Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
We have mindfulness expert Julie Potiker, author of “SNAP! From Chaos to Calm,” to share:
Care for Yourself So You Can Better Care for Those You Love
“Caretakers are all too familiar with feelings of being stretched too thin from time to time as they nurture, support, and protect those they care for,” Julie says. “Sometimes, they care so much that their empathy drains them completely.
“When you start to feel tired or drained from giving, that’s empathy fatigue. And the key to healing it lies in compassion. The practice of Mindful Self-Compassion offers many tools we can use to overcome empathy fatigue in the present and help to prevent it in the future.”
Here are five ways to recognize and beat empathy fatigue:
1. Don’t ignore fatigue. When you feel exhausted from caretaking, don’t ignore it. If you don’t acknowledge it and work to heal it, it can wreak havoc on your sense of well-being.
2. Add compassion to your empathy. When you add compassion to your empathy something beautiful happens: You help another person, and in return you experience self-compassion.
3. Be a caretaker of YOU. The well-worn analogy of putting your own oxygen mask on first applies. If you don’t keep yourself healthy and well in body and mind, your ability to care for others will be severely compromised.
4. Schedule “you time.” Make time for mindful self-care. Take a few minutes for meditation each day. Take a nice, hot bath. Call a friend. Take a walk and practice staying grounded by putting your attention on the soles of your feet. Listen to music that soothes and inspires you. Practice Loving Kindness meditation. Fill yourself back up with an abundance of caring.
5. Practice on-the-job self-compassion. Whether you’re caring for a loved one at home or in a care facility, do a quick check-in with yourself. Drop your awareness to the soles of your feet for a moment as you take three conscious breaths. Get centered in your body. Balancing empathy with compassion (for self and others) is crucial for avoiding empathy fatigue.
“As a caretaker, you should never resign yourself to just suffering your way through it when you’re tapped out,” Julie says. “Mindful Self-Compassion is an effective and accessible way to acknowledge that your own wellness is crucial to your caretaking capacity.”
Public Site: MindfulMethodsForLife.com
About Julie Potiker: Julie Potiker is a mindfulness expert with extensive certifications and teacher training in a variety of tools and methods, including Mindful Self-Compassion. Her latest book is “SNAP! From Chaos to Calm.” Through her Mindful Methods for Life program offerings, Julie helps others bring more peace and wellness into their lives. “SNAP!” as well as Julie’s first book, “Life Falls Apart, but You Don’t Have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos,” are now available on audiobook. Look for her debut poetry collection, “Gentle Currents: Poems of Pause & Peace,” available anywhere books are sold on March 3, 2026. Learn more at MindfulMethodsForLife.com.