I just came across the term "compassion fatigue" in the book Social Intelligence, written by Daniel Goleman, the father of the current theory on emotional intelligence. Goleman says compassion fatigue is when "a helper herself becomes overwhelmed by the anguish of those she tries to help." He says that in a hospital, for example, "people like nurses who operate in the front line of pain and despair need help to metabolize that inevitable suffering, rendering them more emotionally resilient. Institutions must make sure that nurses and other staff have enough support themselves to be empathic without burning out."
We all know that it is a condition that anyone can experience when giving too much, not just health care providers.
As a woman, this entire concept really resonates with me. Women by nature are nurturers. Giving and nurturing is what we are hard wired to do. But, it is when we "over-nurture" that we experience both a physical and emotional depletion. We don't always link that kind of depletion and fatigue to being too compassionate since being compassionate is something that comes so naturally to us.
Often times we don't know what to do to restore and refuel ourselves when we have given too much.
What do you do to combat compassion fatigue?
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