When you witness suffering at scale, your capacity to care can feel like it’s running on empty. In this episode, we’re diving into the biological reality of compassion fatigue and the potent "antidote" found in moral elevation. We discuss why "looking for the helpers" isn’t just a sweet sentiment—it’s a vital nervous system intervention that activates the vagus nerve and restores our ability to hope. This conversation is an invitation to honor your personal capacity, embrace complexity, and find your own sustainable way to show up.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What compassion fatigue actually is
- The "Compassion Budget"
- The science of Moral Elevation: How witnessing acts of goodness triggers the vagus nerve to slow your heart rate, reduce inflammation, and release oxytocin.
- Dialectical Thinking: The "both/and" logic that allows you to acknowledge horrifying truths without losing sight of community resilience.
- Matching Capacity to Advocacy: Why "offering the shovel" is sometimes exactly enough, and how to match your current resources to the causes you care about.
3 Takeaways:
- Compassion fatigue is real—and so is your capacity limit. Not every cause can be your cause. Ask yourself: What do I have to give right now? And where do I want to give it? Be honest about your capacity and kind to yourself about your limitations. Sometimes offering the shovel is enough.
- Looking for the helpers activates moral elevation—a biological antidote to compassion fatigue.
- Practice dialectical thinking: both/and, not either/or. Horrifying things are happening AND people are showing up for each other. You can witness harm AND witness helpers.
Resources mentioned:
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