Have you heard of “compassion fatigue?” It’s the feeling that you have no more empathy to give. Constant 24-hour news about war, suffering, chaos, violence and the ever present doom of when the next pandemic strain is headed our way.
Compassion fatigue builds slowly as your passion and outrage about an issue wanes and your feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, irritability and numbness grows.
What can you do?
🔸Start with setting boundaries for yourself. Protect the first and last 30 minutes of your day from news & media. Set additional boundaries where necessary.
🔸Practice self care. (Need ideas? Tune into @thekidcoachlakeland each Sunday for #selfcaresunday ideas.
🔸Practice gratitude by acknowledging the gifts in your life.
🔸Focus on things you can control. Focus your compassion locally by volunteering and doing something hands on to help others.
Remember little ears:
When you are feeling consumed by world news, people suffering and feeling bleak, it’s important to remember the little ears that are around you. They are listening to what you are listening to. They are listening to what you are talking about on the phone. They’re watching to see what’s happening in your life, and observing how you are responding to things. Like the old saying goes, “more is caught than taught.” Often, children’s first experiences with traumatic events are vicarious, so it’s important to stay aware of what you may be inadvertently exposing them too.
