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. 2

Make 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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4Join 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.

5Write 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.