Compassion Fatigue: How To Take Care of Yourself While Taking Care of Everyone Else
Most likely everyone in your life knows you’re a natural caregiver. Maybe you do it professionally for several patients. Maybe you take care of your aging parents. Or, maybe you’ve just taken care of everyone in your family for years, so everyone expects it.
Most people who take care of everyone else are naturally empathetic. Maybe you started caring for others out of love because you want what’s best for the people in your life. However, after weeks, months, or even years of taking care of everyone (and everything), it can start to take its toll. It’s not uncommon for caregivers to experience burnout. That can leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. But, compassion fatigue is different from burnout and can be far more serious.
What is Compassion Fatigue?
Compassion fatigue has been described as a secondary stress disorder. Again, when you start taking care of someone, you usually do so out of love. That’s even more true if you’re caring for a family member or close friend. However,, if it seems like your tasks never end, you don’t get recognition, and you can’t find any time for yourself, your feelings can start to change over time.
Compassion fatigue occurs when you start to feel indifferent about the people you’re caring for. Your ability to empathize with them or feel compassion about their needs is diminished. In some cases, you might even feel frustrated or resentful toward them. It’s an occupational hazard if you’re caregiver for a living. But, if you’re simply caring for someone you love, it can damage your relationship with that person. Even worse, it can wreak havoc on your mental health.
Signs of Compassion Fatigue
If you are unaware of the common signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue, it’s often easy to pass them off as burnout. Recognizing some of the red flags will make it easier for you to realize there’s a bigger issue.
The most common signs of compassion fatigue include
Feelings of helplessness
Angry outbursts
Mood swings
Digestive issues
Difficulty sleeping
Intrusive thoughts
It’s easy to fall into symptoms of anxiety or depression when you’re experiencing compassion fatigue. Unfortunately, those symptoms don’t usually go away on their own. Something has to change to reduce your symptoms. Thankfully, there are things you can do to fight back against this type of fatigue.
Making Yourself a Priority
The most important way to fight compassion fatigue is to practice self-care.
When you realize you can’t care for others without first taking care of yourself, you’ll be less likely to develop feelings of frustration and resentment.
Self-care looks different for everyone, and there’s no one “right” way to do it. Even if you only have a small amount of free time each day, make it a priority to do something you enjoy or something that helps to reduce your stress. Try activities like:
Yoga
Exercise
Mindfulness
Meditation/deep breathing
Journaling
Setting appropriate boundaries with others so you don’t feel taken advantage of
Even something like reading a good book, watching a favorite show, or cooking one of your favorite meals counts as self-care. Make the most of the little moments throughout the day, and caring for everyone else won’t feel as overwhelming.
Find Your Support System
It’s also important to reach out for help if you need it. Consider joining an online or in-person support group of other caregivers. When you know you’re not alone in how you feel, it can make a big difference.
On a more personal level, talk to your loved ones about what you’re experiencing. Ask for help and support, and don’t be shy about expressing your needs. The people who care about you won’t want to see you struggling.
Begin therapy for compassion fatigue in Duluth, GA
You don’t have to keep struggling with compassion fatigue on your own. Counseling can help you prioritize self care and figure out how to cope with your situation. To start your therapy journey, follow these simple steps:
Click this Contact Me link.
Book a free, 15 minute phone consultation with me to talk more about what you are looking for from therapy and to ask me any questions you have for me about the process.
Schedule your first therapy session to start learning how to deal effectively with compassion fatigue.
Other services available from Ginny Kington, Psy.D.
Treatment for compassion fatigue is not the only service I provide. Oftentimes, if you are struggling with compassion fatigue, you are experiencing a considerable amount of anxiety and/or depression. You also may have been through traumatic experiences. Therapeutic services are available in all of these areas. I am able to provide these services in my office in Duluth, Georgia or online in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
