Finding Your Tribe As An Empath
Heightened sensitivity to the world and everything around you; emotional extremes that can be intimidating for some; introverted tendencies; difficulty making new friends because of all of the above. Check.
Being an empath is a wonderful gift. It is an absolute blessing to feel everything so deeply and with such intensity. However, finding people who also see the world in the same light as you can be challenging.
It can be demotivating when you surround yourself with people that you vibe with on a superficial level but fail to really connect with. Maybe these people have good intentions but in reality are dumping their negativity onto you without realizing how it impacts you; empaths hold such emotions very deeply to the point where it affects their physical health almost instantaneously. You may feel the need to resort to your room to recharge or leave an outing early because you feel out of place. You may even have breathing problems or your body might just feel off.
I can tell you that I’ve been there. Many times over.
As much as I love and encourage different kinds of friends with different interests and opinions, I also hold the belief that who we share our energy with is of the highest importance.
Friendships, like any other relationship, are an energy exchange. And for a healthy friendship to occur, there must exist a basis of compassion and understanding.
If you wish to find fellow empaths such as yourself, you need to look in the right places. Since empaths are usually introverted and emotionally health-conscious, you will find many (if not all of them) are creatives—painters, sculptors, writers, singers, musicians. Empaths also strongly value their spiritual and mental health due to their intuition, and so you will find many of them interested in the likes of yoga, meditation, and other spiritual activities.
Finding your tribe is never easy. I’m not saying you will meet somebody and instantly become best-friends (but it could happen!). I’m saying that by placing yourself out there and partaking in activities you might not have done otherwise, you will meet like-minded souls and increase your chances of finding someone you vibe with.
Attending meditation sessions, health retreats, yoga studios, coffee shops; networking with creatives online and seeing where it takes you; conversing with people your age in the water on a hot beach day, meeting up with mutual friends with shared interests—these are just some of the methods you could use to meet new people that are already on a similar spiritual pathway to yourself.
You have the power to decide your tribe.
Being an empath, you need to protect your emotional energy at all costs. And if that means finding new people to share your thoughts and experiences with, then you should chase that feeling into the sunset.