Four Ways To Develop Empathy

WELL-BEING

Close up of couple holding hands.

The ability to empathize with those around you is essential to healthy relationships. Empathy is essentially the act of understanding and sharing someone else’s feelings.

The more you can empathize, the easier it is to connect with other people.

While empathy may come naturally to some people, for others, it is more difficult. Thankfully, there are ways you can practice empathy and get better at seeing the world from another’s point of view.

*Be curious about others.Get in the habit of asking questions and really trying to understand what someone else is experiencing.

*Learn to listen.If you want to share the feelings of others, you first have to truly hear what they are saying.

*Practice acts of kindness.When you do something kind for another person, it creates an opportunity to imagine what their life is like.

*Step out of your comfort zone.Experiences like traveling or meeting new people let you see the world in a new way.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine