Psychology Today: How to Develop and Strengthen Your Empathy

"Learning to show empathy to a friend, colleague, or loved one in distress is not a simple skill. It is a muscle that we must use and develop.

The need for empathy

And especially since the pandemic, research shows empathy is on the decline. In fact, according to a 2007 study on empathy, published by Nature Neuroscience, only 1 to 2 percent of the population are truly empathetic.

In a more recent study conducted by Method Communications last year, they noted 25 percent of Americans find that empathy "doesn't matter," but an overwhelming majority (73 percent) agree it would be better for society if people were more empathetic.

Four techniques to help you be more empathetic

1. Increase your tolerance for emotions. An important part of being human is to embrace your emotions. Even if they’re uncomfortable, it’s not as scary as you think.
2. Avoid trying to solve moods. Realize that it isn’t possible for you to solve moods. You can solve problems, but moods come and go in their own timeframe. It’s okay to be curious and try to pinpoint if a problem triggered your mood. Exercise the resilience of accepting the mood until it passes.
3. Accept discomfort. Learning to accept the inherent discomfort of your own moods will help you become more adept at dealing with the discomfort of other people’s moods. Once you’re able to manage your own discomfort, you’ll avoid the risk of blowing through another person’s mood to get to a place that’s more comfortable for you.
4. Stay true to the narrative. One of the most challenging aspects of being empathetic is to avoid turning the narrative around to be about you. Express that you understand without integrating details about your own experiences.

With practice, it will enable us to build and strengthen our interpersonal relationships. It would also empower us to become more empathic listeners to our family, friends, and business associates, and they would be tremendously grateful for it."

Read the full article here!

Reflection:

How would you describe your level of empathy? What are some other ways you can develop your empathy?

*I tend to be empathic to the point where I make others' problems my own. It's quite unhealthy so I'm actively working on it. I think empathy can be cultivated by truly listening to others' experiences. People also tend to have a genetic predisposition to (higher/lower) empathy. I think there are multiple factors that affect your level of empathy. However, we can collectively agree that greater empathy would lead to a better society.*

#Empathy #Research #EmotionalRegulation