learning how to build on your existing empathetic traits can help improve your relationships and how you relate to others. Being an empath can have benefits and challenges. If you identify as someone who takes on the emotions of others, you can likely benefit from learning how to care for your emotional health by identifying and setting internal and external boundaries with yourself and others.