Cultivating empathy

Strengthen and deepen your empathy for reduced stress, improved relationships and overall better emotional health.

Empathy has been called the “psychological superglue that connects people and undergirds cooperation and kindness“ by empathy researcher Jamil Zaki, PhD. Empathy is what allows us to connect with others on a deeper level, develop strong relationships, and better manage our own emotions.

Empathy has also been shown to be a strong predictor of a whole slew of prosocial behaviors like forgiveness and volunteering. Essentially, a lot of things we consider to be positive behaviors in relationships and society.

Studies have shown that empathy can be developed, in a similar way to most other skills. Using certain exercises, we can strengthen our sense of empathy and benefit not only ourselves but those around us.

This thought guide aims to do just that by walking you through a simple writing exercise. In this exercise, you’ll write three short letters that will help you practice feeling empathy for others and yourself. You can return to this exercise as many times as you like, or whenever you’re feeling a little disconnected from others and could use a boost in empathy.