The statistics are worrying.
And what’s more concerning is that professional staff often hide burnout well, so you may not be aware of how many people are currently close to burnout.
Do you know how many of your staff are wondering if they can keep going?
Can Compassion Help Prevent Burnout?
At Compassionate, we have seen the benefits of Compassion and Compassionate Leadership in preventing burnout.
The research is clear: while unfiltered empathy can leave staff at risk of burnout, teaching people Compassion skills can have a protective effect.
So firstly, let’s clarify the difference between Empathy and Compassion.
What Is Empathy?
Empathy is an emotional reaction that we have to the suffering of others.
Neuroscientists have been able to show that being around someone who is suffering can induce a similar emotional response in the observer.
We suffer with.
Empathy is important because it allows us to notice and respond to the suffering of other people.
Why Unfiltered Empathy Can Become Difficult
But unfiltered empathy can become problematic.
If we feel all the suffering around us without having the skills and wisdom to know what to do with that suffering, over time we can become increasingly vulnerable to burnout.
We see this in:
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Teaching
- Law
- Journalism
- Other public-facing professions
- Many industries experience this challenge.
How Can You Support Others Without Losing Yourself?
So how can you stay empathic, present and supportive of other people without losing yourself?
This is where Compassion comes in.
Compassion Is a Skill-Set, Not an Emotional Response
Compassion is a skill-set, not an emotional response.
Compassion skills enable us to notice and relate to the struggles of other people without feeling the need to fix everything.
Being able to stay present and supportive is important.
But rushing to fix everything is often unhelpful or unnecessary.
You don’t have to be the solution.
You can help people find the solution or the help they need.
The energy of supporting is very different from fixing.
Why Do We Rush to Fix Things?
Why do we rush to fix?
Because of the discomfort that empathy brings.
Compassion skills help us to manage that discomfort, attend to ourselves and our own suffering first, and become better resourced when it comes to helping others.
Is Compassion Fatigue Really Empathy Fatigue?
The term “Compassion Fatigue” can be misleading.
In the approach described here, the fatigue comes from absorbing and carrying suffering without the skills to manage it effectively.
When we practise Compassion, the aim is to become more resourced, present and calm rather than emotionally overwhelmed.
Learn How to Manage Empathy With Compassion
To learn more about how to manage your natural empathy, or how to stay empathic in a troubling world through Compassion skills, use our
contact form to arrange an informal chat.
