By definition, an empath is someone who feels emotions on a deeper level. This term comes from the word empathy, which is having the capacity to understand the feelings and thoughts of others.
When you love an empath, it can be the most beautiful and remarkable feeling in the world, but it also has its downsides.
They're more sensual to emotions than an average person, which means their love for you is also intense.
This is why it's essential to know exactly how to love an empath in a way that provides them with their needs, emotionally and mentally.
In this article, we'll be discussing how you can adequately love an empath and make them feel loved.
Being In A Relationship With An Empath
Of all people, empaths take love seriously. So it doesn't come as a shock that they feel literally everything in their environment.
If you're in a relationship with an empath, their sensitivity to emotion can be seen as a challenge most days rather than a strength.
It takes a really substantial person to love an empath the right way because if anything, their emotions and thoughts are full of depth and meaning.
They might get hurt every now and then by what you say, but only because you didn't care to think about your words carefully.
An empath can probably feel the exact thing you do, so if you feel anxiety, anger, or even fear, they'll feel this as if it were their own emotions.
Despite all of this, a relationship with an empath is a beautiful experience as nobody will love you more intensely and deeply than an empath does.
They're often misunderstood individuals, which is why the concept of intimacy and love can feel like uncharted territory for them.
Once they let you in, you'll be on the receiving end of being loved by an empath, and it'll feel more than incredible.
How To Love An Empath: 11 Ways To Support Your Empathetic Partner
1. Don't try to change them
The first general rule of thumb on how to love an empath is not attempting to change them. They know precisely who they are, including their sensitivity to emotions.
The more you try to change them and attempt to harden their heart, you'll make them lose the beauty of who they are.
Not to mention, it just makes them feel you don't genuinely love them for their authentic selves.
The way to love them is by wholeheartedly accepting who they are to their core, without making any hard attempt to change them.
You knew they were an empath the moment you started to date them, so why bother changing them at all?
Love comes without controlling one another, and this includes accepting them unconditionally.
2. Respect their alone time
Empaths get drained far too easily because of their sensitive nature. It's because of this you need to respect their alone time as it's their only window of opportunity to recharge.
It's exhausting for them to feel the energy and feelings of their surroundings, and this is the only way they get to pause from all that.
So you need to give them a break when they can't always go to that party with you or choose to stay in over going out.
It doesn't mean they no longer love you or don't want to spend time with you. It simply means they want to recharge their batteries so they can also be a better partner for you.
They can't love you the right way if they're drained, after all.
So if you want to love an empath, just give them their space and time to replenish their energy, and they'll come back to you when they feel better.
3. Be a good listener
This is an important one on how to love an empath.
If you want to provide what they need and require from you, be a good listener. This doesn't just mean listening to what they have to say, but really paying attention.
Remember even the minor details, and don't be distracted.
An empath will be disheartened when they're telling you about their thoughts and emotions, and you're not even paying the closest attention.
They know they see the world and process emotions differently than other people, but you need to be supportive.
They don't open up to many people because of the way they are so if they feel you aren't listening, it encourages them not to open up even more.
Despite their sensitive nature, they don't just go around wearing their heart on their sleeve and revealing their emotions to anyone.
They only do this to people they trust, and you're one of those people.
So listen attentively and mindfully to what they tell you.
4. Make them laugh
Empaths can easily dwell in their own thoughts and emotions that they need someone to balance both light and darkness in what they feel.
If you can make them laugh, you're helping them to get out of their own heads.
You're reminding them what being pulled back in the present feels like rather than being in a state of anxiety or fear, for whatever reasons.
The way to love an empath is by making them laugh and encouraging them to forget their sensitive and empathetic nature, even for just a fraction of a moment.
It might just be a moment of laughter but for an empath, it's everything.
You're putting everything on pause for them, including absorbing the emotions of those around them.
5. Be honest
When loving an empath, there's no need to sugarcoat things or walk on eggshells around them.
They might appreciate you thinking before speaking, but that doesn't mean sugarcoating the truth.
If anything, dishonesty will change their perspective and outlook on you.
The moment you become dishonest with them and lie to them, it'll take them significantly longer to recover.
Since they feel their emotions much deeper than anyone else, this also goes for pain and betrayal.
Dishonesty can even go as far as breaking your relationship altogether, so it's best to be honest with them right from the start. Don't lie to them, twist the truth, or sugarcoat things with them.
They'd rather hear the truth than be comforted with a lie.
Even if they end up crying, it's a better alternative than losing them altogether in your life.
6. Communicate with them
If an empath senses something is wrong with you or the relationship, they tend to overthink things to an extreme. So if you're clearly upset about something, they'll likely sense this immediately.
