Coping strategies

Here are eight things that might help stop compassion fatigue in its tracks.

1Be aware of changes in your level of compassion fatigue. Your level of stress and how you feel about caring can change from day to day and may also depend on your older adult’s health. By regularly making notes on how you’re feeling, you can track your stress and compassion fatigue levels over time.

You could try rating how you feel on a scale of one to 10. For example, if you’re usually feeling irritated and overwhelmed as well as having trouble sleeping due to worry, you might decide that you’re at seven, and jot down a few of your major symptoms.

The scale is up to you – a one could mean no symptoms at all, a five could be a variety of symptoms that come and go, and a 10 could be that your symptoms are so severe and unrelenting that your health is at serious risk.

Keeping an eye on your compassion fatigue levels and major symptoms helps you notice and take action before you reach a severe stage.

2Make self-care a priority. Taking care of yourself isn’t a luxury. Self-care is essential if you’re a long-term carer. It keeps you mentally and physically healthy and protects against compassion fatigue.

It might feel selfish to take time out for yourself, but if you’re feeling run-down, overwhelmed and have a short temper, it will definitely come through when you’re caring for your older adult.

Each person has a different way of taking care of themselves, but in general, you’d probably want to:

Exercise regularly Eat a healthy diet

Have a good sleep routine and get as much high-quality sleep as possible

Take time for yourself each day – even if it’s only 10 minutes

Get help with caring or household tasks Find ways to take breaks from caring –such as using respite care.

Spend time with friends. An important part of maintaining balance while caring is to keep up your social connections. This helps prevent loneliness, isolation and depression. Spending time with friends chatting, sharing a meal or taking a walk are great ways to de-stress and take your mind off caring worries.

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Join a carer support group. Carer support groups are filled with people in similar situations – they’ll truly understand what you’re going through. Whether you participate online or in person, these groups can significantly improve your quality of life because you’ll feel less alone and be able to get advice on handling difficult situations, vent frustrations, learn new coping skills and more.

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Write in a journal. Journalling is an effective stress reduction technique that’s perfect for carers. Getting your thoughts and feelings down on paper and out of your head has been found to be very therapeutic. Journalling helps you process thoughts and emotions and can even help you find solutions to challenges or make tough decisions. Plus, writing in a journal is free, takes as much or as little time as you’ve got, and can be done anywhere.

Wellbeing

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Use positive ways to cope with stress. After a tough day, it’s tempting to plop down in front of the TV with a bottle of wine, but that isn’t a positive coping technique. Instead, put together a list of go-to coping strategies that are positive and healthy. Try and do things that will make you feel better in the short term and improve your health and wellbeing in the long term. Suggestions include taking a walk, meditating, doing a short work-out, practising deep breathing, calling or texting a friend, watching funny video clips on YouTube, or taking a long hot bath or shower. 7

Spend time on hobbies. Before you were a carer, there were probably hobbies and activities that you enjoyed. Regularly finding time for those activities is a great way to take a break from caring for your older adult. This improves quality of life and reduces the risk of compassion fatigue because it’s something fun and creative that you do just for yourself – and isn’t related to caring, work or chores. (See our story on the power of hobbies on page xx.) 8

Speak with a counsellor or therapist. If your compassion fatigue levels are increasing, talking with a counsellor or therapist can bring relief. They help people deal with negative thinking, stress, depression, anxiety, major life changes and more. A therapist can guide you towards effective ways to reduce compassion fatigue and manage the tough emotions that come with being a carer. ACG

To find out more about support groups near you, call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 and select “option 1” to speak with your local Carer Gateway service provider. They'll register you with Carer Gateway and start the process.