Did you know that some everyday places can be a war zone for an Empath? It's true. When you are super-sensitive to all the subtle changes in an environment and are also a sponge for people's emotions, some very normal places can become overwhelming. Here are five:

It’s almost impossible to turn on your TV, computer, or phone without being bombarded with more bad news. 

With one cause after another needing (and deserving) help, and one tragedy after another creating a sense of outrage in our hearts, compassionate people run the very real risk of experiencing “outrage fatigue.” At it’s essence, outrage fatigue causes caring people to become so overwhelmed and exhausted by the awfulness of it all that we hide away, shutting down from everything as a survival instinct to a heart that cannot take anymore hurting. 

Like any group of people, stereotypes and myths abound about Empaths. Because of these myths, I get many questions from unaware Empaths who don't believe in there sensitive nature because they don't fit into these stereotypes.

Common questions are: 

• I think I might be an Empath, but I'm not an introvert. Does that mean I'm not one?
• I've heard Empaths are generally depressed. I'm highly sensitive but also super happy; I guess I'm not one then?
• I'm very logical, but I hear that most Empaths are more creative. Is that true? 

Unfortunately, if you think you're an Empath but do not fit into these stereotypes, you might not seek the help you need to understand and protect this important aspect of you.  When you don't know how to turn it on and off, you can run out of energy pretty quickly. Suddenly, you end up super exhausted and unable to keep doing the good you want to do in the world. 

Let's just go ahead and keep that from happening, okay? 

It's time to bust some of the most ridiculous myths about being an Empath: 

The holidays can be an absolutely exhausting time for Empaths, and with Thanksgiving coming up, it’s a good bet that you are going to be bombarded with tension, old family patterns, and a few Emotional Vampires (EVs) coming out to suck your energy dry. 

So, how do you stay healthy and centered when EVs or other toxic people have a seat at your table? How do you actually have a happy holiday, instead of one filled with exhaustion, tension, disappointment, and sadness? Use these techniques and you just might have a great holiday: 

I've had a hard time sleeping since the Paris attacks. I close my eyes, and all I see is the terror, the hate, the inhumanity. My mind can't understand how someone can do such horrible things. Filled with these thoughts, I've found myself caught in the belief that this is a cruel world, and sickened by the fact that I don't know how to fix it or what to do to help. 

Then, this morning, I woke to find my sweet dog sound asleep on his teddy bear. Looking at him, sleeping happily and without a concern in the world, I realized that...

In this week's "Ask Tara," I answer a great question that I got from many of you: Can you only be an Empath for animals and not people?" Watch now to see my answer!

Are you an Empath? If so, it can be tough to stay empowered and healthy; always feeling everyone’s hurt often leads to putting your own needs aside to do whatever it takes to stop the pain.

It’s time for you to take care of you so that you can keep on taking care of those you love (if you don’t, you will get sick and tired and be unable to function). 

To do so, you need to implement these 5 lessons immediately: 

In this short video, I cover 6 things that non-Empaths say that drive Empaths crazy (and make us feel like we are from a different planet!). Do you have others? What have you heard from non-Empaths that have made you feel like you are totally misunderstood? Comment below!