You chose this career for a reason. And don’t say it’s the holidays. Teachers (and custodians, educational assistants, administrators, clerical staff, etc) all put in enough extra, unpaid time that make those holidays (more unpaid time) don’t look so attractive. You chose this field of work because you care. You care about people; your neighbours, your community and the people in your city. More importantly, you care about children. You glow when they succeed and your heart hurts when they struggle. Teaching is a helping profession. Just like healthcare. But can you care too much?

Compassion fatigue is a real thing. But here’s the deal. It’s not about caring too much for others. It’s about not caring enough for yourself! Working in the field of education provides a never-ending list of demands. Add to that the responsibilities you have outside of work. This can include children and parents, friends and family. You may do volunteer work or even hold down another part-time job. It is easy to become overwhelmed with responsibility. We often don’t even recognize that we have stretched ourselves too thin.

Signs of compassion fatigue include increased anxiety, sadness, anger and irritability. Perhaps feeling numb or detached. Or hopeless and helpless. You can even begin to feel less empathy and compassion for others. This is our body and brain putting the brakes on caring for others for self-preservation. Other warning signs include sleep disturbance, self-isolation or an increase in substance abuse.

What to do? The first step is identifying that you may be struggling with compassion fatigue. Step two is carving out some time for yourself and re-evaluating priorities. Make a list of your roles and responsibilities. Who do you care for and which responsibilities are non-negotiable? Did you put yourself on the list? Most of us don’t and that is where we need to start. If you don’t look after yourself first, we can’t be at our best for everyone else. Look at setting boundaries. Easy to say, hard to do. Many, however, feel that you cannot be a truly, capable compassionate helper, without setting boundaries first.

You can do this!