Empaths and Highly Sensitive People and Their Most Common Traits

A convenient way to further understand empaths and highly sensitive individuals is to become familiar with the individual fundamental traits they share in common, and those same traits are not so characteristic of people who are not highly sensitive.

Related article: Who Are Empaths and Highly Sensitive People?

Below are the most common traits that empaths and highly sensitive people share:

  • They are extremely conscious of subtle details and nuances in their surroundings, and they notice the connections between certain situations or events that most people do not notice.
  • They deeply feel and experience the people and the world around them – both the good and the bad things.
  • When they enter a space, they automatically feel what is happening inside (without first seeing the faces of people in that space or hearing their conversation) and the energy of the space in which they stay or perform certain activities for a long time is very important to them.
  • People confide in them quite quickly and easily and tell them about intimate, private, and “unusual” experiences that they do not otherwise dare to talk about (even in a circle of close friends).
  • As soon as they feel that someone is in pain, they automatically need to help that person and are extremely focused on the needs of the people they are interacting with.
  • They are above-average empathetic and constantly take care not to hurt others, and have a tendency to put their own needs behind the needs of their loved ones.
  • They often feel as if they are somehow different and find it difficult to fit into the environment in which they live, and in addition, they often feel lonely and misunderstood as children.
  • Not only do they quickly notice the emotions felt by the people they interact with, but also they absorb them like a sponge, and sometimes other people’s emotions literally feel like their own emotions (especially empaths).
  • They can often feel a rush of anxiety or a sudden drop in energy for no (known) reason or reasons (especially empaths).
  • Toward others, they are attentive and considerate and have a deep understanding of their situation, and towards themselves, they tend to be quite harsh and critical.
  • They do not feel relaxed when someone directly supervises or observes them while doing something, and the time frame (especially if it is short) creates stress and impairs creativity.
  • They are often accompanied by a feeling that they are blamed for something and as if they need to justify their existence.
  • They love music and art, and their inner life is extremely rich, layered, and complex.
  • They prefer “depth” in relationships and experience superficial relationships and gossip as a waste of time (although, if necessary, they are many times able to adapt to any type of conversation – especially empaths).
  • They have a rich and very vivid imagination.
  • They like to stay in nature and feel extremely connected to it (especially empaths).
  • They are extremely open to exploring spirituality and tend to cultivate a direct relationship with the Universe / Source / God (without intermediaries).
  • In romantic relationships, they often tend to idealistically assess potential partners and see their essence, i.e. (unrealized) potential instead of “real situation” (especially empaths).
  • They generally feel resistance to violence (in reality and in both movies and games), and frequent conflicts tire them out and drain their energy.
  • They do not like noise and loud parties and longer stays in crowds.
  • After a busy and interactive day, they need to spend significant time with themselves to reset and process experiences and emotions in peace – even if they are extroverts (highly sensitive people are mostly introverts, while empaths can be introverts, ambiverts, and extroverts).
  • They feel suffocated, invisible, and trapped in harsh and conservative environments or families.
  • It is difficult for them to express themselves in structures that operate according to a strict hierarchical system in which the system is more important than people and their needs, and empaths often feel resistance to organized religions and cults.
  • They are not prone to competitions, although they like to be active and participate in various types of activities in peace and at their own pace.
  • In principle, it is difficult for them to say NO, stand up for themselves and set firm boundaries in dealing with people who are more aggressive in their approach.
  • They are often accompanied by a feeling that they are “not good enough” – regardless of the actual situation and the level of their expertise or engagement – and they try to compensate with high standards and perfectionism.
  • They are systematic and “highly-analytical” and are very prone to “analysis-paralysis” states.
  • As children, they often felt ashamed of their high sensitivity.
  • They are prone to various types of addictions (food/emotional eating, drugs, sex, alcohol, shopping, etc.) in order to (unconsciously) try to suppress their high sensitivity and more easily fit into the mainstream (especially empaths).
  • They are prone to depressive and anxious moods, and on the physical level, they are prone to allergies, and respiratory, skin and autoimmune diseases.

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Excerpt from EHSP COACH™ program – Do you want to become a certified EHSP COACH™ and further train to work with empaths and highly sensitive people? Get to know the EHSP COACH™ program and learn the approaches and methods for converting high sensitivity into superpower! Click HERE to learn more about the program.

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