Mental Health Week Day Four - Developing Empathy

In yesterday's post ( link) we talked about developing our listening skills. Well, the same can be applied to empathy. Far from being an immutable trait, we humans all have the capacity to change. Our empathy can certainly be developed, expanded and shared. There are many different factors involved in the early development of empathy. Research continues to grow in this field, but here are just a few factors that research has shown to have an effect on the development empathy: 1. Genetics: research on twins has shown heredity in the development of empathy causing approximately one third of the variation in children. 2. Neurodevelopmental Factors: the study of mirror neurons have shown a promising neurological explanation of our ability to connect other individual's experiences with our own. Dr. V.S. Rmaachandran's TED Talk provides a great overview (Vilayanur Ramachandran: The neurons that shaped civilization | TED Talk). 3. Imitation: infants tend to mimic facial expressions quite early on and seems to be linked to the internalizing of other individuals emotional experiences. 4. Parenting: the ongoing influence of how parents socialize their children has a significant and foundational impact on the development and expression of empathy. Research has also shown the significance of strong parent-child relationships in the development of empathy Biology has an impact on our development and as we move into adulthood these influences can follow us, however that does not mean we are not able to make changes/improvements to our behaviour and ways of thinking. Consider some of the following to help develop empathy: 1. Cultivate curiosity. Spend time with people from different backgrounds (political, religious, ethnic), visit new places, get to know your "acquaintances" better and ask questions. What is their life like, how has that shaped their perspective and be present while talking to them. Notice what makes them tick, what connects you and where do you differ? How do those topics make you feel? 2. Examine your bias Similar to cultivating curiosity, try spending time with people that are different to you. You may want to dedicate some time to think about what your biases are first if you are unaware. Recognize the similarities between you and the other person/people and suspend judgment when it comes to your differences. 3. Receive feedback Listening is a big part of being empathetic. Getting feedback on your listening skills from trusted friends and loved ones can help you understand what you're doing right and where you can improve/grow. 4. Join a shared cause Find a community project or join a group where members are from different backgrounds. Research has shown that working together on a common goal or community project can help remove bias and heal differences. 5. Educate yourself Read everything! Look for writers from different backgrounds, with different political beliefs or just those who have a unique perspective that is different from yours. Educating yourself on how others see the world can help support the development of our emotional intelligence and ability to empathize with others. #mentalhealthweek #empathy #satuppada #developingempthy