The coronavirus outbreak has left millions of people without their normal gyms, exercise studios and fitness community. These are the signs that you may be wrestling with compassion fatigue. Basically, it’s a low level, chronic clouding of caring and concern for others in your life – whether you work in or outside the home. Losing compassion for some people while becoming over involved in others? Commonalitities of Burnout and Compassion Fatigue: Emotional exhaustion; Reduced sense of personal accomplishment or meaning in work; Mental exhaustion; Decreased interactions with others (isolation) Depersonalization (symptoms disconnected from real causes) Physical exhaustion Cumulative process marked by emotional exhaustion and withdrawal associated with increased workload and institutional stress, NOT trauma-related. And when it was done with me, I opened my eyes to a sideways view of the sidewalk. – Anger toward perpetrators or causal events, “First, you should understand that it’s a process. Don’t carry the burden around with you. If you don’t know, then keep searching until you find it. It’s ok to need a break. I’m uncentered, and it’s easy for me to feel overwhelmed and stressed. I needed to take a hard look at how and why. In our fast-paced society, we are lucky if we give our brains and bodies a 4-5 minute break on a regular basis. What skills do you want to build? Okay, so fine, those are my inboxes. Here’s an example. Decisions that shouldn’t be occupying space in your mind? Below are 7 strategies to help you successfully battle compassion fatigue. When you identify the things that fuel you, the things that you have true passion for, your fatigue will disappear. It is for educational purposes only. Don’t allow small setbacks to evolve into full-blown failure. Fall into the habit of complaining with your colleagues. Are there decisions you can defer or delegate? In a phrase, refuse to lose. What helps you wind down and let go? Also called “vicarious traumatization” or secondary traumatization (Figley, 1995). Find someone to talk to. And by all means, ask for help when you need it. Burnout What hobbies have you been neglecting? Exercise and eat properly. As part of your effort to release, you also need to relax. Talk out your stress- process your thoughts and reactions with someone else (coworker, therapist, clergy, friend, family, supervisor), Build a positive support system that supports you, not fuels your stress, Pets accept whatever affection you are able to give them without asking for more—Pets are basically invulnerable to “provider burnout”–Blood pressure and heart rate decrease when interacting with animals, 220 Adams Drive, Suite 280 - #224, Weatherford, TX 76086 USA. Look for a new job, buy a new car, get a divorce or have an affair. Questions? – Isolation and loss of morale Understand the stress and the other signs involved so you can begin to reduce the intensity. For example, the pain of losing a $100 bill is twice as intense as the joy of finding a $100 bill on the street. Reflect on why you’re feeling what you’re feeling. It’s an occupational hazard for sure. – Emotional intensity increases document.getElementById("hinode").style.display="none", document.getElementById("Boulevard Monde").style.display="none", document.getElementById("Pipz VoxZap").style.display="none", document.getElementById("Zurc").style.display="none", document.getElementById("Zurc Investimentos").style.display="none", document.getElementById("Bandeira Coin").style.display="none", document.getElementById("Winnex").style.display="none", document.getElementById("Prosperity Clube").style.display="none", document.getElementById("MMM Brasil").style.display="none", document.getElementById("Cricket").style.display="none", document.getElementById("Easy4Trade").style.display="none", document.getElementById("Hoseki").style.display="none", document.getElementById("Gold Invest").style.display="none", document.getElementById("USITECH Bitcoin").style.display="none". – Loss of hope and meaning=existential despair Primary Traumatic Stress Workers experiencing compassion fatigue might describe themselves as overwhelmed and drained, and individuals experiencing compassion fatigue often become moody, irritable, impatient, … And that’s fine, because no one can. Can you free some of your personal time and invest it in things that fill you up instead of filling up your social calendar? You need to increase interactions with people who can fill you back up and energize you. Honest, daily reflection is important. The common definition is this: secondary traumatic stress resulting from a caregiver’s focus on others without practicing self-care. Emotional symptoms of compassion fatigue can include feelings of anxiety, guilt, anger, fear, sadness, and helplessness. When you find yourself on the verge of burnout, take a moment to refocus. Stress is all around us and can be experienced at any time. Sign Up to Receive FREE Monthly Magazines, Reduced sense of personal accomplishment or meaning in work, Decreased interactions with others (isolation), Depersonalization (symptoms disconnected from real causes). To avoid compassion fatigue, we need to be better at removing unnecessary distractions. But being hunkered down at home doesn’t mean it’s an excuse to gain the #quarantine15.