Blog

What to Do about Compassion Fatigue  

April 5, 2019
Linda Kunicki
Sometimes caregiving takes an immediate toll on you that you don't expect. While burnout happens over a longer period of time, compassion fatigue can suddenly become an issue. It's what you do about it that really matters.

Stay in Touch with How You're Feeling

If you're trying to ignore how you're feeling or telling yourself that you'll get over it, that's not going to help. You need to stay in touch with your feelings so that you can properly gauge what you need to do in order to feel and to be healthier. Come up with a quick way for you to assess your current situation and match that up with possible solutions.

Make Yourself a Priority

Often compassion fatigue becomes an issue for caregivers because they're so focused on caring for someone else that they forget to make themselves a priority. If you're going to continue to be a caregiver, you have got to focus on caring for yourself as well. Doing so means establishing your own routines for eating properly, getting plenty of rest, and exercising. Work with your doctor to establish a plan.

Connect with Other People

No caregiver is an island, even if you feel that way more often than not. This means you're going to need to reach out to other people for companionship and even for help. Hiring senior care providers allows you to meet these needs. First, you'll have someone else available who knows what caregiving is like. But you'll also have the opportunity to take time away and spend time with other people, such as friends and other people who share your interests.

Do More of What Helps You

What's going to help the most is for you to have the opportunity to pay closer attention to what helps and what doesn't. It might seem like an oversimplification, but you're going to want to do more of what helps and less of what isn't as helpful. When you use a metric that is simple, you're going to be able to tell quickly when something is working and when it isn’t.

If you're still having trouble managing compassion fatigue, you're not alone. It might be a good idea to talk to a counselor or therapist that you trust about how you're feeling. They can show you techniques that can work well for your specific situation so that you can continue being the caregiver that you want to be.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE ARE CONSIDERING SENIOR CARE IN LA GRANGE, IL, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT BRIGHTSTAR CARE LA GRANGE. CALL TODAY: 708-551-2500.