Most of us have heard of caregiver burnout, but few people know what compassion fatigue is, or how the two differ. Caregiving is a rewarding albeit stressful responsibility.
As caregivers, you feel like you need to be strong all the time, but ignoring feelings like stress, fatigue, isolation, and negative self-esteem have negative effects on your health. If you don’t care for yourself first, how are you going to provide adequate care for your senior?
Defining Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue is a type of stress experienced by caregivers, including nurses and practitioners. Unlike burnout with builds over time, compassion fatigue can present itself suddenly. This type of caregiving stress occurs when caregivers focus too much on others and don’t practice self-care.
When you exert energy caring for others and don’t pay any attention to your own well-being, compassion fatigue can take hold. If the fatigue is not dealt with, the caregiver can also develop burnout.
Caregivers suffering from this type of stress may feel like they can’t stop caregiving. They feel guilty caring for someone that is in a traumatic or debilitating state, so they go out of their way to do all they can. This may present itself in extra visits to the senior or care for other residents in the senior caring facility (on top of their own senior).
Recognizing Compassion Fatigue
Caregivers with fatigue share the same symptoms as those suffering from caregiving stress. If you are aware of these signs, however, you can help a colleague or yourself find some relief. Here are the signs to help you recognize compassion fatigue in a caregiver:
- Excessive blaming
- Bottling up emotions
- Socially isolated
- Receiving an unusual amount of complaints
- Voicing excessive complaints about administration
- Substance abuse
- Compulsive behaviors
- Poor self-care
- Recurrences of nightmares or flashbacks to a traumatic event
- Chronic physical ailments
- Apathetic
- Difficulty focusing
- Mentally and physically tired
- In denial of their issues
Of course, these symptoms alone don’t mean that a caregiver is suffering from compassion fatigue. However, if you are exhibiting many of these signs, it might be time to take a break from caregiving to focus on self-care.
Burnout vs. Fatigue: What’s the Difference?
Caregiver burnout is the result of stressors in the work environment. Those stresses could be issues with coworkers, loss of position, or diminished control. On the other hand, compassion fatigue is associated with the work you do and not the environment.
One of the main differences between these caregiving stresses is that you can typically curb burnout by changing your environment. You can solve a major pain point or get a start in a new work environment. If a caregiver with fatigue switches jobs, that will not fix their issue.
To curb compassion fatigue, the caregiver needs to take a break. This doesn’t have to be forever or even a long break. Those with fatigue need to take steps to care for themselves and heal, while caregivers with burnout need to change work environmental factors.
Compassion Fatigue Prevention Efforts
Understand that as a caregiver, self-care is NOT optional. You must take care of yourself in order to be able to provide quality care for a senior or older adult in your care. Are your self-care methods unsuccessful? Here are four self-care suggestions to help you prevent fatigue:
1. Evaluate Self-Care Efforts
When is the last time you went to a doctor? Maybe it is time to get a new physical. Have you updated your prescriptions? Do you find yourself exhibiting many of the signs above?
Sometimes we are working so hard that we don’t even realize we are letting our own well-being fall to the wayside. Make sure that you are clarifying your boundaries with everyone. Yes, you enjoy seeing everyone in the community when you care for your senior, but that doesn’t mean you are required to stop in and check on everyone else too.
The important thing to know is you have to take action to fight compassion fatigue. No one can make you take positive action to change, but if you take the first step, many will support you along your journey.
2. Stay Active
We all know the many benefits of physical activity. One of them is that exercise is a mood booster. Incorporating regular physical activity into your routine will help reduce stress and boost your spirits.
3. Find a Caregiving Support Group
Caregiving support groups are typically found in your local community. They can be found in hospitals, churches, senior centers and more. When you have the opportunity to listen to how others are also struggling, you won’t have to feel alone.
Seasoned caregivers will have great insight to help you overcome and caregiving obstacle you face.
4. Take A Break
Make sure that every day you take some time to yourself to do something for yourself. Maybe that means you read a book or a magazine, catch up on your favorite show, or catch up with your best friend on FaceTime. Even just taking the time to sit somewhere quietly can help. The important thing is to remember to give yourself some you time.
