The Guardian - UK (2022-04-30)

The Guardian | 30.04.22 | SATURDAY | 77

became The Trouble with Goats and Sheep.
At the time, it was just an escape and I didn’t ever
imagine being published, but gradually, the same
empathy that left me sobbing in a public toilet
helped me become a better writer. I channelled my
emotions into something positive, and feeling them
so strongly I found I could walk in the shoes of my
characters. With a little concentration, I could
almost think myself into being someone else. The
story I wrote as therapy won a competition, which
led to a publishing contract, and being an empath
became very useful when I started to earn a living
making up stories. I still volunteered on the wards,
though. I could never let go of a job I loved so much.
Being a hyper-empath isn’t all pain and misery.
We can make great listeners, and great friends,
because we understand others. We’re probably the

fi rst person you’ll ring when you’re having a bad day.

We also have superb intuition: that gut feeling we

get about something ... most of the time it’s right.

People often describe me as oversensitive, but I’ve

always thought that was a strange phrase. Like

saying a tree is over-green.

I still have a thing with accents, though. A few

weeks ago, our Australian neighbour knocked on

the door, asking for a favour. As she thanked me and

walked back down the drive, I shouted “No worries,

mate!” at the top of my voice, like I was auditioning

for a part in Neighbours. I wasn’t taking the mickey,

honestly. I’m just ... quite absorbent.

Joanna Cannon’s latest novel, A Tidy Ending , is

published by HarperCollins ( £16.99 ). To buy a copy for

£14.78 go to guardianbookshop.com

Are you a

hyper-empath?

Here are fi ve

ways to make

things easier

Step back from

the situation

Whether that’s

walking away from

a conversation, taking

a break or simply

turning off the news.

If you have time, allow

yourself a rant or a cry.

“If you don’t/can’t,

bookmark it for later,”

says Daynes. “No good

ever comes from

bottling things up.”

Try rationalising

how you’re feeling

The simplest way to do

this is to identify a

feeling, then ask

yourself if that emotion

is actually useful.

Work out if there’s

something

practical you can do

If you’re upset about

something, try

channelling your

feeling into action:

sharing a petition,

making a donation

or even doing

voluntary work.

Allow yourself

to do something

enjoyable without

feeling guilt

For all of us (empaths or

not), the landscape of

the world can feel

almost unbearable – but

self-care and fi nding joy

are still important.

“We’re no good to

anyone if we’re an

emotional heap,” says

Daynes, “and if we take

care of ourselves, we can

still aff ect the world in a

positive way.” Walk the

dog, read a book, watch

the sunset.

Remember that

not everyone is

a hyper-empath

So if you’re excessively

worried about someone

or something, or feel too

keenly about another

person’s situation,

chances are they’re

more OK than you

probably realise.

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