Takeaway: Are you sensitive to the world around you? Are you highly tuned in with other people’s emotions? If so, you might be an empath, and I recommend taking my “Am I an Empath?” quiz for a deeper look at your tendencies. These questions will help you better understand yourself, and my tips following the quiz will help you embrace your unique strengths.
With everything going on in the world, it's hard not to be sensitive and impacted. But how do you know when you're highly sensitive? And what's the difference between being a highly sensitive person and an empathic person? Everyone experiences varying degrees of sensitivity, empathy, and intuition, but depending on where you land on the sensitivity spectrum, you might benefit from different strategies. Unfortunately, many sensitive and empathic people are told they need to shut down their feeling centers to thrive in the world, leaving them feeling vulnerable and isolated.
Does this mean there is a plus side to being highly sensitive or empathic? YOU BET.
Once you learn if you're a highly sensitive person or empath, you can start to develop skills and empathic abilities that bring joy, ease, purpose, and meaning to your life.
Before we jump into the quiz, knowing what the life of an empath looks like will help you determine whether you're a member of the empathic people club 😎 (no this is not a real club, YET)
What does it mean to be an empath?
Empaths are the most amazing people in the world.
Just kidding (kind of).
Despite the unique abilities and benefits empaths have, sensitivity and empathy tend to get a negative wrap in our society. Usually, if you look up "Am I an empath?" or take an "empath test," you will get a plethora of negative symptoms or experiences defining someone who can't function easily through life. You might see things like:
you feel overwhelmed all the time
you can't tell your own emotions from other people's emotions
you need a lot of alone time and socially isolate
you struggle in intimate relationships
you take on other people's stress and feel exhausted
you're an emotional sponge
you don't recognize your own needs
you fall victim to energy vampires
you feel guilty and can't put down boundaries
you have a hard time staying grounded and startle easily
you're extremely sensitive or "overly sensitive" (and should feel bad about this)
When you read this list, how do you feel? Sounds disempowering, right? When most people read this list, they immediately come to the conclusion that being sensitive or empathic is a weakness. It also creates the idea that empathic people might have a mental health diagnosis.
Let me introduce you to the often disregarded and overlooked, but incredibly important and true other side of having strong empathic tendencies. Sensitive and empathic people:
experience life as more deep, colorful, and moving
have a wider bandwidth for feelings and emotions, allowing for more meaningful relationships
can tap into different frequencies and vibrations AND
can heal themselves faster through their ability to pick up on these things
can hear and commune intimately with nature and receive healing and guidance from it
are natural-born healers and/or space-holders
feel people's emotional states and help people feel understood
have a knack for reading body language
have a head start when it comes to opening up their intuition
feel inspired to help others, animals, or make the earth a better place
have a lot of love and a big heart (which is SO NEEDED in our world)
Now, how does reading that list feel? Hopefully, it fills you with a sense of positivity and hopefulness. Both lists are the same sides of the coin, but one is positive and empowered, and the other, negative and disempowed. As an empath, you get to choose how you navigate the world and see your gifts.
Who my empath quiz is for
This test is for anyone who questions if they are sensitive, and who wants to learn more about what they can do to support themselves. If you find yourself wanting to live a more rooted, loving, and inspiring life but haven't figured out how to feel empowered in your empathic nature, this quiz is for you.
I created the quiz because sensitivity is on a spectrum, and finding out where you land can be very helpful in understanding how you can shift and evolve your gifts.
Along with addressing sensitivity and empathy levels, this quiz is also for those of you questioning whether you're intuitive or wondering if you use your intuition in partnership with your empathy.
Ready to take the empath test to find out more? Let's go!
Am I an Empath? Test
Grab a pen and piece of paper and write down which letter you choose for each question.
A) It's hard for me to separate my own emotions from theirs, so I try to make their job a bit easier by ordering a simple meal.
B) I have an inkling that beyond being stressed at work, they had a hard day and are sad. I don't take it on and decide to say something kind or nice to let them know I care.
C) I feel super impacted by the server's experience and the amount of people in the room. I can't focus on what I want to eat and feel like I need to go outside.
