Is it emotional exhaustion or compassion fatigue or burnout?
emotional exhaustion: a state of feeling emotionally worn-out and drained as a result of accumulated stress from your personal or work lives, or a combination of both. chronic state of emotional depletion. Allostatic load.
compassion fatigue: “a state of exhaustion and dysfunction biologically, psychologically, and socially as a result of prolonged exposure to compassion stress and all it invokes." also called vicarious trauma.
burnout: a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress
Think of these as a spectrum.
EE more from life stressors.
CF/B more from work/responsibilities.
EE could be from carrying unresolved trauma, stress overload, being out of alignment, living with or experiencing systemic oppression, late state capitalism, chronic stressors, being chronically dysregulated,
Sx: apathy, withdrawal, isolation, exhaustion, soul tired, irritable, feeling stuck or helpless, not being able to do what you know would help, only paying attention to negative, headaches, tense muscles/sore body, trouble sleeping, brain fog, depression, numb,
How to mitigate/fix
Heal trauma.
Rewire your mind for growth, healing, helpful thoughts.
Cut out stressors/toxic people, things etc.
Radical acceptance.
Do whats useful to have done and possible to do.
Learn to build a resilient nervous system.
Mindset work.
Journaling
Process emotions.
Make choices that create/maintain alignment
Locus of control
Do things that feel energy giving.
Move well, eat well, sleep well.
Connect with others.
Set boundaries.
Radical honesty.
Radical accountability.
Do work that feels purposeful.
Let go of perfectionism.