I have blogged about the benefits of gratitude before, but since it is National Gratitude Month, I would like to take a deeper dive into the topic. I am sure you have heard that practicing gratitude has a myriad of positive effects. Research has revealed that gratitude benefits us in four spheres of wellbeing. Physically: … Continue reading Practicing Gratitude to Build Emotional Resilience
Category: Compassion Fatigue
Compassionate Connections
Why they are just as important as Self-care The notion of “self-care” has been a popular response to compassion fatigue and burn-out. As I wrote in my previous blog, promoting self-care alone can be problematic. I proposed that maybe we should be focused more on “compassionate connections.” I wanted to follow-up on that thought. In … Continue reading Compassionate Connections
Are you getting tired of hearing about self-care?
You might not be alone. The other day, while connecting with old friends, someone mentioned “self-care.” My friend, a middle-school teacher, indicated with a tone of exasperation that she was “so tired of hearing about self-care.” She went on to tell us that she is bombarded with emails from her school about how they should … Continue reading Are you getting tired of hearing about self-care?
Compassion Fatigue and Covid
How does the pandemic impact helping professionals? Compassion fatigue is hardly a new phenomenon. Helping professionals have long experienced the impact of chronic exposure to secondary trauma and stress associated with their work. But circumstances created with the Covid-19 pandemic could be challenging compassionate helpers on a whole new level. Compassion fatigue impacts those in … Continue reading Compassion Fatigue and Covid
Compassion Fatigue is not just a Social Service Problem
This past month, CNN reported on an Uber internal memo acknowledging that their special investigative unit is beginning to suffer the impact of investigating everything from assaults, threats and other traumatic incidents. In the social service world, we call this “Compassion Fatigue” or secondary traumatic stress. It occurs in high stress occupations that involve exposure … Continue reading Compassion Fatigue is not just a Social Service Problem
Cultivating Compassion to Combat Compassion Fatigue
In my work with human service organizations, compassion fatigue is one of the most requested training or consultation topic. I have found that organizations are getting better at recognizing the need for self-care. However, most efforts lack a true understanding of what compassion fatigue is and how to best combat it, both individually and within … Continue reading Cultivating Compassion to Combat Compassion Fatigue