D) I notice that they are upset, but it's not my responsibility to ease their emotions, so I have compassion for them without taking it on.
2. A close friend calls you after a tough day at work. What do you do?
A) I pick up the phone and instantly feel their emotions. I invite them over even though I need time alone.
B) I listen to their feelings and know exactly how they feel. I see images of the entire scenario without much detail and can feel each person within it. I express my inner knowings and it helps them gain more perspective.
C) I let the phone go to voicemail. I text that I will call them back, but I need time to prepare myself to hold space.
D) I deeply sense how they feel. I share advice and don't take on their feelings of overwhelm.
3. You need to make a life-changing decision. How do you respond?
A) I have a gut feeling, but don't know if I can trust it. I reach out to friends, but then get confused by all the opinions.
B) I slow down, get quiet, and talk with my highest self, guides, or ancestors.
C) I fear change, so it's hard not to feel overstimulated. I need extra time to process it and ground myself.
D) I think about the situation and confidently go with what “feels” best.
4. You’re at a crowded concert for your favorite artist. How are you feeling?
A) A bit anxious, so I grab a drink. I can tell who's not comfortable in the crowd and have a hard time not thinking about it.
B) Really great! I rock out to the songs and can sense information about the people I'm dancing next to. I don't feel overwhelmed and make conversation if I feel like it.
C) It's super loud and I'm overwhelmed by all the people. I came with friends, but I'm so affected it's hard to talk.
D) Super excited! I love dancing and connecting. I drink plenty of water and limit my time with certain people.
5. How do you feel about people?
A) I care too much about them. I go back and forth about how to balance engaging with people and finding time for myself.
B) I practice loving-kindness towards all beings. I work on not taking things personally and know we are souls all here to learn.
C) I like them but wish I felt more grounded. Being a human has been kind of hard when life feels like it's on steroids.
D) I care a ton, but have gotten a lot better at deciding whom to spend my time with and practicing boundaries.
Interpreting your results
Looking at the five questions, what letters did you find yourself agreeing with the most? Here are the results:
Mostly A's:
Congratulations - you are an awakening empath!
You have a heightened awareness of the emotions of other people and can often anticipate people's needs. You see the world differently. You’re very aware of other people and can easily identify with their joys and happiness, but also their pain points and struggles.
You are deeply sensitive with a huge heart. People turn to you for advice and find it easy to talk with you. They might say you have a calming effect and that you always seem to know the right thing to say. You care a lot about others, but sometimes caring so much feels exhausting.
As an awakening empath, your empathic nature can feel like a burden at times, and you are still learning how to work with it. Because of this, it can be easy for you to fall into a place of overwhelm and disempowerment. Luckily, you are beginning to realize that highly empathic people have a lot of power and can set boundaries without being mean or feeling guilty. If you learn how to balance your big heart with confidence and self-trust, some seriously magic things are going to start happening. For a taste of what the next level feels like, check out the results for D.
Mostly B's:
Congratulations - you are an intuitive empath!
This means that you can access energetic information that isn’t readily available with the 5 senses. Most likely, you are also an empath who is also highly sensitive.
Intuition can manifest itself in many different ways, such as a thought seemingly dropped into the mind or a feeling of knowing. It could also look like one of the “clairs,” such as clairvoyance and claircognizance. Somehow, you understand or know things without the use of rational thought. You might be very visual and see images, colors, or energies in your mind's eye.
For example, you might somehow know to take a different route to work because you get an inner knowing that traffic is backed up, or perhaps you have a dream about your future house and see the exact one available a year later. You might even be able to pick up information about somebody’s life—present, past, and future.
Intuitive empaths thrive when they use their creativity and deep feelings to create and explore. If you find yourself seeking a higher calling, then this is the time to dive into connecting more consistently with your higher self to gain the insights you are longing for.
Mostly C's:
Congratulations - you are a highly sensitive person!
You have a dynamic inner life that can feel complex at times. You are reflective, creative, self-aware, and an incredibly quick learner. HSPs make great leaders because they love so deeply while knowing the needs of other people. When they share their inner wisdom with others, everyone benefits.
