Around 10 years ago, I worked as a PA for head of department in the financial industry, who had a keen interest on personality types and advised me to take the ‘Myers Briggs’ questionnaire, knowing very little about it. I’d never really heard of the word ‘Empath’, let alone know I was one or what it really meant. As an empath, naturally it now makes that I would have been categorised as a ‘feeler’ type, and made that to be wrong in the Corporate World and embarrassed to admit it in a world of ‘thinkers’. I desperately wanted to change the way I tackled problems to change my Myers Briggs scoring.
Fast forward a few years, I was on an internal training course where we were split into those categories again. Only 2 of us in a room of around 20 participants and again I felt like I was a minority and shouldn’t be in a corporate world. To my surprise and delight she announced to the whole room to make a note of who we are as the company needs more of us!
Knowing what I know with around 10 years of wisdom and experience since then I’ve come to realise my empathy is actually a gift. If any of this resonates with you, and you feel you don’t belong as an empath in the working environment, you’ve been labelled as being ‘too sensitive’, or ‘too quiet’, here are some tips I’ve learned along the way:
Honour your sensitivity and don’t make yourself wrong for feeling ‘too much’. You were hired for a reason, and the Corporate World needs more of our gentler nature to show them another way of reacting; the old ‘masculine’ paradigm is no longer working
As empaths we avoid confrontation and will often keep our opinions or true feelings to ourselves to avoid conflict. Don’t be afraid to speak up / speak out if you notice an old way of doing things is no longer working; your voice matters too. Your sensitivity and empathy are your superpowers. If you can find a way to do this with your gentle nature and understanding they will be won over. Baby steps though — Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Identify what you see as your weakness (often for us empaths it’s assertiveness or confidence in speaking so we don’t upset others) and take a course in self development
Realise not everything is personal and others are often unconsciously reacting from their own unhealed trauma, or learned behaviour
Be clear on your career goals and don’t be afraid to ask for new opportunities. . As empaths we expect others to notice our hard work and be rewarded for that, not realising our direct manager may not even be aware of what we are doing unless we raise it with them. Boast about what you do and let them know about it, dear empath!
Manage your diary – block time out for ‘me’ time during my working day so no one can book that time. I book out time for lunch to get time away from work, and get some air
You’re a sponge for other peoples feelings — recognise what isn’t yours and try not to absorb it 💕💕