Am I an Empath, or just Highly Sensitive?

As most of us are only just beginning to understand what is means to be an Empath, it is common place for some Highly Sensitive People to get confused with their own empathic distinctions and incorrectly self-diagnose. With a host of similar traits, however, it truly is an easy grey area to get muddled up in. So let’s give ourselves some grace and start our lesson from the top.

A Highly Sensitive Person has increased sensitivity, both internally and externally, to the surrounding environment and demonstrate a greater capacity for empathy than the average person. Processing information differently to others, they feel things more deeply, stronger, brighter, shinier and more colourful, leading them more easily into overwhelm in stimulating environments. Other key traits of Highly Sensitive People is that they are more intuitive on average and better equipped to pick up on subtleties in human behaviour, such as body language or tone of voice.

While Empath and HSP's traits do certainly overlap, the thing that distinctively sets them apart is that Empaths take the experience of being a Highly Sensitive Person much further on a sensory level, experiencing the energies around them in extremely deep ways.

Subtle energy, or 'Chi', 'Shakti' or 'Prana' (meaning life-force in Eastern healing traditions), can be sensed by Empaths and absorbed into their being from other people and different environments. This often takes place without the Empath realizing it. Since everything is made of subtle energy, including emotions and physical sensations, Empaths energetically internalize the feelings and discomfort of others, very often having trouble distinguishing someone else’s pain from their own. They will continue to do this until they have learned to recognize and manage this gift accordingly.

Some other defining experiences that set Empaths apart from HSP's, are spiritual and intuitive experiences. Characteristically, a Highly Sensitive Person is insusceptible to this kind of phenomena, so it doesn't show up in their experience. Empaths on the other hand, have profound spiritual and intuitive experiences, with some being able to connect with the collective consciousness and communicate with animals, nature, and their inner guides.

If you don't seem to resonate with profound spiritual and intuitive experiences, yet you experience 5 or more of the following features, then you are more likely a Highly Sensitive Person.

1. A tendency to react more than most people.

2. Avoidance of violent movies and TV programs.

3. A deep thinker with a rich and complex inner life.

4. Detail oriented.

5. Struggle to take care of your body.

6. Feeling all of the feelings, deeply.

7. Difficulty in saying no to anything.

8. Incredibly observant.

9. ​A tendency to get rattled when you have a lot to do in a short amount of time.

10. A high tendency to arrange your life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations.

11. A tendency to notice or enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, or works of art.

12. A tendency to “people please" to avoid criticism.

13. Easily overwhelmed by things such as bright lights, coarse fabrics, strong smells, or sirens in close proximity.

14. The need to withdraw during busy days, into bed or a darkened room or another place where you can have privacy and relief from the situation.

If you have identified with being a Highly Sensitive Person and are in need of a gentle personal development support process, head to www.thisvibrantsoul.com

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- With deepest gratitude, Jessica.

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