The best thing you can do is be open with them.
If you're in a relationship with an empath, the worst thing would be to fear confrontation and keep your emotions bottled up.
Especially when you're upset about something that isn't directed towards them or the relationship, you need to assure them this is the case.
They'll likely know when you're hiding your feelings from them so even if it's hard for you to open up, you need to try at least.
Empaths are great listeners, so you won't regret opening up your feelings to an empath. They always seem to know the right words to say, especially to their partners.
RELATED: 65 Powerful Empath Quotes To Make You Feel Understood
7. Validate their feelings
We can't emphasize this enough, but validating their feelings is vital for loving an empath. This is something you can't miss when loving an empath.
So you can't tell them that they're just being dramatic or they're overreacting.
You'll push them away with this and they might never open up to you again, with any of their emotions.
Loving an empath the right way requires a lot of patience and understanding on your part, especially since they'll be feeling emotions that aren't even theirs.
They naturally absorb the feelings of their surroundings so they feel an overwhelming abundance of emotions regularly.
Don't tell them they shouldn't feel this way, but support them and be there for them. Validating their feelings means there can be no room for judgment or criticism.
You might not understand them, but at least be there for them. Also, allow them to express their emotions freely.
This could be their only release so let them talk and most importantly, be a good listener.
8. Understand how intense their love can be
An empath will love you harder and deeper than anyone else ever has in your life, and this could be both a good and bad thing.
It's a good thing because their love feels refreshing and wholesome, especially when they give you their entire heart without holding back.
They're not faking it as their love is that powerful and intense for you. However, this can be very intimidating, especially when you're not as expressive as them or not as romantic.
It can be easy to run away from this but avoid doing so. Embrace every angle of the intensity of their love and take it as a good thing.
Of course, you can always communicate this with them and tell them to tone down their level of empathy if you truly find it intimidating and uncomfortable.
9. Respect their boundaries
An empath is intense by nature, which means they probably have their significant boundaries they need to observe.
Respecting boundaries is expected in any healthy relationship, but it's even more crucial when loving an empath.
Maybe they don't like talking about certain things, or there are days they just want to have all the space in the world.
Don't take this against them but instead, show your support and love for them.
Respect is the foundation for any relationship, especially in loving an empath.
You need to respect they'll feel extremely overwhelmed and exhausted regularly, so they won't always talk about their feelings, or they won't always socialize with you.
Respect their boundaries, and they'll appreciate this from you wholeheartedly.
10. Manage your anger
People have different ways of expressing their anger. However, your temper means everything when loving an empath the right way.
For instance, if you tend to lash out, curse, yell, scream, or punch things when angry, this is the worst experience for an empath. It's because they feel your anger as if it was them that was fueled by it, sometimes even more.
So you need to find a way to manage your anger healthily, so you don't push her away or scare her off. Most likely, an empath can't deal with anger or rage.
So if you're angry at something or someone, tell them and if you really choose to yell or scream in frustration, don't be near them when doing these.
Anger is one of the most powerful emotions, and not in a good way.
It's for this reason that if you can, you need to manage your temper.
❤️ Related Post: 111 Powerful Affirmations For Helping Calm Anger
11. Incorporate peace and quiet
Empaths are sensitive to their environment, and sounds aren't limited to this aspect. So they quickly get triggered or even get frustrated when their surroundings are chaotic or noisy.
So if you're dating an empath, the best dates to take them to are coffee shops, bookstores, museums, and the like.
Given the noise and loud music in concerts and raves, it's probably not a good idea to take them to those types of places.
Also, when you're together at home, it's best to keep the noise to a minimum. It might feel absurd to you, but this will really help your empath partner.
How To Love An Empath: The Key Takeaways
In conclusion, I hope this article was able to shed insight into how to love an empath.
Even if an empath can often seem high-maintenance, they'll love you deeper than anyone else.
They might even make you wonder what you did to deserve that kind of love, just because of how pure and wholesome it feels.
Loving an empath requires a lot of patience and understanding, but it'll all be worth it in the end.
They feel their emotions deeply, but they'll also love you wholeheartedly with that same depth.
❤️ Related Empath Articles:
- Heyoka Empath – 11 Signs You Are This Powerful & Rare Kind Of Empath
- The BEST Grounding Crystals For Empaths To Use And Why
- How To Deal With Anxiety As An Empath
I'm a full-time freelance writer with a love for writing self-improvement, relationships, mental health, and lifestyle articles. Check out my other articles here on Subconscious Servant, or also Thought Catalog (that’s where I express myself in a more creative form ✨).