Compassion Fatigue is Valid 一Here’s How to Beat it

Gina Messina, Ph.D. 10/26/2021

woman showing stress, compassion fatigue is valid.

Compassion Fatigue is Valid. Here’s How to Beat it. If you’re in the helping profession, you’ve probably heard about – or even personally experienced – compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is a very common experience, similar to burnout, in certain caretaking professions. Some studies suggest that women may be more vulnerable to compassion fatigue than men. We’re here to tell you that compassion fatigue is completely valid and normal; if you’re experiencing it, it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person or employee. Here’s everything you need to know about what compassion fatigue is, why it’s valid, and what you can do about it if you’re going through it. What is compassion fatigue? Compassion fatigue, sometimes referred to as secondary trauma or vicarious trauma, is an…

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Categories: Self-care, Wellness & Personal Growth

Tags: compassion fatigue, health, self-care, Trending, wellness

Gina Messina, Ph.D.

How To Recognize and Handle Burnout

What Is Burnout? Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that comes from stress exposure (Schaufeli & Greenglass, 2001). Generally, the stress that leads to burnout is consistent and ongoing for an extended period. A single stressful event usually isn’t enough to cause burnout. When you are burned out you may feel constantly exhausted or anxious and on edge. You may feel irritable and angry. You may feel like you are living in a fog and unable to think clearly. You may be unable to relax or get to sleep. Burnout Syndrome Burnout syndrome was first formally defined in the 1970s to describe a collection of symptoms often seen in people working as medical professionals, teachers, social workers, and others in helping…

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Institute Editorial Team 03/08/2023

woman on laptop on virtual conference call experiencing zoom fatigue

Women Are More Impacted by Zoom Fatigue: Here’s Why, and What We can Do About It

Zoom, and other virtual conferencing platforms like it, became both our favorite and least favorite piece of technology over the past year and a half. On one hand, they allowed us to keep in touch with our loved ones when it otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. On the other hand, the constant virtual meetings became absolutely exhausting for many of us. “Zoom fatigue” is what happens when you’re burnt out on virtual meetings, and it can affect anyone. However, research shows that women are more affected by Zoom fatigue than men. Why is this, and what can women do about it? Read on for more. What Is “Zoom Fatigue”? Whether you’re using Zoom (and other video conferencing platforms, like Skype or Google Meet) for work…

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Gina Messina, Ph.D. 09/27/2021

5 Exercises for Practicing Self-Compassion

Have you ever beat yourself up or said unkind words to yourself? If you’re like most of us, your answer is probably “yes.” Especially as women, we tend to be our own worst critics, and we usually treat ourselves in cruel ways that we’d never treat other people!But there’s a different way. Self-compassion is the practice of being kind and understanding with ourselves — not only when we succeed, but when we fail, too. Here, we’ve compiled 5 exercises you can use to start practicing self-compassion. These practices are based on extensive research by Dr. Kristin Neff, a psychologist who specializes in self-compassion. Try to incorporate them into your daily schedule as much as possible. You can use these 5 exercises at any time, day…

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Gina Messina, Ph.D. 02/28/2022

Women Are Twice as Likely as Men to Have Depression 一 Here’s Why

When it comes to gender differences in depression, the numbers are shocking: women, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or cultural background, are twice as likely as men to have depression. Research has proven this; one meta-analysis, for example, found that girls start becoming more likely than boys to have depression as early as the age of 12 (or after puberty). But what are the reasons behind these numbers? Why are women so much more vulnerable to depression than men, and is there anything we can do about it? Here’s everything we know. Why Are Women More Likely to Have Depression? Around 12 million 一 some numbers say 1 in every 10 一 American women suffer from depression, a number that’s twice as large as the…

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Saya Des Marais 01/24/2022

What Does It Mean to Be Vulnerable?

What exactly is vulnerability and can it help us in daily life? There are a lot of ways to define vulnerability. The term, ‘vulnerable’ means to be susceptible to harm. Another way to describe vulnerability could be “at-risk”. At the root of it, this harm comes from your emotional experiences. Being emotionally vulnerable involves the process of acknowledging your emotions, especially those that are uncomfortable or painful. Acknowledging painful emotions can be difficult because it is human nature to avoid experiences that hurt us. Oftentimes, instead of fully experiencing and acknowledging an unpleasant emotional experience, we may do things that help distract us. For instance, when you feel sad, you may call a friend for emotional support and ask for advice. When you feel angry,…

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Institute Editorial Team 01/31/2023

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