The Happy Empath: A Survival Guide For Highly Sensitive People

by Christine Rose Elle

Lift the weight of emotions, soothe your sensitive nature, harness your empathic gift

You know how it You're in a meeting, or on the bus, and realize you're picking up the emotional state of the person next to you. Life as an empath can feel overwhelming, but The Happy Empath gives you tools to help you navigate charged emotional territory—and stay even-keeled even in stormy moments.

High sensitivity can be a valuable gift, and this guide will help you harness and strengthen your skills as an empath while reducing stress and distraction. From the office to home and even online, you'll learn to protect yourself in 19 different everyday environments—and deepen your relationships with those you encounter.

The Happy Empath

Travel through your life as an empath smoothly with the practical techniques in The Happy Empath .

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Audiobook

152 pages, paperback

Published October 8, 2019

Reviews

[Diana R. Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read

While this reflects everything I have already read regarding empathy it was a great reminder of my own needs. If you are interested in learning this is the book to read.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
I really thought I would take more away from this book but I enjoyed learning about the different types of empaths.

[J.R. Sedivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Happy Empath is a must read for empaths and individuals who are highly sensitive to their environments.

The Happy Empath outlines what constitutes an empath, the challenges and opportunities of empaths, and tools for overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of these challenges. This book is a quick and easy read and there is plenty of great actionable information that you can put into practice immediately. As the title implies, by the conclusion of this book, if you take the steps recommended by the author, you will be a happy empath, or at least have experienced noticeable progress towards happiness.

The Happy Empath is a great book for both those who consider themselves empaths or those just curious as to what constitutes an empath.

[Sydney Swafford · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you consider yourself an empath I would highly recommend this book. It provides real life examples and strategies to help you navigate spaces as someone who quite literally carries others energy and emotions on you throughout the day. I am sure there are more scientific or in-depth books about the topic but I think this is a great place to start. In addition, for someone who might not be able to afford or obtain therapy sessions, this is a great secondary way to think about and analyze your thought process. It’s easy to skip through parts that might not currently matter to you, but nice to have it on your bookshelf in case you find yourself in said situation in the future.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook.
I’ve done a lot of reading and therapy into empaths and highly sensitive people. This book (whilst very short) actually gave me several new perspectives and tasks to help me as an empath.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

A survival guide for highly sensitive people! Ha I’ve been needing one of those. This was a cool book. I think everyone’s capacity for empathy is constantly expanding and changing & books like these can help hone on in skills in emotional regulation.

[Wandering Star · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally thought that the introductory Rainbow Quiz (to figure out which type of empath you are) was not thorough enough and led to more confusion than satisfaction. I found myself questioning if "empath" was a reliable term or if I was one in the first place. I found that many qualities attributed to empaths exist in other groups of sensitive people who are not entirely empaths. Someone could have qualities empaths have without having the closeness with other people that is commonly associated with empaths. Therefore, I believe much of the insight in this book could apply universally as healthy tools for everyone regardless of whether they identify with being an empath. The tools the author provided about how to deal with a world of overwhelm and overstimulation (a problem for most people) and relax/destress were helpful. Some I definitely heard before but others were fresh ideas to me.

Unfortunately, I feel the author did not clearly define what distinguishes an empath from other sensitive types. I found that the different types of empaths the author gave were not adequate enough depictions while some seemed too much like caricatures. Moreover, the author did not address enough of the gray areas such as overlap of different types or whether someone's life experiences or other personal qualities could interfere with their ability to be an empath.

[Crazypetlady · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't bother paying for this, it's all basic life skills that everyone should be cultivating anyway. Read a Buzzfeed or MSN article instead. "Don't worry! Just be happy! Practice gratitude everyday" kinda stuff.

[Natalie:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am an empath. Its something I've always known to be true about myself. With this being said, I've always thought that I was an empath simply because I am very emotionally intelligent and tend to carry the weight of everyones emotions. Ive always understood emotions very well and always strive to help other people understand and validate their own emotions. But this book taught me that there is so much more to being an empath than what I thought. As I was reading it, I was learning so much about myself and finding things that were being said in the book relatable to me. The author mentions certain behaviors and coping mechanisms that I do and use on a daily basis. They talk a lot about sensory overload which is something that I experience often.... and now I know why. They also talk about how not all empaths are the same and do or experience the same things, which was really interesting and helpful for me to learn about.

This book taught me so much about being empath and gave helpful affirmations and advice. It did a really good job of encouraging and explaining how to better navigate your emotions which can be beneficial to anyone, regardless of whether or not you are an empath. I recommend this book to not only those who are empaths, but to anyone genuinely interested in learning more on the topic. It will teach you how to better understand the needs and behaviors of an empath, and yourself as an individual.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've just realized you're an empath and haven't done any reading about it at all, "The Happy Empath" is a great one to start with. There's info about different types of empaths and how they might protect themselves in various settings (crowds, public transportation, etc.). However, if you've learned about empaths before (or have done work on yourself for more clarity about this), there likely isn't any new information for you here.

