3 tips to manage compassion fatigue: holiday edition
Here come the parties, the dinners, the gift exchanges, the cooking, the catching up with old friends who fly home to see the family, and so on. The holidays can be a wonderful and joyful occasion, but everyone knows they can also cause stress, even at the best of times.
With a pandemic still raging on, it’s not exactly the best of times, and nurses are feeling the impacts of an ongoing public health crisis. We are called to care - physically and emotionally - for people who are often facing difficult outcomes, and putting on a cheery face for the holiday season on top of all that can feel impossible.
Enter compassion fatigue: a well-documented phenomenon that most nurses experience some time or another. It’s a little more than burnout, which is also hitting nurses hard right now. Compassion fatigue is defined as the physical and emotional impacts of helping others, often through traumatic experiences. This year, the traumatic experiences seem to be piling up.
Many of us get into this field because we want to help people, and we do. However, we have to remember to take care of our own human bodies and minds. We are not bottomless wells of empathy. With more family gatherings and COVID precautions to navigate this December, we should use our energy wisely on others and ourselves.
Here are some suggestions for managing compassion fatigue, and caring for yourself while you care for others this holiday season:
Prioritize your basic needs
Did you eat today? Did you get enough sleep? Have you moved your body in a way that feels good? Burnout and compassion fatigue are no joke, and sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is take a moment to ensure we checked those boxes.
Eat a snack with a protein, carb, and a fat to fortify your body. Think chips and hummus, an apple and peanut butter, a nut bar or mini yogurt with your pretzel sticks. Oh, and don’t punish yourself for enjoying those holiday cookies
Do some intuitive movement - stretch out your spine with a forward fold or massage your neck. If you can’t get to the gym, dance around to your favorite song or do some stretches.
Who among us hasn’t delayed sleep because we’re doom-scrolling on social media? Try not to pick up the phone right when you wake up or before you go to sleep, and set aside just a few minutes to wind down from your day without distraction.
The little things really are important.
Find and practice healthy coping strategies
We all have to find what works for us. Someone might wind down with a book, another with a few episodes of the Great British Bake Off. Either way, it’s important to pay attention to what practices and activities quiet your mind. It could be yoga, cooking, running, napping, knitting, audiobooks, taking a bath, going to therapy - the possibilities are endless.
Curate your social feeds so when you do use social media, it’s positive. You can filter for things that encourage you and support you, or even bring you resources.
Don’t feel guilty about finding moments for yourself around and even during events. If you’re hosting family or friends, make time for a break! Put on your coat and head outside for a few breaths, or just find a door you can close.
It’s okay - and even necessary - for us to set physical and emotional boundaries so we’re able to do our jobs and live our lives.
Talk to your fellow nurses
Sometimes, the most important thing for us to know is we’re not in this alone.
Turn to your colleagues and the nursing community when you need support and resources. Maybe your work friend knows a support group, or a great cafe, or a closet you can hide in for a second.
Establish some regular connection. Even small events, like a weekly phone call or walk outside, can make a big difference.
Think about what communities you have available to you, like NurseDeck Social, for resources and support.
We can and should turn to each other, because we understand the unique experience of being a nurse, especially during a pandemic.
Most importantly, get to know what compassion fatigue and burnout feel like for you, and learn how to manage those symptoms. We deserve rest, we deserve care, we deserve joy. As we support our patients through this challenging time, and another COVID-19 holiday season, let’s remember to care for ourselves, too.