Seeking Resilience in the Midst of Compassion Fatigue

Life can get pretty overwhelming. Especially after this past year in COVID-19, with constantly changing schedules, having to be "on" and ready at any moment, as well as the increase in responsibilities have left many exhausted and unable to continue caring for others, a state formerly known as compassion fatigue. In this interview, Rachel Gallardo defines compassion fatigue, how it develops, and what we can do to reverse it.

Source: Rachel Gallardo, used with permission

Dr. Rachel Gallardo received her Bachelor’s of Psychology from Louisiana State University. From there, she received a Masters in Business Administration, a Masters in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and completed a Ph.D. in I/O Psychology. After approximately 10 years of working in the corporate world as a manager/director in various human resources capacities, she made the transition to teaching in Higher Education in addition to public speaking, research, and freelance writing. Currently, she is the Department Head of Psychology and Anthropology for Blinn College. In her personal life, she enjoys running long distances, zentangle drawing, and spending time with her husband Adam. She also has a Rottweiler furbaby, named Diesel.

Jamie Aten: How would you personally define compassion fatigue?

Rachel Gallardo: To me, compassion fatigue is that state of mental exhaustion where you care about the work you are doing for people around you but you don’t have the energy and/or motivation to actually do something about it. You are emotionally detached from the situation and it’s hard to rally yourself to help these individuals or pursue the items necessary for you to meet personal and/or professional goals.

Also, research shows this is the state of mind a person is in before reaching full burnout. The good thing is that compassion fatigue is reversible. Once a person reaches burnout, the effects are not reversible.

For a nurse, it may mean ignoring a call button from a patient. For a teacher, it may mean avoiding grading papers. You are not harming the person necessarily but you are not as “all in” as you were before.

JA: Can you name ways that individuals can develop compassion fatigue and signs to recognize it?

RG: Oftentimes, this fatigue can develop because the person is in a constant, heightened state of change. In 2020, when people had to change their work and home pattern working from home and teaching their kids from home, without the outlets of going out to eat or visiting with friends, we have seen issues with mental health and exhaustion on a steady increase.

Again, emotional detachment or a lack of the ability to care can be an indication that a person is in a fatigued state. It’s not that the person does not care; it means the person no longer has the ability to care. An excessive state of being tired is a sign, along with over/under-eating [and] over/under-sleeping particularly to avoid the responsibility in which they are fatigued with may be a sign. Some information shows that an increase in blood pressure, headaches, and stomach issues can further be indications of the physiological effects of fatigue.

JA: What are some ways we can cultivate practices of self-care and resilience in seasons of compassion fatigue?

RG: Establishing boundaries and knowing when you’ve have mentally done enough for the day are important. Working from home, many people felt as though they had to be present 24 hours a day. Having set work hours, even if they are in 2-3 hour blocks with breaks throughout the day is a good way to take a mental pause and promote self-care.

I would also encourage people to tackle the items each day that require the most mental energy instead of putting them off. Sometimes the act of dreading to do something can be more draining than actually tackling that project from the beginning.

Also, now that states are beginning to open up, it’s time to return to the hobbies we enjoy. Setting aside time to go to the movies, having dinner with friends, or simply shopping at your favorite store is a good way to take a mental break and renew one’s mental energy, fostering resilience and rejuvenation to help the person keep moving forward.

JA: Any advice for how we might support a friend or loved one struggling with compassion fatigue during COVID-19 or any difficult life situation?

RG: During this time, I think it’s important to be authentic. If you are struggling with a situation, trying to put on a brave face and pretend that everything is ok is not allowing you the ability for a mental pause. I think many people can have a renewed spirit when they hear someone else say “I’m going through the same thing.”

Compassion Fatigue Essential Reads

The Ambiguous Relationship Between Witnessing and Acting

Combating Compassion Fatigue

If you are in a season of thriving, reach out to a loved one or a coworker and see how they are doing. Offer to run an errand for them or set up a time for the two of you to have coffee. Interpersonal connection with others is a great way to take our minds off of challenging situations and to see the joy in the people around us.

Personally, I also seek out people or YouTube videos that can make me laugh. There is something so refreshing about a good laugh that lowers stress and helps me become productive.

JA: What are you currently working on that you might like to share?

RG: Currently, I’m looking at how compassion fatigue affects instructors and middle-level leaders in higher education. Given that this is the industry that trains every other field, it’s important for our instructors, department chairs, and assistant deans to have a feeling of resilience and have self-care routines that rejuvenate them. I’m wondering if there are certain attributes to a person’s personality or how they view the world that cause them to have a higher likelihood to develop fatigue. Perhaps if we can understand how to prevent fatigue, we can prevent the remaining host of issues that go with it. I’m hoping to launch a podcast related to compassion fatigue and leadership this summer to review these items in detail.