Do You Care Too Much?
Did you know caring too much can actually affect your own mental health and happiness. It can lead to emotional exhaustion, fatigue and burnout. Putting other’s feeling above your own can lead to unhappiness, depression and anxiety. Constantly focusing on others needs can have your thoughts consumed over how to help others, what more you can do for them and doubts if you are good enough. Guilt over feeling like you haven’t done enough and then resentment towards them and feeling taken advantage of. Anger over the fact they don’t see how much you are doing or how much you care and gave of yourself. You may also find it difficult to relax and enjoy leisure time because you are constantly worrying about others.
Ask yourself these questions.
Do you feel like you give and give and never get anything in return?
Do you end your days emotional exhausted, burn out?
Are your thoughts consumed thinking about others and what more you can do?
Do you have difficulty relaxing?
Have you neglected your own self-care to care for others?
Do you feel people take you for granted and don’t appreciate you?
If you answered yes to any of these you may be suffering from what they call Compassion Fatigue.
This can occur from many situations such as caring for a family member, supporting a friend going through something, even a profession that has you overseeing several individuals or physically or emotionally taking care of another person.
Ways to Take Care of Yourself While Caring for Others
Put your own well being first and set boundaries: Think before you give and make sure it isn’t going to negatively affect your own mental health
Practice self care: Take care of yourself. Get that massage, take that bubble bath, or spend the day at the spa.
Learn to say no: It is ok to put yourself first and not always do what everyone else wants you to do.
Seek Support: Seek advice and counsel from a professional or family and friends you trust. Even maybe join a support group. This is especially important if you are caring for someone that suffers from an illness.
Seek Training: Especially in a workplace seek education or training on compassion fatigue. Take your breaks and lunches to prevent burn out and get some time to yourself.
Journal: Write down everything that is bothering you and let your thoughts just pour out on the page. It will help you from over thinking, over analysing and obsessing over the day.
I will confess over thinking and obsessing and creating worst case scernios up in my head is my biggest problem. I am a big worrier. I do recognize it is a reaction from past trauma and unsolved emotional triggers. I am working on it.
Overall remember your mental health should be your first priority. Only once you take care of yourself can you truly care for others but never let yourself get lost in taking care of others. You need to find a balance and give yourself permission to say no and take a step back to re-align yourself, your thoughts and your emotions. Don’t ever let caring for others take away your own happiness.
“Protect your happiness like the most precious thing in the world.”
