Recently, clergy and laity leaders of the Sound gathered at Camp Don Lee along the Neuse River. District Superintendent Tara Lain shared wellness information and ideas for creative self-care activities. The discussion centered around something called “Compassion Fatigue.”
I immediately recognized the described “loss of ability to be empathic and compassionate to those you serve” in myself. I remember those feelings as I navigated leadership roles in my past and see them now as I am still trying to hold steady in some roles today. I have always thought of it as good old-fashioned burnout.
Those gathered spread out across the grounds on guided meditation walks and more. From the Captain’s Walk of the sailing hut to the cross on the dock, we chose our own way to care for ourselves a bit. Whether it was a nature hike or rocking chair watching children fish, we focused on our unique struggles.
Not surprising to those who say I push boundaries, I chose to enter the roped-off part of the shoreline. My brain decided that rope was for the hundred or so students there that day, not me!
The truth was, I really needed to be alone with my thoughts. I chose the expressive writing activity to help heal my heart a bit. From the very first journal prompt, I thanked God for putting me on a secluded shoreline. You try…”How do you respond to your inner critic?”
I left that day with tools for embracing my heart of an empath and not letting life suck it out of me. You other empaths out there… yes YOU…need that care for your hearts as well.
Whether you lead in your professional career, in your community, or in your church family, you know it requires a lot of listening to the struggles of others. Carrying those concerns and feeling all the emotions that go along with any level of conflict or difficulty can be a real stressor for your own life. Stress becomes a hindrance to your ability to love fully.
Learn from my experience and push the boundaries by going places where you can be alone with God. Even if you have to unlock a gate or climb over a rope, make yourself be okay with taking the time and space you need to nurture your compassionate soul. Your family needs your focus. Your church needs your commitment and energy. Your community needs your passionate witness. Jesus needs your amazing ability to have empathy for others to work as designed by our creator. The world needs your love.
I chose to use Diana Hill’s The Self-Compassion Daily Journal and Kristin Neff’s Fierce Compassion as references for the activity.
Blessings,
Kim Rice Smith