How to develop empathy in yourself? 5 simple rules

We are in constant communication with other people. We share our feelings and experiences with many of them. But sometimes each of us forgets that not everyone knows how to voice their concerns.

Often these concerns can be recognized by external signs. For example, the person twitches or appears lost. But if you haven’t developed empathy, you won’t realize there’s something wrong with him until he says it himself. A vicious circle arises: one says nothing, the second does not notice anything.

Empathy is the ability to empathize, understand, and see the world through the eyes of another person. And you can develop this skill within yourself. We have prepared a small and simple guide on how to do this.

one

First of all, learn to listen. It is very important to be involved in what the interlocutor is saying. Don’t be distracted by the phone, don’t look around, and please don’t start interrupting her with a response story. If you’re having trouble not getting attention, you may be developing narcissism – watch out for that.

If a person understands what you’re hearing, but doesn’t thoroughly study what you’re saying, they will close themselves off to you. Gradually, your intimacy will fade, and you will take your friendship with you.

Before you practice with people, you can practice listening to podcasts or audiobooks. So you can track how often you get distracted and organize this moment.

2

“What happened?” you haven’t heard “nothing”, that’s not always the case.

Same thing, “how are you?” This also applies to the “good” answer to the question. with an obvious depressed state of the interlocutor. Sometimes it is difficult for a person to open up immediately, he is afraid of vulnerability. Repeat your question gently, without pressure, but instead show your concern and note that you see her upset.

Practice observing people to notice this disorder. Sometimes everything is clear without words. Facial expressions, gestures, talkativeness and casual intonation will tell you more than words.

3

When the interlocutor talks about what worries him, try to understand what these words and experiences mean to him, avoid imposing your opinion, let him come to a conclusion himself.

Sometimes a person doesn’t want advice, they just want to talk. To impose an open solution will cause him to become aggressive and unwilling to share his innermost with you.

4

Show your interlocutor that you listen and empathize with them. This can be done by summarizing everything he said. After saying the main thoughts, you will see the reaction and you will be able to check whether you have understood it correctly.

Do not be afraid to make mistakes, such statements are a direct manifestation of empathy.

5

It is important to learn to hear yourself in order to develop an emotional response to the feelings of others. Begin meditating so that you can easily tune into the “one wave” with others. Even the shortest practices will help you feel more subtle about other people and recognize when something is wrong with them.

Summing up

That’s why it’s important to really deal with the feelings of people close to you in order to develop empathy. Watch how carefully you listen to what they are talking about. Show your indifference to their business and over time you will learn to notice that something is wrong with non-verbal signs.