Compassion Fatigue Solutions

Here is, as promised, the list of the 75 self care strategies workshop participants came up with during the June 1st presentation of Walking the Walkin Toronto. I invite you to read through them and see whether you could make a commit to following through on three of the strategies in the coming month?

1. Try a new delicious sounding recipe
2. Hire a housekeeper
3. Leave the office at least 3 times per week at lunchtime
4. Get out of the city and reconnect with nature
5. Sit by the ocean/lake/water
6. Bike riding
7. Watch an emotional movie
8. Lose the fear of digital photography
9. Read more novels
10. Learn 1 new piece of music
11. Take your lunch to work
12. Take a walk at lunch
13. De-clutter at work
14. Be more respectful of work hours
15. Stop procrastinating with paperwork/admin
16. Develop and value transition ritual from work to home
17. Do something physical
18. Pack a lovely lunch once a week
19. Sit in a park once a week, walk in the woods and look at the trees
20. Outsource your least favourite household task or delegate to partner (eg cleaning the house, gardening, vacuuming the car)
21. Go out and have fun once a week
22. Explore community options (eg free yoga class at centre, AGO free on weds nights)
23. Arrange for regular peer consultation
24. Have lunch once a week with colleague
25. Have lunch once a week with a person in another field
26. Find a poem and share it with someone
27. Try a new restaurant/cuisine
28. Try something new: a language, music, hobby, skill, sport
29. Have a "media fast" for a week including cell phone if possible
30. Get outside into nature
31. Go out for ice cream in the middle of the day
32. Take a course that is not work-related
33. Tour of museum/gallery (i.e. learn from another expert)
34. Carve out 3 hours per week without a plan
35. Close your office door for 30 minutes per day
36. Step outside every day for 15 minutes
37. Exercise for 30 minutes per day
38. Listen to or play music for 20 minutes per day
39. Enjoy/pay attention when eating (don't multi task)
40. Take 15 minutes per day for quiet reflection
41. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier at night
42. Take breaks during work: walk, stretch, balance fluids, have a protein snack midmorning and midafternoon
43. Debrief with colleagues
44. Adapt schedule ie: don't schedule challenging clients back to back
45. Create a calming environment at work: plant, music
46. Create a nurturing environment at home: orderly, tidy
47. Break down dreaded tasks
48. Hire experts to get some of your chores done
49. Cook extra for lunches
50. Baths
51. Spend more time with partner/spouse
52. Once a month, clean your car inside and out
53. Buy yourself flowers regularly
54. Schedule 1 day per month off work for yourself
55. Get a massage
56. Organise your desk at work
57. Schedule a self-nurturing activity every two weeks (e.g. spa, nice meal, movies, etc.)
58. Sleep in
59. Drink water
60. Read something fun (not professional and not news)
61. Declutter your home and/or office
62. Take walks
63. Annual time off to prioritise and plan year
64. Be mindful
65. Get supervision
66. Get trainings by theme
67. Plan social get-togethers
68. Do something you've never done
69. Set limits, say no and don't backtrack
70. Spend quality time with loved ones
71. Have fun on a regular basis
72. Develop a hobby unrelated to work
73. Read fiction
74. Hang out with positive people
75. Plan menus in advance