Highly sensitive people are a subset of the population who are high in a trait known as sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS). Holding high levels of SPS means you have increased emotional sensitivity and react strongly to things within you and around you.
HSPs account for approximately 15-20% of the population, or 1 in every 5 people. If you identify with this group, please know you might have been born this way, and it is completely normal. When you stay grounded and embrace your wide perspective, you radiate a high and healing frequency to those around you. Journaling, meditating, and making art can greatly support the extra release your nervous system needs to feel good in groups and one-to-one interactions.
Mostly D's:
Congratulations - you are an empowered empath! Your hard work and life experiences have helped you develop a deep capacity to care for others without becoming overwhelmed by their energy. This is no small feat! You naturally hold space for people, which means that people are magnetized to your field and find it easy to share emotional topics. They might say they feel understood by you, or that they simply "feel better." Either way, your compassionate nature is a gift and the time you have spent learning how to manage your sensitivity is evident.
As an empowered empath, you are not new to your empathic nature. You have learned how to manage your sensitivity and have reclaimed your power by setting boundaries and not taking energy on. Most likely, you have gone through some form of spiritual awakening and are deeply connected with your intuition. You are on a path that is committed to self-care, self-development, and being a positive role model.
***This quiz is meant to give insight and guidance, not definitive answers. Book a free call with Xandra if you want to learn more about your brand of empathy and how to become confident within it.
My advice for empaths
Depending on your results from the empath test, there are different coping skills and practices you can learn to evolve your gifts and abilities. But, overall, these are my top three tips for empaths, highly sensitive people, and intuitive people learning how to become more empowered in their lives and embracing their gifts:
Develop an affirmation or mantra that feels powerful and inspiring
Depending on who you grew up with and how they perceived your sensitivity, you might have unconscious beliefs about who you are and your abilities. Often, empaths have been taught to view their deep experience of life as a deficit, so changing your perspective is the first step.
Repeatedly saying meaningful phrases and sentences to yourself not only shifts your thinking, but it creates new neural pathways in the brain. To read my article on how affirmations change your brain and how it works, click here. Here are examples of empowering affirmations:
- "I love how deeply I feel. I heal myself through tapping into positive, loving frequencies."
- "I trust other people have what they need. I call in people that recognize my gifts and that help me feel inspired."
- "It's okay. I have everything I need. I am connected and safe."
- "I have an expansive vision and feel supported by the wider universe."
- "I can heal myself through tapping into positive frequencies. I am now embracing people and experiences that expand and empower my heart."
Get creative - What would you love to hear in your mind and heart space? Write down your purpose, mission, or how you would like your empathy to feel and turn this into a statement.
Shift your thinking from "I" to "We"
You are absolutely, positively not alone in what you feel or how you experience the world. There are thousands (probably even millions) of us navigating the high highs and low lows within the world and we feel the pulsations and frequencies more strongly. The toughest part is not isolating and making it personal or believing that something is wrong with you. Empathy is pure strength, and finding a community of people to inspire you is crucial to learning how to expand your heart space. We are all on the same team, working as earth guardians to find love and peace in our own lives and also support others (through empowered empathy) to do this as well. Let your frequency be a lighthouse that attracts other aligned people who can support you on your mission. The challenge is opening your field to more support and listening to your inner guidance so it can direct you to better life circumstances.
Begin adventuring (or continue advancing) into the world of energy healing
Because sensitive and empathic people can feel energy more strongly than the rest of the population, they can heal themselves more easily by tapping into restorative frequencies. However, learning energetic boundaries and becoming more clear on what your energy is versus others is probably the most important skill in developing emotional sovereignty (aka you don't shut down your ability to sense energy and emotions, but you don't feel responsible for taking things on that are not yours). Becoming clear in your energy field can completely change your whole life - I'm not kidding! Emotional sovereignty in your own body feels like a superpower because you can love the world deeply and stay completely grounded and regulated. This means you don't waste time in overthinking, overwhelm, fear, or doubt.
If you're an empath wanting to learn more about energy medicine work, check out my spiritual life coaching services here.