Is It Exhaustion, or Is It Empathy Fatigue? By JULIE POTIKER
caring. And sometimes, they care so much that their empathy drains them completely. If this sounds like you, you are certainly not alone. If you’ve been in a caretaker role for some time now, you may even be resigned to thinking, “This is just the way it is” — but it doesn’t have to be. Most of us are familiar with the remedies to physical exhaustion, such as sleep and downtime, but you may not be aware of how to deal with empathy fatigue. This kind of energetic, emotional exhaustion deserves your special attention.
Caretakers the world over are all too familiar with feelings of being stretched too thin from time to time as they nurture, support, and protect those they care for. And the realities of the pandemic have pushed many caretakers to their limits and beyond. From navigating all the new restrictions, to securing personal protective equipment, to enhanced cleaning routines, to simply helping those they’re caring for deal with the ongoing stress and loneliness, caregivers are left completely maxed out. And on top of that, they’re also often the only contact those they care for have with the outside world during this time. The pressure is immense. Amidst it all, caregivers are doing one thing most of all: They’re 22
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What Is Empathy Fatigue? Empathy is when you connect with and feel someone else’s pain. It’s a beautiful way to relate to others, but remaining in this state becomes exhausting because you are in the constant position of giving while not receiving anything back to fill your own coffers. Compassion is when we try to alleviate someone else’s pain. Compassion is love in action. When you start to feel tired or drained from giving, that’s empathy fatigue. And the key to healing it lies in compassion. The mindfulness practice of mindful self-compassion offers many tools we can use to overcome empathy fatigue in the present and help to prevent it in the future. Here are five tips to inspire you to recognize, heal, and avoid empathy fatigue. 1. Don’t ignore fatigue. When you feel exhausted from caretaking, don’t ignore it. That’s empathy fatigue! If you don’t acknowledge it and work to heal it, it can take over and wreak havoc on your sense of well-being. 2. Add compassion to your empathy. When you add compassion to your empathy, something beautiful happens: www.BusinessWomanPA.com
