Rekindling: Compassion Fatigue Solutions for Animal Workers

Emotional labor may or may not be a new term for you.  Although it's recently taken on a different meaning, it's original intention is when we regulate or suppress our emotions at our job. Not as a choice we necessarily make but instead as an expectation coming as rules or regulations being put on us to appease the "customer" (client, general public, contractor, etc).  To join my email list, text...

I've noticed that when something causes us shame, guilt, sadness, frustration or anger, we either: 1. Don't acknowledge it and distract ourselves with other things 2. Ruminate on it and can't let it go Most people do one or the other. What I'm proposing in this episode, the 5-Second Funeral, will allow you to do just the opposite. It will allow you to give yourself just a moment to feel the feelin...

Do you know when you've reached your limit before you've gone too far? Do you have to get to burnout before recognizing you need to change things? Do you find yourself abandoning your own needs because you don't want to feel guilty for "letting others down"? Well you're not alone if you do. In this episode I'll teach you how to rely on your own inner wisdom as a guide for you in your life.  To joi...

Clearly you are someone who is here to make their mark on this world. You do big work. You save or improve lives. You help provide a good death. That's BIG work my friend.  BIG work comes with BIG emotions.  And those BIG emotions don't always get the attention they deserve. The BIG emotions I'm talking about are grief, loss, sadness, disappointment, shame, regret and guilt.  Working with animals...

So many people are trying to create new results in their lives in an attempt to feel better about themselves. But it doesn't work that way. We don't get self-confidence from the results we create. We don't love ourselves more based on accomplishing things. New jobs, awards, promotions or smaller jeans don't create self-worth.  In this episode, I'll tell you what does! Also, registration for my 6-m...

It's no coincidence that 60-80% of animal workers are introverts AND 60-80% of animal workers experience burnout. Now extroverts experience burnout too but I believe that as introverts we have to be very self-aware of what we need to recharge ourselves.  In this episode you'll learn: -what I believe we need to know as introverts around burnout -the 4 kinds of introverts -how to love, accept, under...

We all get overwhelmed from time to time. I've noticed that my susceptibility to overwhelm increases when I have other pressures in my life. Contrary to popular belief, overwhelm isn't caused by our to-do list or our responsibilities. That doesn't mean we don't need to take a real hard look at those things and perhaps decide to make some changes. In this episode I'll give you my top 8 tips for dea...

March is Women's History Month and in this episode I'm celebrating women who have made significant achievements in the lives and welfare of animals as well as giving suggestions for how you might celebrate women in and outside of animal work.  My 6-month group coaching program for women veterinarians is OPEN for registration. There are limited spots available to don't wait until the last minute. T...

In the almost 9 years I've been coaching people, I've learned a lot. Not only how to be a better coach but I've learned a lot about people. And I've seen how alike we all really are. So I put together this list of 10 things, it could be 10,000 but I constrained it to 10. I bet you'll see yourself in this list.  To join my email list: text REKINDLE to 66866 To find out more about my 6-month group c...

Who doesn't love to find out more about themselves? No one! One of the many benefits to positive psychology is the discovery of 24 character strengths that make up what's best about our personality. You heard that right, they make up what's BEST about our personality!  We all have 5 signature strengths and a the other 19 fall in such a way to create a unique fingerprint of ourselves. My guest toda...

Compassion fatigue and grief often go together. When we don't make space to feel our grief, we get filled up with no room left to care. Working with animals exposes you to a lot of grief because you are exposed to a lot of death. But death isn't the only source of grief. We can experience grief related to any kind of loss.  Regardless of the kind of loss, if grief is present there are needs a grie...

"We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea until we have to practice it." ~ C. S. Lewis Isn't that the truth? Forgiveness of self and others requires that we let go of something, something we've been carrying for a long time. Anger, hatred, regret or guilt are commonly what we're holding on to. And while we may be justified in feeling as we do, we are the only ones feeling those feelings....

