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Emotionally Exhausted? It Could Be Compassion Fatigue
Deep empathy can be damaging
Giving too much to others and empathizing too deeply–whether personally or professionally–can take its toll.
That doesn’t mean we should stop, but we must practice self-care to avoid emotional exhaustion and compassion fatigue.
After all, if we reach burnout, we are unlikely to help anyone, even ourselves.
Compassion fatigue is common among many physical and mental health care providers yet receives little attention from employers or the media.
And yet, it is real and highly damaging, leading to:
- Chronic physical and emotional exhaustion
- Loss of empathy
- Depersonalization
- Irritability
- Mental and physical health problems
Working conditions, volume of work, and personal trauma can increase the likelihood and depth of loss of identity and over-identification with clients, patients, friends, and family in need.
Self-care is our long-forgotten friend
Self-care is a game-changer. Time spent focusing on macro self-care–eating well, getting enough sleep, and taking vacations–is crucial…
