Self-care to Prevent Compassion Fatigue While Serving and Taking Care of Others

Are you feeling run down and emotionally drained while serving and caring for others? It may be time to be more intentional about your self-care to prevent compassion fatigue.

Compassion fatigue can be a common problem for people who serve and care for others.

The good news is that there are solid ways to comfort yourself when you feel emotionally or mentally exhausted.

Even more, the prevention of compassion fatigue is also possible! Preventing compassion fatigue can be achieved by:

1. Implementing personal boundaries
2. Performing self-care
3. Improving self-awareness
4. Further self-education on the concept of compassion fatigue

Click HERE to get the Self-care Starter Guide and start finding more me-time for yourself.

This article will discuss self-care for compassion fatigue while serving and taking care of others to prevent compassion fatigue.

Burnout Versus Compassion Fatigue

The first place to begin is understanding the difference between burnout and compassion fatigue.

Burnout

Burnout results from the stresses of the person’s interactions with his or her environment.

The main symptoms and signs of burnout are:

1. Emotional exhaustion
2. A sense of ineffectiveness
3. Dissatisfaction with work

All of these symptoms combined can result in cynicism and detachment from work.

There can also be:

• Poor sleep
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Social withdrawal

Consequently, these experiences can lead to interpersonal conflicts, poor judgment, and addictive behavior.

Compassion Fatigue

On the other hand, compassion fatigue results from the relationship between clinician and patient.

Compassion fatigue (also called secondary or vicarious trauma) compromises clinicians in their ability to care for patients because of symptoms that parallel posttraumatic stress disorder. 

• There might be an avoidance of situations involving patient suffering, and intrusive thoughts or dreams of distressing symptoms.
• Physiologic distress can occur in response to reminders of work with dying patients.

If these symptoms persist, additional stress in the home or work environment might result in burnout.

Consequently, people caring for dying patients are at risk of compassion fatigue and burnout.

Self-care to prevent compassion fatigue while serving and taking care of others is essential at all times, especially when the loved one is dying.

Compassion Fatigue in Relationships

Ongoing care for a spouse, parent, or child with a severe disability, declining health, or experiencing a terminal illness are common causes of compassion fatigue in relationships.

Often people believe the caregiving duties are going to be temporary. But traditionally, caregiving duties become harder and more burdensome as the health status of the loved-one declines.

Roles can change when experiencing the stress and trauma of severe health issues or the impact of a terminal illness as a caregiver.

So most importantly, while not always possible, finding another person to provide toileting, bathing, and dressing assistance can preserve a spouse or child’s role in a relationship and minimize compassion fatigue.

In addition, being verbally or physically abused while serving (or taking care of their loved ones) can place the person at risk for compassion fatigue.

Here are 6 self-care to prevent compassion fatigue while serving and taking care of others

Self-care is essential for anyone who works with people, but it is crucial for those who serve and care for others.

Naturally, many people do this type of work in the helping professions.

But more and more, people perform this type of work daily in their homes.

1 Regular Exercise – Try Walking Daily

First, one of the best ways to prevent compassion fatigue is to get regular exercise.

Walking is a great form of exercise that can be done almost anywhere and at any time. It’s also low impact, so it’s easy on your joints.

Aim for a 30-minute walk daily, or break it up into three 10-minute walks throughout the day.

There are other ways to achieve getting daily movement that doesn’t require high-impact exercise. For instance:

• Yoga
• Mindfulness meditation
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Biofeedback
• Guided imagery
• Deep breathing exercises

These are excellent self-care techniques that can help prevent compassion fatigue.

2 Pay Attention to What You Eat

Second, another powerful self-care strategy to prevent compassion fatigue is to improve your diet. Specifically, focus on eating foods that are high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.

Antioxidants help to protect your cells from damage, while omega-3s have anti-inflammatory properties.

For example, some of the best foods for preventing compassion fatigue include:

• Blueberries
• Spinach
• Salmon
• Nuts and seeds
• Avocados

Additionally, eating less sugar can help prevent compassion fatigue because it can cause inflammation and make you feel tired.

Sugary foods also tend to be high in calories, leading to weight gain. Instead, focus on eating whole, healthy foods that will fuel your body and help you to feel your best.

3 Getting More Sleep – Crucial Self-care to Prevent Compassion Fatigue While Serving and Taking Care of Others

Sleep is essential for good physical and mental health, so it’s important to ensure you’re getting enough.

For instance, most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

If you have trouble sleeping, there are a few things you can do to help yourself fall asleep and stay asleep:

• Create a bedtime routine and stick to it
• Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening
• Don’t work or use electronic devices in bed
• Get up and move around every few hours during the day

These self-care tips can help you to get the sleep you need to prevent compassion fatigue.

4 Taking Time for Yourself to Do Things You Enjoy

In addition to exercise and sleep, it’s important to take time for yourself every day to do things that you enjoy.

This can help to reduce stress and prevent compassion fatigue.

In other words, be sure to schedule some “me time” every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Some ideas you can do to relax and de-stress include:

• Reading
• Listening to music
• Spending time in nature
• Organizing your home or workspace
• Crafting or hobbies
• Cooking or baking
• Watching a movie or TV show
• Exercise

Whatever you choose to do, make sure it’s something that you enjoy and relaxes you.

5 Having a Support System in Place is Another Important Part of Self-care to Prevent Compassion Fatigue While Serving and Taking Care of Others

As a person who serves and takes care of others, it’s important to have a supportive network of family and friends that you can rely on when you need them.

To clarify, the ideal support people are those in your life that you do not care for or serve.

These are the trusted people who can provide:

• A listening ear
• A shoulder to cry on
• Or just a distraction from the stresses of work.

On the other hand, if you don’t have close family or friends nearby, there are other ways to get support, such as:

1. Online support groups
2. Counseling or therapy
3. Supervision from a supervisor or mentor
4. Support from co-workers

6 Seek Professional Help

These self-care tips can help you to prevent or manage compassion fatigue.

Remember, taking care of yourself is important so that you can be there for others.

But, above all, if you find that you’re struggling to cope with compassion fatigue, it’s important to seek professional help.

A counselor or therapist can help you to identify the signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue and develop a plan to manage it.

In conclusion, compassion fatigue can be a serious issue for people.

Therefore, implementing self-care to prevent compassion fatigue while serving and taking care of others is crucial.

Furthermore, taking time to assess your self-care needs and being intentional about meeting those needs is also imperative. That is to say, if you show signs of compassion fatigue, seek help and do not try to tough it out on your own.

If symptoms linger or interfere with your activities of daily living, it’s best to consult with a medical professional.

Implementing these self-care tips can be instrumental as you continue providing compassionate care to the people you care for and serve.

Click HERE to get the Self-care Starter Guide and find more me-time for yourself.

Resources:

1. NIH Compassion Fatigue in Nursing
2. NIH Compassion Fatigue among Healthcare, Emergency, and Community Service Workers: A Systematic Review
3. NIH Compassion Fatigue
4. Mayo PTSD
5. Good Therapy – Compassion Fatigue
6. APA Are you experiencing compassion fatigue?
7. Managing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue Through Self-Care Strategies | Behavior Therapy Associates
8. 5 Pathways for Healing Compassion Fatigue

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