SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies for more than two decades, coined the term empathy fatigue. And like compassion fatigue, which is a term commonly associated with healthcare workers, empathy fatigue is now experienced by parents, teachers and grocery store workers who are all feeling the negative effects of repeated stress, constant change and exposure to fear and loss. The sooner you notice signs of empathy fatigue, the sooner you can care for yourself and replenish your stores of empathy. Be on the lookout for: • Feeling exhausted physically and psychologically • Feeling helpless, hopeless or powerless • Feeling irritable, angry, sad or numb • A sense of being detached or having decreased pleasure in activities • Ruminating about the suffering of others and feeling anger towards the events or people causing the suffering • Blaming yourself and having thoughts of not having done enough to help the people who are suffering • A decreased sense of personal and professional accomplishment • A change in your worldview or spirituality • Physical symptoms, including sleep and appetite disturbances, nausea and dizziness “What many people don’t realize is that our ability to relate to and care for others (aka our empathy) is a limited resource,” states psychologist Susan Albers, PsyD of the Cleveland Clinic. “If we drain our empathy account, we can end up feeling some pretty negative emotions which can result in trauma.” “Unless we have support and methods to address these wounds, a majority will choose numbness”—almost always unconsciously— because the alternative is too painful, writes Michaela Hass, PhD, author of Bouncing Forward: The Art and Science of Cultivating Resilience. I personally subscribe to a practice which flight attendants do by putting my own oxygen mask on before helping others. You simply can’t pour from an empty cup! For me, good self-care means developing a routine that makes each day somewhat predictable and includes the intention of getting adequate sleep, eating well, drinking copious amount of water, engaging in physical activity, taking time to relax and socializing with family and friends who lift me up. And I’ve chosen not to obsess about bad news or situations I cannot personally control. It’s been a gamechanger. Managing my exposure to the state of the world on social media, television and the like is an ongoing challenge, however, necessary to keep my mind and body balanced. I highly recommend this strategy to be at your optimum best.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ2Nzk4