Compassion Fatigue: When the Holidays Demand More Than They Give
- Kelli
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
The holidays often arrive wrapped in warmth and hope, yet for many people, especially those in caregiving roles, they also bring a quiet heaviness. Connection and reflection sit right alongside exhaustion. The pressure to meet year-end deadlines, support others emotionally, and show up for family can leave even the most grounded among us feeling worn down.
Not long ago, someone told me:
“I spend my days caring for others and caring for animals… but by the time I get home, I’m running on fumes. Everyone assumes I’m fine because I’m the strong one, but sometimes I don’t even know where to put my own feelings.”
Their experience is more universal than we often acknowledge. Many helpers spend their days checking on colleagues, calming distressed clients, tending to overwhelmed animals, and then go home to care for aging parents, children with disabilities, or partners who need support. And when the holidays arrive, instead of feeling rested or grateful, they feel stretched thin, sometimes even guilty for not feeling the joy they think they are supposed to feel.
If this sounds familiar, you are in good company. People who care deeply, whether for humans or animals, carry more than most people ever see.
On December 11 from 2–5pm ET, Silver Linings International is offering a restorative three-hour online session created specifically for those who make a habit of holding space for others. This includes coaches, educators, medical and veterinary staff, human services professionals, family caregivers, animal care staff, and anyone whose work requires steady empathy.
Rather than another obligation, this session is designed as a pause. You will explore what compassion fatigue actually looks like, reflect on the personal stress patterns you may not always notice, and learn practices that protect your capacity to care without burning out. The focus is on practical strategies and gentle self-awareness, tools you can carry into the holiday season and beyond.
Most importantly, this session gives you room to breathe. To regroup. To reconnect with yourself in a way that is often difficult in the busyness of daily life. You deserve that space.
Dr. Stacy Huff, Ph.D. a researcher and award-winning facilitator dedicated to understanding the emotional realities of helping professions, will be heading this workshop. Her doctoral research, Between Empathy and Exhaustion, examines how caring professionals can sustain both their humanity and their effectiveness. Her sessions blend evidence-based insight with compassion and clarity.
$49 | Limited seats
If you spend your days caring for others, let this be one moment created to care for you.
