Dealing with your own problems is tough. However, the biggest challenge arises when you have to care for someone who is going through many emotional issues. You tend to feel overwhelmed as you cannot help them much in times of distress. This is a sign of compassion fatigue and can affect a person on a deeper level.
Simply put, compassion fatigue is the cost you pay for caring for another person’s problems. However, there are ways to handle it, and let us delve into knowing what compassion fatigue is.
What is compassion fatigue and its signs
Compassion fatigue is the feeling of being drained out because you are taking someone’s else pain on yourself. Though you can hardly help them, you keep trying, and that starts affecting you personally. Some signs that you are suffering from compression fatigue are:
- You keep checking on the other person. All the time, your mind is filled with thoughts of what the other person must be going through.
- You are lashing out at the other people who are a part of your life. Even though you know it is wrong, you continue to do so.
- There is a feeling of being drained out or an exhaustion that refuses to go away.
- You feel despair, and the situation tends to lead you to the border of depression. This is despite the fact that everything is normal in your life.
- You have the tendency to pick up unhealthy habits like binge eating and lack of sleep. This is because you do not feel in control during this situation.
How to cope with compassion fatigue
Though the problems that you are caring for have nothing to do with you, it affects your life. You can opt for a Hypnosis Course in Singapore to relieve yourself of the pain. Or the following tactics could be helpful:
Take a deep breath
As your mind starts getting distracted, take a deep breath and relax. Repeat to yourself in your mind that you are doing your best to help the other person. You can also meditate during this time, as that would indeed reduce the burden you are experiencing within you.
Shift your focus
Instead of constantly thinking about the other person, shift your mind to focus on other activities. You can pursue any hobbies that would interest you. This would distract you from the situation at hand and instead lead you to doing something productive.
Burn your energy
By bottling up everything inside us the weight will eventually burn us out. Drain your energy by doing workouts, talking to somebody, journaling, or doing any activity you think would help. Eventually you will feel lighter without the emotional issues you were handling and have a good sleep.
Let go of that control
You feel drained because you are trying to control things that are not of your concern. Only the concerned party has the capability to solve the situation. Let go of this sense of control and let the other person deal with it.
Summing up
Eventually, we all need to realize that each individual is responsible to resolve their issues. You can guide them into taking professional help from a Life Coach if required. Instead of taking the pressure on your own, use the above tactics to disassociate yourself away from negative emotions. Ultimately, the best way to help others is to guide them to realise that they have the tools to resolve their issues. Only by taking care of our well being, then we have the bandwidth to support others.
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