The one thing I did really like is the Rainbow Empath Quiz that the author included. By answering a few questions, you can then see what type of empath you are (such as a Physical Empath, Energy Empath, Nature Empath, and so on). This provided me with a bit of insight (although it does simplify things a little too much when you're talking about people's complex personalities).

Anyway, this was a super quick read so I didn't feel frustrated by the lack of new info or tips, but I most likely wouldn't recommend it to other empaths.

*Free copy provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by someone that recognizes my introverted and empathic nature. Being one who finds himself frequently exhausted by the environmental happenings around him, and the emotional projections of others, I thought this book might have some answers for me.

I think the author does a good job of describing 'how' it feels in certain situations for select Empath types (I 'see' you), however I couldn't bring myself to narrow down to just one type. I think success with this book will come from reading all of the Empath types and seeing which tools you can leverage to your benefit. For example, whether you're a Plant Empath or not, I think almost anyone can benefit from re-charging in nature.

Personally, I didn't find anything to be greatly groundbreaking here, but it is specific and will likely help you feel understood in your needs.

[Ellie Hull · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy read just as other reviews have said. I also enjoyed the different empath types and identified with a couple of them. I really appreciate the simple, honest advice on looking after yourself and stopping doing stuff that isn’t good for you. There’s so much we try to peruse it with because we’re trying to please others or think it’s what we should be doing.

I only detract a star because, with my publisher hat on, I felt a lot of the practical, useful information was a bit buried and could have been better highlighted through formatting.

[Sarah M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny little read that packs a punch and brought great peace and understanding to this dumbass today

Seems somewhat self-indulgent to label myself as an empath but the definitions given gave me a lil ah-ha moment.

A fair bit of the advice given doesn't apply/feel relevant to me personally, but it was interesting to read nonetheless!

(ya girl is a violet btw,if you've read this lemme know yours💜)

Shoutout Borrowbox for having this audiobook available to enjoy!!

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the overall concept of the book was good! There's a color quiz in the beginning which helps you narrow down which type of empath you are, which kind of allows you to pick and choose what you want to take away from the book, however it seems like not every chapter was applicable to every empath, and along with this I found myself skipping chunks of the book at a time due to being unable to relate or finding the information flat out unhelpful.

[Emily Lakin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 | The colour coded empath types I really liked to learn about, especially as I felt I was between a couple of the types. But here were parts I felt could have been a bit more diverse. I’d have liked a bit more help for those with their own issues, like illness or trauma, competing with others peoples. Also simply some more accessible options for those who can’t do things easily because of disability or other limitations. I did find parts of this book useful and interesting. But it was very surface level.

[Bianca1977 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband is an intuitive (violet) empath and quite enjoyed this book. He asked me to read it, so I understood the more sensitive ‘quirks’ of his behavior in moments where he feels overwhelmed by his environment. He likes the simple, practical structure of the book very much. I would like a little more information on the how or why, but I understand his preference for this book. It’s an easy read with quick practical tips for daily life.

[Illustrious Illusions · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative book. A little overwhelming if you try to read everything! But if you follow the path the author takes you on you can narrow down the material to focus on what works best for you and help you to understand your empathic abilities and needs. I plan to go back to this one a few times to try and soak in all the information...

[Joey Fruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great layman’s guide for setting boundaries and practicing mindfulness. I am not sure what I was expecting, but I personally did not find it wildly useful as a mental health professional; I would appreciate something with a little more “oomph.” That said, I could definitely think of some people I work with who may find something like this helpful.

[Inma Gomez Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the quiz in the beginning a bit confusing, as the author prepared more questions dedicated for certain types of empath than others.

Plus, the “tools” they give you for every situation are pretty much the same (e.g., focus con what you are feeling with your hands).

Overall it was good but a bit disappointing.

[Shana Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read with direct application!

Really appreciated the words, examples, and connections she makes to understanding the types of empathy. Good question, self0reflection and identification for empathy.

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many aspects of this book resonated with me. Being an emotional empath myself, I felt heard and understood when reading several parts of this book. I have a better understanding of how to sit with my emotions and process them instead just ignoring them and floating above my feelings.

[Ashley BCJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this! It was a quick read and gave some insight into how the brains of empaths work and how to effectively navigate a variety of life situations as an empath. Recommend for a quick read that can help you with tools to manage your emotional landscape.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 3 out of 5]

S’alright.

[Nancy Sherod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newly discovered word for me... loved the tools within this book and the new awareness!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one I will refer back to throughout my life!

[Daryl Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informayive

A good overview of various empaths, but not sure about SMART! Reminded me of a work process I once was forced to take part in!!

[Isobel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can see how this is helpful for people, but I didn’t really get anything out of this book, except maybe I’m not as sensitive as I think I am?

[Hannah Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up. A little too touch feely for me, but was cool to learn about different types of Empaths.

[Libby Wight · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uninspiring.

[Vanessa Ayola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book have very good insights and explains pretty well the wide rage spectrum of empathy.