Cultivating Emotional Wellness
Working through Compassion Fatigue
Secondary Traumatic Stress
Secondary traumatic stress (STS) can hit any medical provider at any time. Unlike burnout, which is due to the overarching stress of a job, STS presents with actual trauma symptoms. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network defines STS as “the emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another.” Symptoms of STS are similar to those of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Apps
- Healthy Minds Program is a free app available for iOS and Android designed to help users develop skills for a healthy mind, using neuroscience and research-based techniques with meditation training.
Burnout
Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
- feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
- increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
- reduced professional efficacy.
Crisis Resources
- The Emotional PPE Project – The Emotional PPE Project connects healthcare workers in need with licensed mental health professionals who can help. No cost. No insurance. Just a trained professional to talk to.
Courses & Trainings
- Creating a Resilient Mindset – Learn how to condition your mind to navigate failure, adversity, change, challenges, and fear.
- The Art and (Brain) Science of an Unprecedented Year – This dynamic seminar will take an engaging look at the unprecedented year through the lens of neuroscience, human behavior, and the “yes, and” approach to affirming hope, fostering adaptability, and improving health and wellbeing.
NOTE: The information contained in these self-help documents is not to be used as a substitute for professional care. Neither the authors nor the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA) assume liability for injury incurred by following the information presented in these self-help resources.