Feeling Worn Out or Just Numb? Let’s Talk Compassion Fatigue vs Burnout
If you've been feeling stretched thin, emotionally flat, or just not like yourself lately — you're not imagining it. This goes deeper than stress. It might be burnout, or it might be something called compassion fatigue — the emotional exhaustion that comes from caring deeply, especially when you’re always the one holding everything (and everyone) together.
These experiences are common, especially for caregivers, parents, health professionals, and anyone in helping roles. In fact, a 2020 study found that compassion fatigue and burnout are rising sharply in professions that involve dealing with others’ trauma or emotional needs on a daily basis.
In this article, we’ll gently walk through:
What is compassion fatigue?
The key differences between compassion fatigue and burnout
How to cope and care for yourself without guilt
Whether you’re experiencing burnout or compassion fatigue, the goal isn’t to push through — it’s to begin healing in small, honest ways. Let’s take a closer look at compassion fatigue vs burnout and see what we can learn.
What Is Compassion Fatigue?
Compassion fatigue happens when you care deeply for others—your clients, your patients, your kids, your students—and over time, it starts to wear you down.
Compassion Fatigue Symptoms Might Include:
Feeling detached or emotionally numb
Trouble sleeping or constant physical and emotional exhaustion
Dreading work or caregiving responsibilities
Losing your sense of purpose or joy in helping
Feeling irritable or overwhelmed by things that used to feel manageable
It’s important to know: this isn’t a flaw or a failure. It’s a completely human response to chronic stress and workload, especially when you're always showing up for others and rarely for yourself.
Additional Reading: You might also want to read Why Can't I Do Anything Right? Strategies to Overcome Perfectionism and Self-Criticism.
Compassion Fatigue vs Burnout: What’s the Difference?
Burnout usually comes from chronic stress and overwhelm. It’s that work-related exhaustion that builds up when your days are too full and your tank is always empty. Think never-ending to-do lists, unrealistic demands, and not enough time or energy to keep up. Over time, this can lead to job burnout, mental health issues, and a general sense that you're always behind.
Additional Reading: Discover The 12 Stages of Burnout — And How to Recognize Them in Yourself.
Compassion fatigue, on the other hand, is more about emotional overload. You may feel like your capacity for empathy is shrinking, not because you don’t care, but because you’ve been carrying so much for so long.
Both can include emotional exhaustion, physical fatigue, and symptoms like irritability, trouble sleeping or feeling hopeless. And both are common — especially for caregivers and people in helping roles.
Preventing and Easing Compassion Fatigue and Burnout
While you might not be able to clear your schedule or fix every stressor overnight, there are small things you can do to begin feeling more grounded and whole again.
Here’s where to start when you’re not sure how:
Practice self-compassion instead of self-judgment. If you're beating yourself up for being tired, irritable, or checked out — pause. You're not lazy or failing. You're human and you've been carrying a lot.
Set boundaries — even tiny ones. Saying no to one more task or carving out five minutes for yourself matters.
Rest, and really mean it. This doesn’t have to be a spa day. It can be sitting down with a hot cup of coffee and not folding laundry at the same time.
Talk to someone who understands. Whether it’s a therapist, a trusted friend, or a support group, connection helps.
Start where you are. You don’t need a big fix — just one gentle shift at a time.
According to the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), one of the best ways to prevent compassion fatigue is through healthy stress management, connection, and creating space for compassion satisfaction — that sense of joy and meaning that comes from helping others.
When You’ve Given So Much, It’s Okay to Ask for a Little Back
At Ritenour Counseling, we work with people who are feeling the weight of burnout and compassion fatigue. You don’t have to hold it all together. And you don’t have to untangle it alone.
Whether you’re noticing signs of compassion fatigue, navigating secondary traumatic stress, or just needing someone to help you slow down and breathe, we’re here to support you with warmth, understanding, and zero judgment.
We’ll help you sort through what you're feeling, figure out what’s underneath it, and find real, doable ways to care for yourself again.
When you're ready, get in touch. Let’s take the next step together.