First Psychology blog

The greatest difference between a person who is sympathetic and empathetic is that an empath is much more sensitive to their surroundings and the people around them, often placing themselves in another person’s shoes to understand how they are feeling. According to the National Library of Medicine , “Important research on empathy and altruism has demonstrated that enhancing perspective taking, the capacity to see a person’s situation from his or her point of view, coupled with enhanced value being placed on the welfare of those who are unfamiliar can override bias.” While empaths often suffer from being highly emotional, oversensitive to crowded environments and can feel overwhelmed by intensely close relationships, there are, however, many benefits. 1. Intuitive Owing to their enhanced sensitivity, empaths tend to be extremely intuitive. This is a great skill to have as they’re able to read situations and people and avoid any negative environments. By noticing subtle signs such as...

How often have you travelled somewhere and when you arrived, you have little or no recollection of the journey? Or how many times has someone been speaking to you, and although you’ve shown signs that you’re listening, such as a head nod, you actually have no idea what they’ve just said to you? It’s not uncommon for wandering thoughts to take over our mind but when they do, we miss out on so much good stuff. When we’re preoccupied with our internal chatter, it’s difficult to live in the present moment and focus on the here and now. Continually listening to your inner voice, when you should be focusing on something else can be a cause for concern when it starts to affect your mental wellbeing. It can lead to feelings of anxiety, stress and in some cases, symptoms of depression. How we can be more present When we learn how to hush our inner voice and be in the present moment, there are so many benefits that we can enjoy. Not only can it increase your energy levels and motivation, but it ...