Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share feelings with others. This skill is learned through practice and cultivated throughout our lives. It helps you connect with the people around you and build community.

When you are being empathetic towards others, it feels like you are extending care and concern to others through building a deep connection. When others are being empathetic towards us, it feels like we are being heard and seen.

Empathy is a process that involves:

• Taking time to recognize the challenges of others we can’t always see.
• Understanding others’ feelings.
• Seeing the world from others’ perspective.
• Appreciating the value in others.
• Supporting others in respectful ways.

You can start adding some simple practices into your life:

• Cultivate curiosity towards others.
• Become an active listener.
• Ask people how they are feeling.
• Try to understand the perspectives of others.

If you want to learn more about empathy, consider signing up for an empathy workshop with Healthy Campus (workshop dates will be posted here when available).

Remember that empathy is a learned skill – the more you engage with practicing empathy, the easier it gets to incorporate into your daily life.