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 through water without getting wet – Remen
In my last article, I spoke about the importance of being compassionate to others and ourselves, and that compassion can be a tool for healing. However, the irony is that, like overworking a muscle that becomes fatigued, our compassion muscle can also become fatigued. Compassion fatigue is a term characterized by a loss of compassion and empathy for others due to physical and emotional exhaustion. It is considered a cost of caring and can lead to burnout and secondary traumatic stress if not recognised and addressed. Warning signs of compassion fatigue can include physical and emotional exhaustion, diminished ability to show empathy to others, increased use of substances, unexplainable irritability or anger, and/or numbness or hypersensitivity to anything emotional.
As health-care workers our jobs require us to work in a context of loss where we bear witness to suffering daily and we are required to be directly or indirectly compassionate towards others for a great deal of our time. This challenge has been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic which requires even more of us, where our capacity to cope is being challenged even further. We are thus more susceptible to experiencing compassion fatigue at this point in time.
To prevent or manage compassion fatigue, I offer the following suggestions:
· Put YOU first: Put your own health and wellness at the top of the priority list, as your capacity to care for others is dependent on caring for yourself. Write it in your diary or on the top of your ‘do-to list’.
· Applaud self-care: Applaud your colleagues for taking time for self-care rather than applauding them for working themselves to the ground.
· Acknowledge your grief: Acknowledge your own grieving process for the individual and collective losses you may have experienced or witnessed.
· Communicate: Communicate your challenges to your peers and supervisors. Silence can be golden but communicating your needs will ultimately make you richer.
· Debrief: Attend and actively participate in any debriefing opportunities. Every opportunity is a learning and growth opportunity – go there for you, go there for others too.
· Set boundaries: Be aware of your limitations and make your boundaries clear to others. Know when you are depleting your reserves before it is too late.
· Have a support system: Build and maintain a support system of friends, family and colleagues. Identify those people or communities in your life that build you, rather than break you down.
· Make sure your tank is full enough: Find a balance between nourishing and depleting activities at work and in your personal life. List what nourishes and depletes you and regularly check if your tank is full enough.
· Be healthwise: Make sure you get quality sleep, eat healthily, and add regular exercise to your schedule.
· Take your lunch break: Use this time to rejuvenate your body and mind.
· Look forward to something: Have something to look forward to, whether a planned holiday or developing yourself further.
· Remember what you are passionate about: Remember why you do the work that you do.
· Celebrate the small victories (e.g., when a patient successfully takes a first step after an operation, or when a family member thanks you for the hard work you are doing).
· Ask for help: If you or someone you know is not coping, make use of the confidential employee wellness programme and other staff support systems provided by your organisation.
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