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Compassion Fatigue

Feeling empathy for children and families might be one of the reasons staff enter the early childhood field. But this empathy may lead people to feel compassion fatigue as they experience another person’s trauma.

Common symptoms of compassion fatigue include:

  • Feelings of failure, guilt, self-doubt, sadness, and powerlessness.
  • Loss of sleep.
  • Feeling less efficient and useful at work.
  • Difficulty concentrating.
  • Feeling overwhelmed by duties.
  • Apathy and emotional numbness.
  • Secret addictions or self-medicating in different ways.
  • Isolation and withdrawal.
  • Exhaustion.
  • Bottled-up emotions.
  • Pessimism or negativity.

Those most at risk include:

  • Staff who are new to their job. Those who have not taken part in drills or experienced an emergency before are more likely to feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities.
  • Staff who have experienced personal trauma. They may feel other people’s traumas more deeply.
  • Staff who feel burned out. Job dissatisfaction increases the likelihood of feeling compassion fatigue.
  • Staff who have difficulty communicating emotions. People who struggle to express their emotions may find it easier to ignore the stress of being a caregiver, putting them at greater risk of trauma.
  • Staff with inadequate personal support systems. When people don’t have others who can offer support — a significant other, family, friends, neighbors, trusted colleagues, church groups, clubs, even pets — trauma can result.

How to prevent compassion fatigue:

  • Make your own physical and mental health a priority. You may be overflowing with compassion for others but save some of it for yourself!
  • Get enough sleep.
  • Eat well.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Do activities you enjoy regularly.
  • Build and keep up a good support system.
  • Try to balance work and relaxation.
  • Get help from a mental health provider if you struggle with high stress and other mental health challenges.
  • Do relaxation activities with children, such as stretching and deep breathing. For example, you can say, “Pretend you are a cat, stretching out. You are lying in the sun, wriggling around until you are comfortable, giving a little purr, and close your eyes.”

Read more:

,  Safety Practices