You don’t need to be a first responder or healthcare service provider to be vulnerable to compassion fatigue. The daily onslaught of tragic news from around the globe impacts a broad swath of the population that may or may not be aware of how they are affected. Unwittingly, we may be left wondering when the next shoe will drop. News from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa or from Orlando, FL, brings humanity’s dark side right to our doorstep. When tragedy strikes close to home, our response can become all the more acute, including but not limited to anxiety, fear, hypervigilance, anger, withdrawal, disbelief, numbness, sadness, irritability and/or tearfulness. And, memories of past events can be unearthed in the process, leaving you with a flooded feeling, typical of the fight-flight-freeze response.

Take care of yourself and those around you – stop, share and ask about thoughts, feelings and reactions. Acknowledge and validate your feelings and others’ feelings. Doing so hastens the healing. Also, stay informed but be mindful of how repeated exposure to media can impact you (still images or videos; comments section on social media). It is not uncommon to be drawn towards that which can most hurt us. While receiving information in our homes is truly a blessing it can also leave us with no safe space in which to seek refuge and calm our minds.

Even though it may seem inappropriate or untimely, now is the very time to engage in activities that bring joy and relaxation. We may need to settle for a less joyful or relaxing experience but some benefit is better than no benefit. Under times of stress, these become acts of emotional self-preservation.