Empaths and HSPs Are Similar But Not the Same

Recently a friend of mine asked me what the difference between HSPs (highly sensitive person) and Empaths was. The lines are so blurred that people often use the terms interchangeably when in fact they are two very different things. Almost every article you find written about Empaths are actually describing HSP's so it's no wonder people are confused.

The complication arises in part because most people who are Empaths are also HSP's. Current research shows that HSP's make up about 10-15 percent of the world population, while Empaths are only about 3-5 percent of the world population (with Empaths typically considered a subset of HSP's so most Empaths are also HSP).

To me, the main difference is that HSPs are just that - Highly sensitive. They are sensitive to sound and smells i.e. they more likely to be bothered by a piece of equipment that is buzzing, while others may not even notice the sound. They are sensitive to the feelings of others i.e. when they see someone cry, they can't help but tear up also. I also see HSP's (myself included) as hyper-alert beings who are acutely aware of their surroundings.

Empaths are typically all of that AND they are sensitive to energy. They feel energy in a way that most people can't quite comprehend. We literally feel the energy of others inside our bodies as if it is our own. Therefore, if we are sitting next to someone who has knee pain, we will feel pain in our knee too. And if we are around people who are sad or angry, we will feel sad and angry too (and not always realized that the sadness and anger belongs to someone else).

So why it is important to make a distinction?  Mainly because the tools and techniques needed to thrive as an Empath (transmuting and clearing energy) are not the same ones you need to thrive as an HSP.  Many Empaths struggle because the information being shared doesn't always help if you are an Empath (although it will help if you are an HSP).

Why am I sharing this information now? Because being an empath has never been more challenging or more "work" than it is right now. Empaths FEEL energy - and they feel it inside their bodies - so whatever the people around them are feeling (physically and emotionally) - whatever people in the collective are feeling - they are feeling too. If an empath assumes everything they are feeling is theirs, they are likely struggling right now - and have for months - with all the fear being generated in the collective as well as the anger and confusion people are experiencing. The more we are able to transmute and clear energy from our body and our energy field that isn't ours, the more we are able to come into our hearts and find center and consequently the easier time we'll have navigating this time of upheaval on our planet.

It is imperative that Empaths take care of themselves right now - in a manner and to a degree that most people will not understand - and that's ok. If the statistics are correct, only 3-5% of the population is going to relate to how we feel anyway so we need to take care of ourselves, regardless of whether or not the people around us understand.

If you are interested in reading more about the difference between HSPs and Empaths, I suggest checking out this link:

https://thehappysensitive.com/being-empathic-versus-being-empath-crucial-differences/

It is one of the best articles I have seen on the topic. It was written by Caroline Van Kimmenade.  Her website is thehappysensitive.com and she's got a lot of good information on there if you have some time to explore it.

In the meantime, if you are an Empath . . . be kind to yourself, be gentle with yourself, devote as much time and attention to self-care as you can, sleep as much as your body needs you to, cut yourself slack if your emotions are all over the place from one minute to the next. Find ways to come back to yourself and your heart as frequently as you can. There has never been this much dense energy rising to the surface, so we've never had to be quite this diligent about transmuting / clearing energy and finding center again.

Someday soon we will see why our role here has been so important (if you don't know it already). I know sometimes it feels like it is never ending . . . and there may be moments (and even hours or days) right now where you might wish you weren't an Empath because it has been a LOT of work lately but hang in there. The world needs all of us right now. The world needs us to be in our hearts as much as possible and to hold space as strongly as we can, while the world spins through all of this chaos.