Amelia Elkins, LCSW, CAS
Over the past two years, the world has felt like a pretty stressful place. A lot of folks are feeling the heaviness of the world and struggling to manage the impacts, not only as a whole, but individually. Compassion fatigue is real and doesn’t only happen to medical professionals or therapists. Sneaky signs of this mental health issue include exhaustion, irritability, negativity, detachment, or hopelessness. More on compassion fatigue here. So, how do we stay hopeful or grounded during times of uncertainty? If you think that you might be experiencing some compassion fatigue, and are unsure of how to cope, here are some tips that you might find helpful:
- Controlling the Controllable: There are so many factors out of our control today. From the pandemic to the war in Ukraine, we are all struggling to stay afloat emotionally. During times of high stress, it can be helpful to focus on what you DO have an impact on. What do you have control of in your life? Maybe it’s as simple as being kind to the cashier, choosing healthy food over fast food, or moving your body on a break at work. These are all things that are potentially free and can create a higher sense of calm. Focusing on what feels controllable on a micro level all connects to the macro level. More on this here.
- Give Back: There are a variety of ways to connect with your community and they don’t have to involve money. Time is truly a gift and volunteering time at a homeless shelter, animal shelter, or through Big Brothers Big Sisters contributes to a higher sense of being during challenging times. More on this here.
- Talk about your feelings: We are only meant to carry so much and lately it may feel like your cup is overflowing. Therapists are trained to release stress in a variety of ways and others can adapt this coping strategy as well. Connect with a friend, text a family member, or reach out to one of the free talk services for those in stress. Just processing through your feelings anxiety or depression can provide you more relief than you might assume.
- Colorado Crisis Services is an amazing resource in CO run by actual therapists, 24/7 and is completely free for those in states of high stress: https://coloradocrisisservices.org/.
- Wanting a more confidential form of connection? Now has never been a better time to seek out therapy as a resource as well. There are numerous options in Colorado regardless of income or insurance.
- Check out https://mhcd.org/get-to-know-us/ for insurance and sliding scale options or https://www.psychologytoday.com/us for insurance/private pay options.
- Make Gratitude Part of Your Self-Care Routine: What are three things you’re grateful for right now? How have you made it through this past week? Who is one person you’re thankful for in your life right now? These are just a few examples of questions to add to your self-care routine to stay focused on some of the good pieces of life.