Compassion Fatigue, Self-Awarness, Sustainable Wellbeing

Why one welfare?

– We directly impact our ability to look after animals

– Our well-being is directly influenced by our psychosocial environment

– What is within control?

Our focus

– To ensure the health and welfare of all animals who come under our care

– Two understand our work can be difficult

Compassion fatigue

Summary

– Allows us to connect with others and gateway for a range of experiences and emotions

– Results and numbing or numbing behavior

Numbing is not selective

– Empathy requires emotional investment

– compassion, fatigue, about work related primary or secondary exposure to extreme or traumatic stressful events

What are the two parts of compassion fatigue?

– Burn out

– Secondary traumatic stress

Definition:

Compassion

The desire we have and/or the action we take to relieve the suffering of others

– Takes energy

Summary:

Burnout

– Measured by exhaustion, frustration, anger, depression

Summary:

Secondary traumatic stress

– Negative effects of secondary traumatic stress include fear, sleep difficulties, intrusive, or avoiding remainders of traumatic experience

How is compassion fatigue different from burnout

– Compassion fatigue: continue to try to provide care when personal reserves are depleted

Why are we susceptible to emotional and physical fatigue?

– Natural human compassion, and empathy

– An affinity for animals and their well-being

– We love animals

We value the human animal bond

Intrinsic empathy

What drives us to care for animals, those who cannot care for themselves

Charles Figley

(2006)

“only compassionate, empathetic, loving, and caring people suffer from compassion fatigue – the very people who are so vital to the animal care field”

What is compassion fatigue?

– The combination of emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual exhaustion and depletion that can result when we are repeatedly exposed to another’s pain and suffering

– Negative aspect of working as an animal caregiver: the cost of caring

– Which point where they care too much; overcome with explosive or irrational feelings

– Which point where they care too little and become cynical or apathe

Summary:

Burnout

– One component of the negative effects of caring

– Associated with feelings of hopelessness, inefficiency, overwhelmed

– Gradual onset of feelings; work makes no difference

– Associated with a very high workload or non-supportive environment

– Management and resource issues

What's the difference?

Burnout

– Results from stresses that arise from our interaction with workplace

– Can change the workplace

– Can change policy/procedures

- Can change jobs

What's the difference?

Compassion fatigue

– Evolves specifically from the work we do and the relationship between us us and our animals

Can change but CF will follow

Summary:

Primary traumatic stress

– Direct target of event

– Aggressive animal or distressed client

– Personal trauma

Summary:

Secondary traumatic stress

– Exposure to event due to our relationship with the primary animal or person

– Long-term inpatient

– Cruelty/neglect case

– Vicarious trauma and compelled to help

What happens when we experience both primary and secondary trauma?

– Kind of accumulate into PTSD

Definition:

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

– Persistent emotional stress caused by either an isolated event or a cluster of events

– Can lead to nightmares, avoidance, chronic tension

Caregiver responses:

Cognitive presentations

– Poor concentration

– Irritability

– Inability to make decisions

– racing or intrusive thoughts

– Excessive warring and catastrophising

Caregiver responses:

Physical presentations

– Exhaustion

– Headache and tension

– Insomnia

– Backache

– Persistent cold or sore throat

Caregiver responses:

Emotional presentations

– Easily upset or angered

– Narcissism

– Hopelessness

– Diminished enjoyment of life

– Helplessness

Caregiver responses:

Behavioral presentations

– Alcohol drugs

– Absenteeism

– Isolation

– non-participation

– Difficulty separating work from home

Summary:

Caregiver responses

– May vary over time and can be cumulative

– Stress and coping strategies translate from personal life to work life, and vice versa

Effect of chronic stress

– flight or flight

– Two little dopamine

– Two little serotonin

Affects of chronic stress

– Reduced availability of neurotransmitters

– Distracts us from being effective

– Inability to feel pleasure

– Increased sense of hopelessness

Strategies

– Emotional intelligence and resilience planning and development

– Awareness and acceptance

– Organizational responsibility

– Support colleagues

– Self-care

Strategies:

Passion satisfaction

– Positive aspects of working as a caregiver

– Payment for caring

– About the pleasure drive from being able to do the work you do

Counterbalance

Strategies

Resiliency

– Psychological strength to cope with stress and hardship

– Mental reservoir, strength that people are able to call in times of need to carry them through

– The ability to overcome challenges of all kinds

Strategies:

Grit

– Passion impress appearance for long-term and meaningful goals

– Ability to persist in something you feel passionate about and persevere when you face obstacles

– About having direction and commitment

Grit is a natural practice of someone who has a growth mindset

Definition:

Ability to be gritty

– Stick with things that are important to you and bounce forward from failure

– Essential component of success, independent of and beyond talent and intelligent contribute

Strategies:

Growth mindset

– Belief that the ability to learn is not fixed and improvement can happen throughout effort and perseverance

Said high standards and neutral environment

– Encourage people to your criticism and learn from it

– non-judgmental

– Model growth mindset in every day life

Strategies:

Healing mindset

– When we take the time to think about why our particular situation or event affects us the way it does

– How can we change it or our reaction to it rather than merely escaping

Strategies:

Life compass - perma H

– Engagement

– Positive emotions

– Accomplishment

– Relationships

– Meaning

Strategies:

Self compassion

– Includes: awareness, normalizing, kindness, alleviation

-consider how you would treat a friend

What are the three elements of self compassion?

– Self kindness versus self judgment

– Common humanity versus isolation

– Mindfulness versus overidentification

Self compassion:

Awareness ah

– Being attentive or sensitive to the fact that some other sort of suffering is occurring

Self compassion:

Normalizing

– Recognizing that experiencing the sort of pain is universal

– It is not a failing

– We should not blame ourselves

– Not alone

Self compassion:

Kindness

– Not shining away from the pain

Giving ourselves grace

Self compassion:

Alleviation

– Focus or energy on ways to alleviate the pain

– Providing helpful perspective

– Having the strength encourage to take action

Self compassion:

Kindness versus judgment

– Being kind and understanding toward oneself rather being critical

Self compassion:

Humanity versus isolation

– Seeing one spell ability as part of the larger human condition and experience rather than isolating

Self compassion:

Mindfulness vs ID

Holding painful thoughts and feelings in mindful awareness, rather than avoiding them or overidentifying with them

Physiology of self compassion

– Flight fight freeze

– Need to activate the combs/soothing system

Physiology – self compassion:

Fight

Self criticism

– Instead of self kindness

Physiology – self compassion:

Flight

Self isolation

– Instead of embracing common humanity

Physiology – self compassion:

Freeze

Self absorption/rumination

– instead of acknowledgment and mindfulness

Physiology – self compassion:

Activation of soothing system

– Experiences of kindness and care to stimulate the soothe system

– Security

– Warmth

– Soothing touch

– Gentle vocalizations

What happens if we don't deal with burnout?

Loss spiral

TIME acronym

T: take time to know and look after your well-being

I: immerse yourself in positive thoughts

M: make positive use of transition times

E: engage in activities that heal