SELF-COMPASSION IN A CARING PROFESSION

Making a positive impact on the lives of those who are vulnerable is one of the many benefits of working in a caring profession, which includes social workers, nurses, carers, etc. You can witness firsthand how your kindness and care can transform the lives of those who might otherwise experience very dreary lives living under certain conditions. 

However, working in a caring profession can easily lead to compassion fatigue, and this can result in negative effects on your health and mental wellbeing.

WHAT IS COMPASSION FATIGUE?

Compassion Fatigue is the emotional exhaustion that arises from caring for others or their emotional pain (NHS, 2021). It is a unique form of stress and burnout associated with caring for people who are traumatized or psychologically distressed.

While we at Passion Tree Care Services are not directly involved in our clients’ emotional or psychological distress, we are nevertheless susceptible to the daily struggles brought on by their illness, broken family relationships, ageing limitations, and overall sense of loss and grief, all of which can have a negative impact on our emotional state and general well-being.

The good news is that compassion fatigue is preventable and reversible if you give yourself the permission to heal and exercise self-compassion.

SELF – COMPASSION

According to Moore (2019), self-compassion is the ability to have a positive attitude towards oneself in a manner that is forgiving, accepting, and loving even in situations that do not work out as we planned. Professor Dr. Kristin Neff introduced the concept of self-compassion and developed three key components.

The significance of adults respite care cannot be overstated. It serves a multitude of purposes, benefiting both caregivers and care recipients:

1. Self-Kindness: Self-kindness is the practice of showing kindness to ourselves instead of judging and criticizing ourselves when we fail at something or have a sense of not accomplishing our life’s goals. Instead of self-judgement, we should relate with ourselves in warmth and self-acceptance.
2. Common Humanity: Common humanity relates to the idea that we all belong to the same human network and that we are all fallible. Understanding that we live in an imperfect world helps us understand and accept conditions in our lives that are less than perfect. Instead of withdrawing and isolating ourselves when we feel hurt, realizing that others may be experiencing the same negative emotions helps us embrace our humanity and show kindness not only to ourselves but to others around us.
3. Mindfulness – Mindfulness involves finding the balance between completely avoiding negative or painful emotions and over-identifying and ascribing these emotions to our identity. For example, experiencing an emotion of failure does not make you a failure. Understanding these key components is the first stage to accomplishing self-compassion. Below are ten tips to put them into practice.

TEN TIPS TO PRACTICE SELF-COMPASSION

• Care for yourself as you would treat others. 
• Try not to judge yourself too quickly.
• Acknowledge and accept your flaws.
• Learn to forgive yourself.
• Use ‘Releasing Statements’ to combat negative emotions.
• Let go of the need for outside validation.
• Reach out to others in mutual kindness.
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Practice mindfulness.
• Celebrate your accomplishments no matter how small.

In conclusion, you might be wondering why you should bother with practising self-compassion. Some benefits of self-compassion include a reduced rate of anxiety and depression, increased potential to develop positive social connections, reduced risk of making mistakes and errors because you can view yourself more objectively, an increased sense of self-worth and acceptance, and higher emotional intelligence.