Let's explore the Meditation and Writing Workshop for Compassion Fatigue.
This is ideal for educators,
Caregivers,
Healthcare workers,
People who work in the nonprofit arena,
Those who are always there for their family,
Anyone who feels as though you give a lot of your energy to support others through difficult times.
The purpose of our time together is to help to think about how to metabolize emotional overload and reconnect with meaning through reflective writing.
I want to begin by saying that compassion fatigue is not weakness.
It is evidence of care.
It's just that you are not sufficiently replenished.
Many of us absorb stories,
Crises,
Expectations,
And other people's pain without ever giving ourselves a chance to fully process it.
Our nervous system stays activated when this happens.
And writing,
Reflection,
Meditation,
These are the things that give us somewhere to go,
A way to process.
Compassion fatigue essentially is emotional exhaustion.
It's sustained caregiving that allows us to provide,
Provide,
Provide until we get to the point where we feel almost numb or detached or irritable.
The goal is to move what is unprocessed so that we can breathe again.
So let's go ahead and begin by clearing a little bit of the residue.
I invite you to sit comfortably,
Feet grounded.
Close your eyes and begin to take one long slow breath in.
Allow the exhale to be slow,
Steady.
Notice the places in your body that feel tight,
Braced for action,
Or tired.
And just breathe through.
I want you to label all of the various roles that you carry.
Maybe teacher,
Healer,
Parent,
Manager,
Friend,
Leader.
And notice how these different roles sit with you.
Where do you feel a weight,
An imbalance?
And notice how this feels in your body.
Without judging yourself,
Ask,
What have I been holding that is not fully mine?
Breathe with this question.
What have I been holding that is not fully mine?
Now imagine placing any role that feels heavy and gently on the floor in front of you.
Taking it off as though it were clothing and just placing it there.
You are still you.
You are not required to fix anything.
Now bring to mind a moment that felt heavy or burdensome.
Something recent and manageable where you just felt your energy depleting.
And again,
Attune to the body.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Notice where you feel any heat or tightness.
Notice where you don't feel anything at all,
Where there is just a numbness.
Focus your attention to that part of the body.
Repeat to yourself,
This is stress.
This is care.
This is human.
It's okay.
It's okay to release.
Now breathe into that place and imagine the sensation just loosening a little bit.
Maybe you feel again.
Maybe you feel the tension releasing.
Maybe you feel more space in your body.
Breathe and trust that you can create ease and space and it does not eliminate or minimize how much you care.
You are allowing yourself to process.
Take one more breath.
Come into the here and the now.
Release it completely.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
We're going to do a writing assignment now and this is just a reflection on what we just did.
What are you carrying within your rolls,
Within your body?
What is in your life that no one else sees and that maybe is not yours?
Don't worry about writing anything perfect or eloquent.
Just keep the pen moving and notice what comes up for you.
And when you're done writing,
Read back over what you wrote.
Close your eyes.
Take a few more breaths and allow that space.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
Compassion fatigue intensifies when we don't look at it,
When we don't process our experiences and our emotions.
By witnessing and writing,
We are doing the hard work that will allow more ease.
