Identifying Care Fatigue

By Seth Shaver, M.Div.     

We often overlook how giving of ourselves when we care for others wears on us physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. Not acknowledging these costs can lead us into care (or compassion) fatigue, and sometimes even caregiver burnout. “Compassion Fatigue (CF) refers to the profound emotional and physical erosion that takes place when helpers are unable to refuel and regenerate”.¹Many healthcare workers experience this type of disorientation. While they began their work because of a desire to help and heal people, the work of caring for others can push the limits of their capacity to act with empathy toward those who need their care. 

The fact is that people who care for others will inevitably come up against the reality of care fatigue. “[T]he more such individuals open themselves up to others’ pain, the more likely they will come to share those victims’ feelings of heartbreak and devastation. This sapped ability to cope with secondary trauma can lead to total exhaustion of one’s mental and physical state.”² If we want to continue serving and supporting others, we must acknowledge this and find ways to navigate it in healthy and sustainable ways. 

But it is not simply a matter of being tired and needing a good night’s sleep. Care fatigue reaches into a much deeper place in our souls and psyche. When we share in the “heartbreak and devastation” of other people, our conceptions of the world are tested “by a conflict between our deepest values and the work that we are required to do, a phenomenon which is called moral distress.” Moral distress³ is often a concern for people who work in hospitals and other healthcare careers. However, it should be a concern for everyone who seeks to act compassionately in a world filled with challenges. “People who actively engage in charity, or volunteering, may come to feel that they cannot commit any more energy, time, or money to the plight of others because they feel overwhelmed or paralyzed by pleas for support and that the world’s challenges are never-ending.”⁴

Once we come to accept the idea that care fatigue is something that we need to address, we can face it head on instead of allowing its insidious nature to sneak upon us and rob us of our drive to help the people around us. If we know the attack is coming, we can prepare for it and have strategies in place to ward it off. With this kind of preparation, we can position ourselves for long-term service and compassion. 

One challenge of identifying care fatigue is the wide range of signs and symptoms that can show someone is struggling. Each person will display these signs a little differently. Signs of care fatigue can manifest in physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual ways. A few examples of each can help us get the idea of what we need to watch for:⁵

Physical: difficulty concentrating, exhaustion, disrupted sleep, headaches, upset stomach

Emotional: Feeling discouraged about the world, hopelessness, anxiety, irritability, decreased sense of purpose, depression

Relational: disengaging from others, self-contempt, interpersonal difficulties, leaving the situation where you have been caring for someone else

Spiritual⁶: loss of meaning, stopping spiritual practices like prayer and worship, withdrawal from participation in a faith community

While this list is nowhere near exhaustive, it does give a glimpse of the withdrawal and negative thoughts that can overwhelm people who are constantly serving and showing compassion to others. 

With such vast array of signs and symptoms for care fatigue, the strategies that we can utilize for combatting it also come in lots of shapes and sizes. Though some of these strategies may seem simple, it is often the “easy” things that have the most profound impact on our hearts and minds. The real trick comes in establishing these strategies before problems arise and maintaining them even when the overwhelming feelings begin to take root. 

Here is a brief list of some possible strategies for combatting care fatigue⁷: 

• Engage a strong social support network: Isolation is a breeding ground for care fatigue but your people want to help you deal with the hard stuff.
• Increased self-awareness: You often know when you start feeling these types of things before anyone else.
• Practice regular self-care: This is too-often a low priority or afterthought for people who are busy helping others. 
• Prioritize regular exercise and healthy eating: Maintaining our physical health can make warding off emotional distress much easier.
• Seek Therapy: Sometimes we need the help of a professional to work through things. 
• Celebrate small victories: Finding ways to highlight the good will keep you from focusing too exclusively on the hardships and difficulties in our world.
• Spread the responsibility: Seek out and accept that other people are willing to help you care for others and yourself; you do not have to do it all on your own.
• Laugh: There is restorative and cathartic power in remembering that laughter and joy are a beautiful part of this world that we need to engage regularly.

We care. When we see others hurting, we reach out. We share of ourselves in hopes that we might ease their burden in even the slightest ways. But, honestly, we expect so much more. Some people need very little from us. Others need an enormous part of who we are and what we have. Since we care, we often oblige in the giving of ourselves for others. This is how Christ taught us to act. To maintain this spirit of caring for others, we must face the reality that care fatigue can rob us of this spirit if we let it. Knowing how to recognize the signs and having strategies in place to fight care fatigue will ensure that we can embrace the choice to care for others for a long time.