Do you suffer from physical exhaustion, insomnia, migraines, anxiety, anger or irritability? Do you work in a caring profession, helping other people or animals? Do you feel uninspired at your job?
If you answered yes to any of the above, you may be experiencing burnout or compassion fatigue.
Compassion fatigue is serious and can lead to depression, anger, alcohol and drug abuse, relationship problems, even suicide. Did you know that the professions with the highest suicide rate are fire fighters, police officers, and animal care workers? Why? Well, the same qualities that make animal care works good at what they do, are the same qualities that make them vulnerable.
The work you do is important and it’s what the world and the animals need right now. How do you keep opening your heart while witnessing man’s inhumanity to other life in order to keep doing the important work of saving lives? It’s not impossible.
Self-care is not a luxury – it is mandatory for anyone, especially if you are experiencing compassion fatigue or burn out. It doesn’t have to be expensive or as difficult as you may think.
Getting into nature is one of the most important things we can do to take care of our physical and mental health. Science has found that our modern world and electronics bombards our bodies and psyche with positive ions. Too much of these positive ions throws us off balance and can lead to depression and irritability. Nature and the movement of water, surrounds us with negative ions, the ions that make us feel good. Think how you feel when you are near an ocean. That’s because the movement of the water surrounds us with negative ions. So how do we bring more of these feel good ions into our life?
Spend time in nature. Depending on where you live, hike in the forest or the desert. Get away from the hustle of the city life and spend time in the solace of nature. Listen to the animals, watch the trees and flowers. Nature is alive with activity, but often times we are so preoccupied that we miss. Sit quietly and pay attention to the life that is abundant in nature.
You may not be able to be in nature everyday, but you can bring it to you.
- Fill your home and office space with plants.
- Listen to the soothing sounds of a small fountain.
- Start your day with a shower – the moving water gives off negative ions.
- Plug in a salt lamp. Salt lamps give off negative ions when they warm up, plus they are pleasant to look at.
- Meditate, Meditate, Meditate
- Journal – get your feelings out
If you are experiencing the signs of burnout or compassion fatigue, consider reaching out for help. Seek counseling, or sign up for my 4-Week On-Line workshop, Healing the Compassionate Heart. Lean tools to manage stress, release anger and find inner peace. You’ll learn to assess your risk factors, self care for a balanced life, tips to transition from work to home, and four steps to wellness.
Act Now! Like my Facebook page Jamie Lee – Animal Bonds. I will be posting more information about the on line class. The important thing is to do something. Don’t let compassion fatigue stop you from living the life you love.
