Sensible Compassion: Principles I Thought I Had Mastered
For years, I’ve proudly carried a set of principles to prevent compassion fatigue. They sounded noble, looked impressive for me, and made me feel like a seasoned sage of healthcare. First, I practiced slow noticing. In reality, this often meant noticing things only after they were pointed out by someone else. My version of slow noticing was sometimes so slow that the moment had already passed, the person had already left, and the opportunity for compassion had died of geriatric problems. Second, I believed in sensible boundaries. This sounded very mature until I realised my boundaries were mostly designed to protect my schedule, my efficiency, and my ability to walk briskly through corridors without being interrupted by humans. Third, I practised micro‑restoration. This was the one principle I genuinely excelled at - but mostly because it involved coffee, trees, and occasionally pretending I didn’t hear my phone ringing. I had convinced myself that these principles made me ...