ABSTRACT
Words often associated with the concept of resilience are, ‘bouncing back’, ‘toughness’, or ‘struggle’. The American Psychological Association defines resilience thus: ‘Resilience is that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. The level of compassion fatigue a person experiences can change from one day to the next, and even very healthy people with optimal life/work balance and self-care strategies can experience a higher-than-normal level of compassion fatigue when they are overloaded and are working with a lot of traumatic content. Compassion fatigue can take a physical, mental, spiritual and emotional toll on people who experience it. Teaching professionals who experience compassion fatigue usually do so because they struggle to prioritize their own emotional needs. The empathy and compassion they give to the children in the classroom can drain them if they are not regularly unpacking their emotional backpack.
