It seems there could never be enough empathy and compassion in our world, but we are starting to discover that our capacity for empathy – to share the emotions of others and take their perspective – can come with a bit of a sting if we’re not careful.
It seems there could never be enough empathy and compassion in our world, but we are starting to discover that our capacity for empathy – to share the emotions of others and take their perspective – can come with a bit of a sting if we’re not careful.
The irony is that the effects of empathy overload might undercut the very things for which empathy evolved in us – mutually beneficial cooperation and collaboration. “Even in the short-term distress transmitted via empathy leads just as much to a desire to escape a helping situation as it does to a desire to help,” says Michael Poulin at the State University of New York.
The irony is that the effects of empathy overload might undercut the very things for which empathy evolved in us – mutually beneficial cooperation and collaboration. “Even in the short-term distress transmitted via empathy leads just as much to a desire to escape a helping situation as it does to a desire to help,” says Michael Poulin at the State University of New York.If that’s true, can we do anything about it? Perhaps, says Christian Keysers of the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam. “Just like some people are better at regulating their own emotions, some are better at regulating empathy,” he says. His work suggests we’re not stuck with the amount of empathy we are born with, but can adopt the strategies of others.
5 Strategies to Prevent Empathy Burnout
Appropriately dosed, empathy is undoubtedly a good thing, but we need to consider the strategies to protect ourselves if we are in professions that require high degrees of empathy.
1. Know Your vulnerabilities
2. Surrender to Your Breath
3. Set Limitations and Boundaries
4. Develop a Support System
5. Embody The Philosophy That Everything is as it Should Be
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