What if your best is yet to come? Notice how it feels to think that. Exhilarating right? And what if you truly believed that? What opportunities might you consider, attempt or say yes to? Your legacy is currently under construction. Believe in your greatness and the promise that the future has for you.  To join my email list, text REKINDLE to 66866. 

Most people set some kind of a goal or intention at the beginning of the year. Here it is the second half of January and you may've found your motivation sliding. You may find yourself using some excuses that feel really justified for why you can't or haven't done what you said you wanted.  This episode will teach you how to spot your excuses and dismantle them to achieve the things you want in yo...

Are you familiar with the "messy middle"? It's the place of misery we often find ourselves in until we have clarity, insight or the revelation. Interestingly enough, not many people talk about their "messy middle" so we don't have a lot of mentors for how to navigate through the tough stuff of life.  Well in this episode I will not only teach you about the "messy middle" but show you how normal it...

Happy New Year! It's time to put some thought and intention into what you want 2023 to be. The possibilities are endless. The only thing limiting you is your mind. In this episode, I walk you through a worksheet I created to help bring some intention to this upcoming year.  You can get the worksheet at www.rekindlesolutions.com/201

Today is episode # 200 and I have the most special guest on with me, the Founder and Executive Director of my "happy place" Catskill Animal Sanctuary (CAS). More than 300 rescued farmed animals call CAS's 150-acres "home". I couldn't be more delighted to invite you into this intimate conversation about my favorite topic, animals.  In this episode we discuss: -How Kathy went from high school Englis...

It's that time of year to take stock of 2022. To look back and see your accomplishments, challenges and look honestly and compassionately at how you're living your life. This is a "no judgement" practice. Just one in which we look in the rear-view mirror and assess it all. Then we can look ahead to create the future we want in 2023 (that will be coming up in E# 201). Some asks in this episode: 1....

Leadership in vet med (and globally) is male-dominated and homogeneous. But vet med and animal welfare are predominately female. Why aren't more women securing leadership roles and what is the cost to women in these professions if their views, ideas and needs aren't being represented at the leadership level?    In this episode I speak to Dr. Jenni Rizzo, emergency veterinarian and founder of Lone...

The holidays are tough for many people and can be even more so if you work with animals. Euthanasia rates seem to increase right around the holidays, stress  and obligation seem to rise as well. It's no wonder that so many animal workers tell me they feel higher levels of compassion fatigue this time of year. It makes sense.  I have some suggestions in this episode of things I think can help you. ...

In this modern age is not easy to leave work at work. Whether it's bringing home the actual work, being connected digitally or bringing it home in your mind, it's hard to leave it there. And yet if you don't have a clear separation, you will have a constant source of contributing factors for compassion fatigue and burnout.  In this episode I'll share my top 6 steps to leaving work at home that whe...

One of the hardest things to do is love ourselves unconditionally. We are our own loudest critics. But what if the things you don't like about yourself actually serve you in some way? What if the parts of you that you don't like are just part of the 50/50 of life? No one is perfect. No one. When you can see that the things you think are so wrong with you are actually an asset, well that is when yo...

Animal workers are tired. Your work has been insanely busy and so many of you are telling me you feel feeling drained and exhausted. And look! Here come the holidays. So what do you need to do this year to make it more enjoyable for yourself? What do you need to say no to? What do you want to opt out of? You can, you know. I give you permission to and want you to give yourself permission to drop t...

When times are tough, when there are challenges and struggles on the horizon in your work or personal life, you have to ask yourself one very important question. What will you do to support yourself? We are always being intentional but sometimes that intention is AGAINST ourselves rather than FOR ourselves.  This episode will help you change that!  Text REKINDLE to 66866 to receive my Monday and F...

The science is pretty clear. Gratitude is hugely beneficial to your mental, physical, emotional and social health. But it takes an intentional focus on what's good, rather than our brain's default obsession with what's awful and wrong.  The good news is when we dwell in the good, we change our brain structurally and actually increase our capacity for positive emotions. And this is hugely beneficia...