Burnout, Compassion Fatigue & Vicarious Trauma

Increasing demands at work and at home (now often the same place) can push people into a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion. The solution is simple some say. Listen to what your body and nerves are telling you and take a step back. Do less for others and take time for yourself. Ha! Easier said than done in a work hard, play hard culture, where “better, faster, more!” is often the reality of competing, earning that promotion, paying the mortgage, and keeping up with the 100’s of Jones that we can now watch on our social media feeds. 

Burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma are terms used to describe and understand the impact that our work and home lives can have on our ability to cope and thrive. They are connected, yet different. Understanding all three helps individuals and organizations proactively prevent their negative and often cumulative effects.

Burnout is commonly used to describe a state where a person just doesn’t have the same amount of energy and enthusiasm left to give to their job or family. Researchers have identified three types; overload, under-challenged, and neglect. It is generally thought of as the easiest of the three to treat and bounce back from if a person can reduce their workload or switch jobs.

As the name suggests, compassion fatigue is when the caring tank has run dry.  When this happens, attitude takes a nosedive and the way a person conducts themselves at work and at home becomes more negative. Putting others first, with a positive no-strings-attached approach, becomes harder and harder. Reversing the effects often involves adjusting workload, not just amount but type, learning how to care the right amount at the right time, and allowing others to care for us. Hard working, empathetic, giving, and proud people are particularly prone to compassion fatigue.

Vicarious trauma is trauma experienced second hand through the stories and images that we are exposed to as we care for others. Unchecked it can produce a profound and permanent shift in how a person views the world and thinks about people in general. Parents are often highly motivated to protect their children from it. Those who realize what they have lost because of it can choose to take steps to try and re-connect with and heal the parts of themselves that have been damaged. Both current research and ancient wisdom agree that how a person chooses to process the inevitable hardships and evils experienced or witnessed in their life has a significant impact on their lasting effects and if those effects will be helpful or harmful. It is encouraging to see more acknowledgement of the positive and lasting impacts of healed trauma on survivors and helpers' lives. We certainly do not have to acquiesce to a downward spiral of negativity just because our world has become so complex and overwhelming. There are ways to slow down, connect with what is important, and nurture realistic optimism.

At the point where a person notices an internal shift to the negative, they have an important choice to make: they can resign themselves to the slow slide to becoming cynical and dark humored or figure out what they personally need to do to turn the tide and start returning to the person that they once were or are intending to be. Everyone has a different capacity to shield themselves from the demands of working with others, so there is no magical one size fits all solution. That said, current research does point towards some reliable strategies that individuals and organizations can use with confidence to make a difference. The good news is that most of these are straight forward, common sense, self and community care strategies that treat the symptoms of all three conditions.

#1 Connect and communicate with supervisors - Have a conversation and tweak that workload if possible. Type of work is often as important as amount. Celebrating strengths and accomplishments are also key.

#2 Connect with your favorite people - Develop and maintain strong relationships at home, work, and in your friend group. Get out with others and socialize, exercise, be silly with your kids, and have fun whenever possible.

#3 Connect with yourself -  Practice mindfulness and learn how to be ok with not being ok. Try narrative work such as journaling. Write and re-write your own story.

#4 Learn resiliency skills -  Read a book, take a workshop, or best of all, connect with a mentor who has been there and done that.

When these strategies are not enough, burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma can lead to depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. When this happens, you need help. Reach out to someone you trust and start talking about accessing support.

If you’re feeling knocked down and need a hand, Walmsley is here to connect with you and help get you back on your feet. Connect with us privately or chat with a supervisor or HR representative about accessing support.  

Wishing you the best, 

Jeremy Biffert, MEd. 

Walmsley EFAP Counsellor