Mindful Mondays: To Give Is To Receive

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Showing empathy toward someone may seem like it only helps the receiver. But research data show that the act of understanding someone else, and truly connecting with them in this way provides positive mental health benefits for the giver as well. 

In our busy lives, it can be difficult to take the time to stop and show empathy for others. Plus many may not even know what it looks like to show empathy for others. So while there is no script for empathy, here are a few principles to keep in mind:   

1. Understand and acknowledge their pain. 
2. Share how you feel as a way to find common ground, but not eclipse their issue.
3. Show gratitude that the person opened up at all.
4. Show interest by being with them fully. 
5. Be encouraging, without making their issue seem trivial. 
6. Be supportive. Don’t try to fix them, and let them know that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes.