The News, You and Compassion Fatigue

Hasn’t the news gone more worrying these days? We are subjected to constant hate and fear as long as the news channels are on. This could be the cause of increased compassion fatigue.

What is Compassion Fatigue?

Compassion Fatigue is a state experienced by those helping people or animals in distress; it is an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create secondary traumatic stress (STS) for the helper. – compassionfatigue.org/

It is often referred to as the cost of caring for people who are in physical or emotional pain.

This used to be common with people who were in the helping profession, but with too much going on in the world, many of us are facing compassion fatigue.

This can lead to a gradual lessening of compassion over time. When we see so many disturbing news, one after the other, we stop empathising after a while, as we don’t have time to process them individually. They just line up one after the other.

War threats
Australian fires
Climate change
Economic crisis
Inequality and discrimination
People being unusually hateful towards others

At times, I feel that I am too exhausted to care. The other times, I feel guilty of not doing my part by sharing about a cause on Social Media.

All this information used to stay in the News, but now it is with us each time we are on the internet. Each day brings a new heavy subject and makes me question the world that we are living in.

It is crucial to raise your voice on the problems that matter to you. But, if you are like me, the constant conflict of whether you are doing enough or not can drain you out.

Why is it important to have compassion?

You cannot have compassion for others if you don’t have it for your self.

‘Compassion gives us inner strength; it gives us self-confidence and that reduces fear, which, in turn, keeps our mind calm. Therefore, compassion has two functions; it causes our brain to function better and it brings inner strength.’

Dalai Lama

Staying in touch with your emotions helps you choose the right path, stay connected to the universe and with yourself.

How to know if it is Compassion Fatigue?

• Depersonalisation
• Hypersensitivity or complete insensitivity to emotional material
• Identity, worldview, and spirituality impacted
• Feeling burdened by the suffering of others
• Chronic exhaustion (emotional, physical, or both)
• Reduced feelings of sympathy or empathy
• Feelings of irritability, anger, or anxiety

How to overcome Compassion fatigue?

Start with self-care

Connect with your emotions and give time to yourself. You cannot care for others without taking good care of your own. Check-in with yourself on how you are feeling each day, and take the necessary steps to boost yourself if you are feeling low. You can listen to your favourite music, cherish your preferred drink, go to a beautiful place and just be with yourself.

Limit your news intake

Do not stay glued to the news. If you want to stay updated, choose 15 minutes of your day to check up on news. Most importantly, don’t trust social media with the news, most of them are fake, please do a fact-check using websites like altnews.in before forming any opinions.

Talk to your loved ones

Call the friend who makes you feel better, talk to your partner, parents. It is healing to speak your mind with the ones you love. Even one conversation like this each day can help to reduce your stress levels.

Practice Mindfulness

Create a practice that makes you feel present and engaged in the moment. It could be meditation or some activity that you enjoy, like sports, painting, or any other form of art. Mindfulness helps in bringing awareness to your current state and takes the power away from overthinking, and constant chatter.

Recharge yourself

Eat well and workout to build resilience and recover yourself from ongoing chaos. Slow down and sleep well. Do not engage in social media right after waking up and right before sleeping.

If the symptoms are severe and persist after applying the above, please seek a therapist.
I hope this helps you if you are struggling with caring too much. Let me know your thought in the comment section below.