1. Upsetting images stay with empaths long after seeing them. Whether it’s as significant as a tragedy you saw on the news, or as common as seeing roadkill on the side of the road, you have a difficult time disconnecting from the pain.

2. You’re moved to tears easily. It’s not something you fear or try to suppress. If your eyes start tingling, you let it happen. It’s a cathartic release.

3. You’re able pick up on tiny changes in energy or body language, which can cause you to overthink situations.

4. You have zero poker face. Not only do you wear your emotions on your sleeve, you wear them all over your face too. There’s no hiding it.

5. It’s not uncommon for you to feel sympathy pains or aches if someone around you is sick. You’ve suddenly felt nauseous if a loved one is under the weather.

6. You have a difficult time being around narcissists. People who lack empathy for others are like aliens to you – you can’t understand how they operate. You assume everyone connects the same way you do. And upon meeting those who don’t, it can be very jarring.

7. You can get overwhelmed in crowds or with tons of people. Because you can absorb the energy levels and mindsets of those around you, it can lead to what some may think of as temper tantrums. That’s not what’s going on. You’re just so exhausted, you need to get away and have your space.