How to Deal With Empathy

People who are empathetic naturally take on the feelings of those around them as their own. While empathy usually is considered a positive trait, it can be exhausting for the person who possesses it. The more empathetic someone is, the more difficult it is for them to cope with the deluge of feelings to which they are exposed. Empathy fatigue, also known as compassion fatigue, is a condition in which a person's mental and physical health is adversely affected by empathy-related stress. Although it is most common among counselors and therapists, this condition can affect anyone with a high level of empathy.

Instructions

• 1

  Live a healthy lifestyle. Eating nutritious food, getting adequate rest and regularly exercising will help to relieve the stress associated with empathy. A strong, energized body will be better able to cope with the demands that empathy places on it.

• 2

  Learn to set healthy boundaries. Your natural empathy can make it difficult for you to say "no," even when doing so would be better for your emotional and physical well-being. Remind yourself that your healthy emotions and desires should take precedent over those that are being projected onto you from other people.

• 3

  Identify the source of your emotions. If you are highly empathetic, it sometimes might be difficult to determine if what you are feeling truly belongs to you or someone else. By learning to differentiate your feelings from others, you will be better able to manage your emotional and mental health.

• 4

  Keep outside emotions in perspective. Although it is natural for you to sense the feelings of those around you, remind yourself that you do not always have to adopt them. For example, after interacting with someone who is grieving, you might feel blue. Tell yourself that you do not need to continue feeling sad, as that is their emotion and not yours.

• 5

  Express your emotions. Since you can sense and feel other people's emotions, you might subconsciously assume that other people can do the same for you. In reality, very few people possess a high level of natural empathy. As such, it is important for you to share your feelings and desires with those around you. If you do not, chances are they will go unrecognized, leading to resentment and negative feelings on your part.

• 6

  Spend some time alone each day, away from outside sources of emotion. This will rejuvenate you and help you to feel less drained by your empathetic tendencies.