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We are once again living in difficult times and our political and social landscapes seem completely overwhelming. With the rise of the far-right, violent immigration raids and the cruel rollback on trans rights just to name a few, it can be hard to find hope anywhere.

Feeling helpless in these times is completely understandable and feeling overwhelmed with empathy for those hit hardest by all that’s happening makes a lot of sense, too. However, that empathy can quickly become overwhelming and leave us feeling drained.

In their book Sensitive: The Power of a Thoughtful Mind in an Overwhelming World, Jenn Granneman and Andre Sólo argue that we should use this pain, this empathy and this overwhelm and turn it into compassionate action.

They write: “When sensitive people practice compassion, it doesn’t just give them a rudder in the storm. It makes them an ark unto others. Almost nothing is more calming than the presence of a person with unflinching compassion.

“They care, but they don’t panic; they speak up, but they do not command. Compassion is a language all of us understand,........

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