Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, and How to Prevent It
Are you worn out? Weary? Feeling exhausted all the time even if you get a solid 8 hours of sleep? If so, you may be experiencing the symptoms of compassion fatigue. You may have heard this term before. Compassion fatigue is the felt physical and emotional exhaustion from prolonged compassion stress. It is the natural impact of caring for people or animals in difficult spaces.
I love the quote from Dr. Naomi Rachel Remen that says “the expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk on water without getting wet.” If you are in a caregiving role – whether it is as a therapist, a veterinarian, a foster/adoptive parent, a teacher, healthcare worker, pastor, or ministry leader – the risk of compassion fatigue is real! The more honest we can become around this, the more we are able to implement a plan of action for both the prevention and recovery of compassion fatigue.
Compassion Fatigue Vs. Burnout
What is the difference? You may hear people use these terms interchangeably, and while some symptoms overlap, there are some clear differences between compassion fatigue and burnout. Here are 4 differences.
Compassion fatigue typically has a sudden onset, whereas burnout develops over time.
Compassion fatigue encompasses both emotional and physical exhaustion, but burnout is mostly emotional exhaustion.
Compassion fatigue has more of a felt sense of apathy, whereas burnout is characterized by more cynicism.
People experiencing compassion fatigue feel more helpless, whereas those with burnout feel more hopeless.
Burnout typically occurs as a result of environmentally-based external stressors. These include things like long work hours, little natural light in the environment, lack of supplies needed to do your job well, long hours, not taking enough breaks, little support from management, and toxic work environments. Compassion fatigue, on the other hand, results from the consistent exposure to people or animals who are suffering, along with the empathic nature of the caregiver and the intensity of the exposure to suffering.
Compassion fatigue is real, and there are ways to protect yourself from developing it.
5 Ways to Protect Yourself from Developing Compassion Fatigue
Spirituality - Research shows that a spiritual connection serves as a buffer and protective factor against compassion fatigue. Spirituality serves as a source of hope for people. It is an anchor to which we cling when life is difficult. It stabilizes, it gives perspective, it reminds us that this life, the pain we experience or witness on this earth, is not the end of the story. Where is your hope found?
Self Compassion - Are you critical of yourself? Do you expect yourself to handle stress and pain without being affected? Is there a voice in your head that tells you to be stronger than this? If there is, I encourage you to be curious about where that voice is coming from. It sounds harsh and full of unhelpful judgment. Maybe at one time it protected you from something, but now, a harsh inner critic only serves to enhance the struggle. What if you began to offer yourself compassion? Just like you do for others. To have a voice of understanding, of gentleness, of care. Try treating yourself with kindness and respect. If we can treat strangers with kindness and respect, then surely we can treat ourselves this way. When you notice the voice of the critic, try asking yourself, “What would I say to someone else right now?” Offer yourself the same compassion. In the moment, try placing your hand over your heart and speaking kindness. Another way of practicing self compassion if you are feeling worn down, exhausted, or experiencing the heaviness of someone’s suffering is through breathing. As you inhale, breathe in compassion. As you exhale, breathe out the heaviness and lay the burdens down. I like to picture myself taking in the compassion of Jesus and laying down the burdens at his feet.
Connection with Others - We are created for community. We are not meant to do life alone. It is important to have both personal and professional connections. Who are the people at work that are supportive? That you can laugh with? That you bond with? And who are people outside of work who are your safe people, the ones who you can share the ups and downs of life with? I encourage you to be intentional about cultivating these relationships.
Coping Strategies - Coping Strategies are those practices, hopefully healthy and effective ones, that offset the heaviness of the work you engage in. These include things like stress management tools, professional and personal boundaries, skills for emotion regulation, mindfulness and presence, rest, nutrition, joyful movement, and fun! What are your practices? In what areas do you need to develop more coping strategies? Once again, we need to be intentional about utilizing these. Have a plan that you are implementing regularly so that you are in a proactive stance rather than a reactive one.
Career Sustaining Practices - If you are in a caregiving field, the weight of what you carry is heavy. The needs are ever-present, the demands high, the weight overwhelming. There is also much joy, incredible rewards, and great gain in the field as well! To sustain for the long run - this is a marathon, not a sprint - it is important to have career sustaining practices. These may include having boundaries at and outside of work, allowing your mind and body to disengage, taking time off, utilizing vacation time, and practicing time management, organizational, and interpersonal relationship skills. I invite you to reflect on your current practices and identify both strengths and areas in need of growth.
For those of you in the caregiving field, thank you. Thank you for your hard work, your care, your empathy, the way in which you invest in the lives of people and animals who are suffering and in need of care. You make a huge difference!
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