Individuals working in healthcare must practice compassion and empathy with every client to provide the best care. Some professionals may struggle with compassion fatigue (CF) if they experience chronic stress or other issues impacting their mental health. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Professionals regularly exposed to the traumatic experiences of the people they service, such as healthcare, emergency and community service workers, are particularly susceptible to developing CF.” Driftwood Recovery helps staff avoid compassion fatigue by providing professional support and encouraging a healthy work-life balance.
What Is Compassion Fatigue?
People experience compassion fatigue after being exposed to the trauma of others. CF takes time to develop, and multiple factors influence who may experience it. According to the previously mentioned article by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “CF has been described as the convergence of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and cumulative burnout (BO), a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by a depleted ability to cope with one’s everyday environment.”
Individuals with the following may have a higher risk of CF:
- Lack of professional support
- Reduced social support
- Lack of practical coping skills
- Insufficient training to address trauma
- Personal history of trauma
- Difficulties maintaining emotional stability
- Mental health disorders
- Reduced stress threshold
Many potential factors impact who develops compassion fatigue. The condition often causes guilt, shame, and other negative feelings, compounding the adverse effects of CF. Addressing the underlying causes of CF and finding healthy ways to express compassion and empathy can help healthcare workers create a better work-life balance.
3 Ways to Manage Compassion Fatigue
Individuals with CF often feel overwhelmed by the trauma of others. The condition may affect relationships, work productivity, and overall health. Driftwood Recovery supports employees and provides them with the tools and resources to manage stress effectively. Finding positive ways to manage compassion fatigue reduces the potential side effects and improves the treatment process for clients and professionals. Below are three of the ways healthcare workers address and manage CF.
#1. Emotional and Social Support
Seeking emotional and social support from loved ones and peers is the most effective method for managing the increased stress of CF. Healthcare workers often work long hours. Making the time to connect in person, over the phone, or in text with a support system, including workplace and personal support networks, reduces stress and provides critical cathartic release. Discussing the effects of someone else’s trauma can stabilize emotional responses and improve resilience. Many healthcare workers gain greater social and emotional support by prioritizing spending time with loved ones and building mutually empowering relationships with coworkers.
#2. Setting Clear Work-Life Boundaries
Often, healthcare workers have extended hours, inconsistent schedules, and other factors interfering with their ability to establish clear work-life boundaries. The lack of work-life balance can cause some people to experience burnout and compassion fatigue. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “Our workplaces play a significant role in our lives,” affecting “both our physical and mental well-being — in good ways and bad.”
Driftwood Recovery encourages staff to set firm limits to reduce the emotional impact of work stressors. Creating boundaries allows people to practice self-care and establish healthy routines supporting emotional stability. Stress management is more manageable for individuals who set a clear line between their work and home lives.
#3. Treating Yourself With Compassion
Compassion fatigue often causes people to stop treating themselves with kindness and grace. According to Psychology Research and Behavior Management, “The importance of cultivating self-compassion is an often neglected issue among mental health professionals despite the risks to occupational well-being present in psychological care, such as burnout or compassion fatigue.” Taking the time to practice introspection often helps people identify if they have begun to treat themselves callously due to compassion fatigue. Self-awareness reduces negativity and fosters self-compassion.
How Does Driftwood Recovery Help Professionals Avoid Compassion Fatigue?
Many factors contribute to the development of CF and emotional burnout. Driftwood Recovery helps professionals avoid CF and other problems in the workplace by creating a supportive and caring environment where coworkers uplift one another and normalize conversations about mental health. Staff members are encouraged to speak with management if they feel emotionally overwhelmed. Various resources are available to meet employee mental health needs. Driftwood Recovery understands the importance of prioritizing professionals’ emotional and physical health during and after work.
The management team helps healthcare professionals avoid compassion fatigue by doing the following:
- Providing training to recognize the signs of CF
- Offering mental health resources
- Encouraging a healthy work-life balance through flexible scheduling and time-off policies
- Promoting peer support
- Encouraging honest and open communication
- Implementing manageable caseloads
- Offering professional development opportunities
- Regularly assessing workplace stressors and addressing them with policy updates
Driftwood Recovery supports every staff member and provides them with essential guidance during moments of high stress. Professionals can avoid CF by relying on workplace support services and other resources to manage stress.
Individuals who feel compassion and empathy for others often enter healthcare fields to provide support to individuals in need. However, constantly being exposed to the trauma and suffering of others can have a negative impact on a professional’s mental health unless they learn effective ways of managing their emotional responses. Compassion fatigue is a common concern among individuals working in healthcare. Mental health and addiction recovery specialist have a higher risk of being exposed to multiple secondhand traumas throughout their career. Driftwood Recovery protects employees from compassion fatigue by providing training and resources. All staff members receive the support of managers and coworkers as they develop healthy coping mechanisms. To learn more about our workplace policies, call (512) 759-8330