Five Everyday Ways to Practice Empathy
May 2, 2022 | Mental Health
For the last 71 years, the month of May brings the tradition to rally an important continuous conversation around our country as we recognize CMHA’s Annual Mental Health Week. This year, through May 2 to 8th, CMHA has chosen to focus on the emotion of Empathy for the week - helping us to understand how to be there for one another and connect to the emotion that underpins an experience.
In this month’s blog, HDGH Clinical Psychologist Dr. Bethany King takes a deeper dive into Empathy, what it is, what it is not and the simple things we can all do to become more empathic in our lives. Enjoy!
What is Empathy?
There are many definitions of empathy including:
- “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another” - Google and Oxford Dictionaries
- “the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions: the ability to share someone else’s feelings” - Merriam-Webster Dictionary
- “the psychological identification with or vicarious experience of the feeling, thoughts or attitudes of another”- Dictionary.com
And, importantly, empathy is different from sympathy. This video clip by Dr. Brené Brown helps to show the difference between them: Empathy vs Sympathy
The following tips can help you to be more empathic in your everyday life.
1. Use active listening
It is important when you are talking to people to be really present in the conversation. Don’t be distracted by your phone, or thinking about what you will be doing later, or what your next comment is in the conversation. Be focused on what the person is saying. Look them in the eye when they are talking. Nod your head or use other gestures to indicate your understanding. Repeat what they have said in your own words to ensure you have understood.
2. Cultivate curiosity about people around you
When was the last time you had a conversation with someone and were truly curious about them? Being interested in people helps to build connections with others.
3. Pay attention to your body language
Only a small percentage of a message is conveyed through words, most is about tone of voice, body language and facial expression. You can craft a kind and understanding thing to say, but if you don’t radiate warmth and acceptance, your words are meaningless. If you project judgement or disapproval when someone is allowing themselves to be vulnerable, it is unlikely you will get the chance for that meaningful level of conversation again.
4. Validate their emotions
Even if you disagree with the content or opinion of what someone is saying, their feelings are still their own and they have a right to feel how they are feeling.
5. Try to put yourself in someone else's shoes
It can sometimes help to imagine what another person's experience might be like, especially if it is different from your own.
About Dr. King
Dr. Bethany King, C.Psych. is a Clinical Psychologist who has worked at the Regional Children’s Centre and Toldo Neurobehavioural Institute (TNI) for almost 25 years. She loves to travel. She loves the water and is an avid scuba diver. She is a reader of all things science fiction.