Different Types of Pauses Call for Different Types of Rest
What Types of Pauses Help to Heal From Compassion Fatigue and Burnout?
Healing Pause
Burnout often leaves us depleted and disconnected from our sense of purpose. Take a healing pause by dedicating time each day to emotional recovery, whether through journaling, gentle physical movement, or simply resting without guilt. Start with ten minutes daily to release accumulated stress and process any unspoken emotions. Over time, increase this to an hour each week to focus entirely on yourself, giving your mind and body the space they need to reset.
Restorative Pause
Avoiding burnout means integrating small, restorative pauses into your routine. Set reminders to pause every hour, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and check in with your body. For a deeper reset, commit to a weekly ritual—perhaps a nature walk or a dedicated "no-screen" day—to unwind fully. These pauses build resilience and protect against the constant energy drain that leads to compassion fatigue.
Forced Pause
Sometimes burnout forces us to take a break whether we want to or not. When life intervenes, use this time to realign with your needs. Ask yourself, “What’s no longer sustainable?” Acknowledge the value of this forced pause as a time to reassess, implement healthier boundaries, and let go of activities that are out of alignment with your well-being.
I had a stroke at 30, this was my forced pause. I had to reevaluate my life in every single area. I had serious boundary issues, lacked the skills necessary to be a responsible adult/parent, and was subconsciously subscribing to a victim mentality which really meant my ego was in control. The biggest problem was that I didn’t even know it until my life was on the life… Once I did come to the conclusion, I was terrified to admit this or ask for help. Hunny and TeaBoo saved my life. I speak on this often. They sat me down and basically said “Bitch what you gonna do??”. I needed that tough love and I needed to be asked that question because it was not something I had considered up until that point. Life was happening to me. I was not even in control of my emotions, let alone be in control of how a day went. Tuh. Hindsight is 20/20 and yes I did apologize to my friends for not being the caliber of friend I wish to be.
All this to say, don’t let a forced pause be the reason you change your mind and change your life. You don’t have to learn the hard way. Jay did that so hopefully you won't have to go through that lol.
