In our day to day we talk about empathy, but what does it mean to be empathetic? Empathy can be defined as the ability to identify, understand, and share the feelings or perspectives of other people. In order not to confuse it with compassion, we must bear in mind that empathy is inherently non-judgmental.
"¿How to practice empathy in my life? "To be truly empathetic, we must cultivate the ability to give up. The effects of empathy not only remain in the direct benefits it has on close people, but they go far beyond the most immediate circle. In this Psychology-Online article we show you some ways to practice empathy.
Empathy improve relationships, increases work performance and even has long-term positive effects. Recent research has shown that we are social beings who we tend to take care of the other naturally, but there are also ways to train or teach it. In fact, we could say that not being empathetic is against human nature.
Some benefits of empathy in our lives that make it very important to practice it are:
- It allows us to treat people in the same way that we would like them to treat us.
- You will better understand the needs of the people around you
- You will better understand the perception that others form of you based on your words or behaviors
- You will reach a greater understanding of the non-verbal communication
- In your work you will better understand the customer needs
- You will have fewer problems when dealing with interpersonal conflicts either at work or at home
- You will have the ability to more accurately predict the actions and reactions of the people who interact with you
- You will know how to motivate people who are in your close environment
- You will have a greater capacity to convince others of your points of view
- In each experience you live, you will not only have your perception but also that of the people around you
- You will have more facility to deal with negativity from others if you can understand their motivations and fear When something goes wrong with someone, we must remind ourselves that we must calm down and accept the situation as it is
- Empathy can make you a better leader, a better follower, and a better friend, in general: better person
If you still wonder "how to practice empathy in my life"We present you situations and dynamics of empathy and assertiveness that can be very useful for you:
Be curious
As children, we are naturally inquisitive as we explore the world through our innocent and unbiased eyes. Sadly, as we grow the monotony of routine can end that freshness. In empathy resides a sense of curiosity, both for people and for the situations that surround us. Regardless of whether it is the woman who sits next to you on the bus every day or the postman who leaves your letters every morning, make the effort to talk with people you wouldn't normally do it with.
Listens
A person who knows how to listen is someone who provides full attention. Take the time to really listen to what others are telling you and try to feel the emotion behind the words. Very often, when we are given the necessary space to talk about something, we tend to find the solution through ourselves and an answer is not even necessary.
Speak from your heart
Sadly, being a person who knows how to listen is not enough, empathy is a two-way street. To create a deep and true alliance we need open ourselves more to the other person and be prepared to share our vulnerabilities.
Face your prejudices
Although we don't want to admit it, most of us feel guilty when we label other people. Being truly empathetic involves seeking common aspects between us and not differences. Volunteering is a good way to end these prejudices and connect with those people that we would not otherwise know in our day to day life.
Maintain physical contact
Once your friend has opened up to you, you can let yourself be carried away by the instinct to give it a hug. Research has shown that physical contact increases oxytocin levels by improving mood, lowering blood pressure and stress, etc.
A meta-analysis of 18 studies on the effects of empathy training showed that training empathy increased levels of empathy.
Studies evaluate empathy in different ways, but many use tests that pose a series of situations and ask what would you do in that situation if you were that person? While others employ daily self-assessments. In all the measures used there seems to be a certain positive effect of training. Although we must bear in mind that these studies have limitations.
Those who showed significant improvements were mainly healthcare professionals or university students. And the studies typically followed participants for a few weeks, not longer.
So we cannot be sure that we can increase empathy through formal training, nor can we be sure if it is possible to help someone to have more empathy throughout the weather. However, it never hurts to develop this aspect of our emotional intelligence.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
