Female Empaths With Zero Friends Usually Have 9 Self-Soothing Habits
Rocketclips, Inc. / ShutterstockBeing an empath can be exhausting. When you take on the weight of other people's emotions, it eventually weighs on you, no matter who you are.
Women universally tend to be more empathetic than men, although not by nature, but because of the way they are socialized. They’re pressured to put everyone else before themselves to the point where their self-worth becomes dependent on feeling like others can rely on them, even if they have no one to rely on themselves. When a female empath doesn’t have any friends to pour herself into or gain strength from, they're smart to find habits that can help them self-soothe.
Female empaths who have basically no friends usually take on these self-soothing habits
1. They speak out loud
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Speaking our emotions out loud often helps us regulate them, and for empaths who don't have many friends, it can be a helpful practice. Even if no one is listening, speaking about how they are feeling out loud can provide a release for their complex emotions.
Even if that means venting to their pets or stuffed animals, it’s the perfect self-soothing tactic for a female empath who’s spent the entire day taking on all kinds of energy and tension from others at work or in public.
2. They lean on comfort shows
Instead of doomscrolling and taking on the emotional strain of reading through the day's news, empaths often find comfort in the same characters and storylines. They come back to the same comfort movies and TV shows because they’re not only predictable after a long day of absorbing people’s energy, but they have a strong connection to them.
Ironically, for someone without any friends, these comfort shows can also simulate social connection. Even though they’re often fictional characters and fake stories, we feel connected to media in powerful ways.
3. They invest in making their homes as cozy as possible
Many empaths can be easily overstimulated by too much sensory input, especially in social settings where they’re prone to absorbing and digesting everyone else’s energy. However, when they invest in comfortable spaces at home, they can release tension and energize themselves without needing anyone else.
Whether it’s a chair to cozy up in and read or a bedroom space that feels uniquely their own, they know they have a safe space to come back to.
4. They cry
Crying is a great self-soothing habit for female empaths. It serves as a natural release for all the added stress and strain they take on simply from being around others. They feel things deeply, and compared to people who can ignore external energy, they’re more at risk for taking on emotions they can’t understand or regulate.
This physical release is how they cope, even if they don’t have friends around to comfort them in the moment. They learn to accept and comfort themselves.
5. They wear headphones while running errands
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For empaths, everything adds emotional weight to their plate. Conversations with strangers and even being in a shared physical space with people create energy they absorb.
That’s why headphones are so self-soothing. When they wear them, empaths can still go out into the world, but they don’t have to deal with all the added stimulation that becomes draining when it’s too much.
6. They read
Much like watching comfort shows and movies you’ve seen before feels like a comfortable escape, for empaths, connecting with the characters in books is similarly energizing. They can empathize with people through the pages, with the kinds of self-soothing boundaries that protect their emotional health.
Of course, people get more empathetic the more they read, but female empaths are actually regulating and healing themselves by interacting with these characters.
7. They clean and declutter their space
Living in a clean space without tons of clutter is great for your mental health, and the actual act of cleaning itself can be therapeutic in that it helps to release stress and regulate emotions.
For women who are incredibly empathic, cleaning is a form of health escape. They’re both investing in their future self’s well-being, while also offering physical movement and action that helps them process emotions they’ve unknowingly taken on.
8. They take long showers and baths
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When you’re dealing with a lot of complex, overwhelming emotions, not all of which are due to your own personal struggles, it’s easy to get wrapped up in it. That’s why taking long showers and baths can be a powerful way to unwind. It’s a literal cleanse, and with the right mindset, even extreme empaths can process and let go of energy that’s not meant for them.
Yes, not having friends to co-regulate with can be hard for a woman who’s incredibly empathic, but sometimes, a practice like a healing shower brings them back to baseline quickly.
9. They make themselves laugh
Even when we’re in our worst moods, laughing and smiling can change how we feel almost instantly. You don’t even have to be around someone else to laugh. You have to do it genuinely at first. Just making yourself laugh can be powerful, especially for empaths who easily get caught up in other people’s negative energy or their own thought spirals.
By faking a smile when they sense complex emotions bubbling up or resorting to media they know will make them laugh, female empaths can protect their joy all on their own.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
