Combat Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
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We’re now in the 9th month of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s safe to say we’re all a bit on edge. Of course those in “essential” and “caring” professions like nurses, doctors, social workers, religious leaders and other healthcare providers on the frontlines were among the first to succumb to compassion fatigue. But the truth is that people in any and every industry, our staff and our members or customers, are increasingly impacted by this phenomenon too. No surprise, then, that the big, beautiful hearts that attract people like us into “for purpose” association and non-profit careers are also at real risk.
Research shows we can all be under the influence of compassion fatigue—individually, as a community, as a nation—and not even know it! This is especially true for those among us who hold compassion or empathy as core personal values, and lack of replenishment or reduced social support only exacerbates the problem. Sound familiar?! Author, acclaimed keynote speaker, and core values activist Brant Menswar calls our personal non-negotiables our “black sheep values”. He teaches leaders to separate the dozens of values that are "really important" or aspirational from our top 5 non-negotiable values – our personal flock of black sheep.
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But what happens when one of your sheep, ahem values, like compassion is overfed and overweight for the better part of a year? It’s likely at the expense of your other sheep that are not being fed. I’ve heard Brant explain it this way… if you had 5 children, and 2 of them ate today and 3 haven’t it’s a serious problem. It’s the same with our core values! Worst of all, compassion fatigue actually means that beyond general burnout, we are desensitized and disassociated meaning our capacity for empathy is significantly diminished out of unconscious self-preservation. Brant recently joined NYSAE for a 20-minute Coffee Break to help us recognize the signs and navigate the all-out frenzy feeding of compassion in recent months which, ironically, leaves so many leaders numb, alienated, and joyless. Watch his 20-minute talk to help recognize the signs, stop winging it, practice self-compassion, and cultivate resilience.
Rhonda Payne, CAE
Founder | flocktheory
+1 202.579.3920
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