Welcome to Consider Yourself Hugged! Click below to watch or Click here to listen to Episode 198.
*Disclaimer:
The information in this show is not intended to be therapy or to address your individual situation. It is information based on experiences, opinions, and research. If you need further help, please reach out to one of the resources at the end of the show notes, or others in your area.
Welcome back! Today Michelle and I dive deep into compassion fatigue, exploring how it impacts our mental health and well-being. We discuss symptoms, risk factors, and practical strategies we’ve found helpful in preventing or managing emotional exhaustion. We also introduce an alternative perspective on compassion fatigue and highlight the importance of self-care.
🛑 Key Topics:
What is Compassion Fatigue? 💙
The emotional toll of constant caregiving 🩺
Symptoms and warning signs 🚨
Is it really compassion fatigue or empathy fatigue? 🤔
The impact of unprocessed emotional exhaustion 😞
How we can recover and build resilience 💪
Insights from the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology 🌿
💡 Key Takeaways:
1️⃣ Understanding Compassion Fatigue
It stems from prolonged exposure to others' suffering 💔
It leads to emotional exhaustion, numbness, and detachment 😓
It’s common among caregivers, healthcare workers, and those in helping roles 🤝
2️⃣ Symptoms to Watch For:
Emotional exhaustion 😞
Irritability and detachment 🛑
Decreased empathy and increased cynicism 😒
Feeling overwhelmed and hopeless 🌀
3️⃣ A Fresh Perspective: Is it Really Empathy Fatigue? 🔄
Dr. Gabriel suggests the term compassion fatigue is misleading 🤯
The real issue? Neglecting self-care while caring for others 🛑
We are wired to care, but we have to take care of ourselves too! 💙
4️⃣ How We Prevent and Overcome Compassion Fatigue:
✅ Prioritizing self-care with the "Minute, Hour, Day" approach
✅ Setting healthy boundaries to avoid emotional over-absorption
✅ Seeking support through peer networks and professional help
✅ Reframing our mindset from emotional burden to action-oriented care
✅ Incorporating positivity and joy into daily life
✅ Following workplace guidelines like those from the Green Cross Academy 🌱
📝 Self-Assessment: Are you at risk for Compassion Fatigue? Take this quick yes/no quiz to assess where you stand. Count how many YES answers you have! 🎯
📚 Book Mentioned in This Episode:📘 The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath – Amazon
💬 Join the Conversation!
🔥 Have you experienced burnout? What helped you recover?💬 Share your thoughts in our Facebook Group or comment on YouTube!
📌 Subscribe, Review, Share & Stay Connected
🙌 If this episode helped you, send it to someone who might need it too! 💙
Follow Us:
🔗 Website: www.tamiwest.com
📘 Private Facebook Group for Women! Consider Yourself Hugged Community
📺 YouTube: Check out our video episodes!
👥 Want to join us on a retreat? Let us know in the comments!
As we've always asked in the past, please pass the show link along to your friends and subscribe, download, and review wherever you are listening. If you’re a woman and you haven’t joined our private FB group A Place for Women, please do that now! It’ll be your source of encouragement. I'd love for you to follow my Tami West Seminars Facebook page as well. If you'd like to know more about my Mental Health First Aid Courses, contact me at 615-497-7714 or tamiwest@tamiwest.com.
And next time, Consider Yourself Hugged 😘🤗
Mental Health Resources:
Michelle Kixmiller, MSN, MAE, RN, APN, PMHNP-BC
Michelle Kixmiller is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Licensed Educator. She works with children and adults with mental health needs including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, autism, schizophrenia, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Michelle served as a public school teacher and science department chair for over a decade when a family tragedy pulled her in a different direction. The death of her younger brother after a multiple year battle with depression and alcoholism led her to pursue a career in the mental health field. She went back to school to become a registered nurse graduating and gaining experience as a critical care nurse at a level 1 regional burn center prior to completing a graduate degree to become a mental health nurse practitioner. Her vision is holistic care through teamwork to create a more peaceful school environment for students and staff alike. No one should have to struggle alone. Michelle currently works full time for a non-profit community mental health center at an outpatient clinic and works PRN for an inpatient crisis stabilization unit. When not at work she loves spending time with family, traveling, watching movies (not scary ones), running (slowly), and Crossfit. Contact Michelle at Silver Lining Psychiatric Solutions, 615-378-7713 or mkixmill@gmail.com.
Tami West, PhD
Stress and Mental Health Expert Dr. Tami West uses her entertaining and compelling style to shine a new light on how to transform your life and discover solutions to life’s challenges.
Tami has worked in a variety of industries including healthcare, school nutrition, corporate sales, and 10 years as a public-school teacher. In 2013 she received her PhD in Human Development, studying the connections among stress, emotions, and identity.
Dr. West has spoken in 48 states across the US, as well as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. In any given year, Tami speaks to groups with audiences consisting of anywhere from 100 to 3,000 people.
Dr. West is the author of several successful publications including three books: The Stress Club, Life Without the Monsters and Thrive. When she's not speaking or writing, you might find her with her traveling with her husband and family, reading historical fiction, or watching Big Bang Theory.
Tami connects with audiences through real experience, cutting edge research, and transparent stories – all sprinkled with humor! She will make you laugh, cry, and shine a refreshingly new light on life's challenges.
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Contact Tami at tamiwest@tamiwest.com
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