Only around 2% of the population are true empaths though many of us can attest to having empathic traits.
While some of these traits such as keen intuition, creativity, and problem-solving are great to have, being an empath is definitely a double-edged sword.
One of the biggest problems that empaths face is empath fatigue.
Empath fatigue or burnout can be due to a short-term stressful situation but most often it happens over time as a steady drain of your energy reserves.
Empath fatigue can have huge ramifications on your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing and is something that all empathic individuals need to learn to spot and prevent.
An Empaths True Experience…
This article was inspired by an email I received recently from a fellow empath. (It’s ironic that despite an empaths uncanny ability to ‘get’ others, few people outside of other empaths actually understand us!)
Said empath was experiencing empath fatigue and feeling drained due to circumstance placing them in a caring role; something which we previously explored when looking at the best careers for each type of empath.
It’s a common misconception that care roles are best suited to empaths due to our loving and caring nature, but in reality, empaths can become completely burnt out due to caring ‘too much’ and never having a chance to ‘turn off’ their abilities.
This got me thinking about why empath fatigue happens, and what can be done to prevent it or recover from it.
Why Do Empaths Experience Fatigue and Burnout?
We’ve already touched on one of the most common reasons for empath fatigue; finding yourself in the wrong societal role and acting as the emotional/mental/physical caregiver.
While at times where family or friends are concerned this largely can’t be avoided, if you’re the type of empath that finds themselves caring ‘too much’ or not being able to get someone else’s struggles out of your head; then avoiding careers and volunteering involving long-term care is wise.
Empaths are also inherently laid back or passive people; we like to watch and understand as opposed to inserting our opinions.
We also like to put the emotional needs of the room above our own.
This can mean that an empath that is struggling finds it a challenge to get their voice heard and their needs met, meaning that many empaths suffer from fatigue and burnout in silence.
Empaths also often fall prey to the expectations or assumptions of others which can drastically drain them.
Empaths are valuable to friends and family groups and are usually the ones people turn to for support and the glue that sticks a group together.
However, this can often cause others to unintentionally take the gifts of the empath for granted and neglect to reciprocate emotional care leaving the empath feeling drained.
Few people outside of fellow empaths realize that natural empathic abilities cannot be turned on and off, instead, full-blown empaths are ‘tuned-in’ to the emotional needs of others 24/7.
Like a machine working day in and day out, without the correct care cracks are going to show and parts will break down. This is why it’s so important for empaths to manage their energy levels carefully.
How to Tell if You’re Suffering from Empath Fatigue or Burnout
The following list are all things that you may experience as an empath suffering from empath fatigue or emotional burnout:
- Instead of empathy and compassion, you experience irritability or numbness
- You feel emotionally or mentally exhausted
- You struggle to fall asleep and don’t feel rested when you wake
- You experience hypersensitivity towards emotional scenes in movies, TV, and books
- You struggle to show intimacy with your partner
- You’ve become more withdrawn or keep seeking to isolate yourself
- You’re experiencing intrusive thoughts or brain fog
- You dread your place of work or hanging out with your friend group
- You’re using unhealthy coping mechanisms i.e. over/under eating, smoking, drinking
- Your skin is in poor condition, you may break out or notice a change in skin texture or complexion
Answering yes to multiple points on this list likely indicates that you’re struggling with some degree of empath fatigue.
A Note on Adrenal Fatigue
When burnout becomes severe empaths can experience a condition known as ‘adrenal fatigue’.
Symptoms of this include exhaustion, aches and pains, anxiety, brain fog, and insomnia.
This happens when the adrenal glands cannot keep up with external stresses leaving your body depleted of hormones like cortisol which makes us feel energized.
If you’re feeling this way or are concerned about your energy levels then it’s definitely worth speaking to your doctor or holistic specialist.
7 Secrets to Fight Empath Fatigue and Stop Feeling Drained
While all…
Click here to read this complete article.
