How To Show Empathy

Empathy is the ability to share and understand the feeling of another person. I enjoy the company of good friends, especially those who know how to show empathy and bother to ask how one is doing. I am extremely put off by those who are attention seeking and put down others.

Here are four ways to show empathy :

1. Ask How You Can Help
Empathy is more than just understanding why a person feels a certain way. Empathy is also being able to help someone in whatever way you can.

In a situation when you may be considering how to develop empathy, you can try to put yourself in that person’s shoes or literally ask the persona what you can do to be of assistance.

2. Active Listening
Many people listen to respond in a conversation. They are not fully engaged with the person whom they are having a conversation with. They are either distracted by other matters or lost in their own thoughts.

Active listening requires asking questions and understanding more about a person’s insights and feelings in their circumstance. We can only notice what they are saying, their body language and facial expressions.

3. Be Open 
When we are able to be open and vulnerable, we are able to show our human side. Empathy is a two-way relationship. It is important to show empathy to the other person and it is equally important that they show empathy to you too.

When you are able to share personal experiences, this may allow others to relate to their current struggles. We build trust too with people when we show our vulnerable side. People are more open and we give them the confidence to speak freely.

4. A Different Perspective 
When you are able to see someone as a human being, you are able to see them beyond their appearance, job or actions. We recognise that they have a past that might include struggles and past hurts. When they make mistakes, we remind ourselves, we too make mistakes.

Most of the time we forget that the person we are speaking too is also facing his or her own challenges. When we remind ourselves to be kind to others, adopt a softer connect, we build a closer connection.