According to some studies, empaths make up only two percent of the entire population, and, according to Eva Eulenstein, Coach and Facilitator, this type of person, namely women, frequently hide their own personalities to fit into social needs, which can make them frequently sick and or, at least, unhappy.

As a coach, she has opted to dedicate her life specifically to these higher sensitivity ladies. She wants to show the world that: “Being an empath is a superpower, not a curse”.

But who are these empaths? In short, while empathy is something we all experience throughout our lives, being an empath could be even more special. Here’s how to find out if you are an empath.

Traits of an empathy

To begin with, she told me that if someone walks into a room and automatically feels the vibe of the place, maybe that person is an empath. They may start to feel very bad, nauseous or, on the contrary, be positively influenced by the vibe of the place.

Another characteristic is the ability to feel other people’s pain and emotions. That’s not always good, because if you don’t control it, you end up so involved that you can’t separate what’s yours and what’s not. This is not the same as having compassion or a momentary kind of empathy, it goes deeper than that. If you are an empath, you can feel people’s sadness and almost their physical pain. In addition, you easily know when someone is lying.

Regarding work life, where Eva is a specialist, “Empaths are really sensitive people who need a lot of freedom to do things in their own time, in their own way. They can’t be boxed into a rigid system from 9 am to 5 pm. They want to work when they want and be alone when they need, in a place where they can take breaks or move their body when they need. The more freedom and autonomy they have, the better for empaths - they can be happier and more creative”.

Also, it’s important for empaths to “have a purpose and meaningful work where they get the feeling they are really making an impact, and feeling great at the end of the day.” According to her, empaths are eager to help “because they feel the pain and want to offer support. It might be: people, the environment or a specific cause”.

“Empaths often have problems with too much noise or strong smells because they are very sensitive. If they are exposed to all these senses, they can easily get over stimulated,” Eva added.

For empaths, personal growth is also important. So in their workplace, Eva explained that they must have space to learn more about interesting things.

Empaths at work – coaching

Eva wants to empower these empathic women to help them to step out of the box and lead a truly meaningful life that suits them best. “This type of woman struggles more with the normal work system, working 40 a week in the office, with high stress and in a highly competitive environment, and I give them the courage to really create a professional life that is energising for them, that they feel adapts to who they are, with their values, and allows them to make the difference they want in the world”.

Health, personal life and career, Eva believes that everything is connected. “I think it’s an illusion that we can separate these areas of life, because we spend so much time working – it would be so sad to think that for eight hours of my day I can be unhappy or someone else, and then when I get home, I can be happy. So my desire is to really integrate all the parts of people’s life so that they can always be the best version of themselves. I don’t think we should be someone else when we go to work,” she said.

Although empaths are highly sensitive, that doesn’t mean they’re less powerful. In other words: “Often, many people have the misunderstanding that sensitive people are very weak. I want to show that empathy is a great gift, because as can you feel so much, you know what’s going on and you really act and help people and play an important rule and share your message. It’s not a curse to be more sensitive, but the opposite, it’s a super power,” she said.

Coaching Retreat

In addition to coaching sessions, Eva is running a seven-day retreat in the Algarve, more specifically at boutique house Ana -Ana in Portimão, where she wants to bring together female entrepreneurs who share the same empathetic traits.
“This intimate retreat is designed for you to take a break from your business life, reconnect with your inner wisdom, spark creativity and build a like-minded international tribe”, she said.

“I met so many lovely people on my journey that I would love to bring together to enjoy nature and support each other” she said, adding that “sometimes, if you are an empath working as self-employed, sometimes you can feel a little lonely, that’s why I would like to gather these ladies together, in place that I fell in love which is Portimão”, where she’s based.

For more information on Eva’s work or to sign up for the retreat - which has to be done until 29 August - please visit her website at: https://www.eulenstein-coaching.com/the-marvellous-retreat-for-empathic-female-entrepreneurs-algarve.

Author

Paula Martins is a fully qualified journalist, who finds writing a means of self-expression. She studied Journalism and Communication at University of Coimbra and recently Law in the Algarve. Press card: 8252

Paula Martins