Does compassion lead to burnout?

[PoetPhilosopher]

Does excessive compassion for others increase the risk of burnout, and what strategies can people adopt to counteract this potential negative?

Bonus question (if you say that self-care is needed): What does that self-care look like, and how do you actually apply it to reduce burnout?

My comments: Navigating a world that often values self-interest over compassion can be incredibly challenging and exhausting. The effort to uphold a sense of compassion amidst a system that promotes its absence requires great resilience and determination. That being said, I respect people who actively seek to show compassion to people, anyways, and who make it a goal.

What are some good ways to make demonstrating compassion come naturally, without the burnout?

(I have an idea, but I don't want to answer just yet.)

 

[LuisDantas]

I think that it can indeed lead to burnout, and does.

The best remedies that I can think of are fairly obvious ones.

* Try to be aware of one's own limitations and keep discipline in allowing space to decompress.

* Act with people that you can trust and communicate well with if at all possible.

* To the extent that it is practical and healthy, detect your naturally strong and weak points and take advantage of them. We all have organic limitations and it happens that some can deal with certain kinds of stimuli better than others.

* Try to keep a clear notion of what your motivations are and whether and how well they are being fulfilled by your efforts. Intellectual honesty about this matter is a fundamental part of self-respect and therefore of self-care.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

I think that it can indeed lead to burnout, and does.

The best remedies that I can think of are fairly obvious ones.

* Try to be aware of one's own limitations and keep discipline in allowing space to decompress.

* Act with people that you can trust and communicate well with if at all possible.

* To the extent that it is practical and healthy, detect your naturally strong and weak points and take advantage of them. We all have organic limitations and it happens that some can deal with certain kinds of stimuli better than others.

* Try to keep a clear notion of what your motivations are and whether and how well they are being fulfilled by your efforts. Intellectual honesty about this matter is a fundamental part of self-respect and therefore of self-care.

The one thing I might add, is to try to have and nurture beliefs that are prone to promote aspirations.