Balancing Empathy With Your Own Wellbeing
Launch library · evergreen read
Empathy is a genuine strength, but it needs to be balanced with attention to your own wellbeing to remain sustainable over the long term ahead. This is a quiet but essential part of supporting others well over time. This holds true whatever kind of support role someone happens to be in. This is a habit worth building before it feels genuinely necessary.
Checking in with yourself as regularly as you check in with the person you are supporting helps keep that balance intact for both of you. It reflects genuine, sustainable care rather than short lived effort. It protects your own capacity to keep showing up for others. It is worth protecting, even when everything else feels urgent right now.
1800RESPECT is on 1800 737 732, and Lifeline is on 13 11 14, both available any hour for supporters reflecting on this. Whatever you are feeling right now is reason enough to call. There is no wrong time to ask for a little support. It is completely okay to take things one small step at a time.