Burnout, and compassion fatigue. How do Ikigai and Zen mindfulness work for them?

Why Burnout(BO) and compassion fatigue (CF) is problems in the Western world and 21st century, especially in recent years? Lluch et al. (2022) pointed out, “Considering the definition of professional quality of life, it seems clear that the circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic are a clear threat to the mental health of professionals and may have affected their levels of burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction” (p. 2).

Why are BO and CF common in our culture and time? As seen in table 5.1, Department of Labour. (2023) explained, “Small businesses may not feel they have the time, resources or need for complex management systems to address activities such as health and safety – which they may perceive as ‘non-core’” (p.42).

What do BO and CF have in common? Rossi, et al. (2012) answered, “Unsurprisingly, in the three multivariate analyses psychological distress was significantly associated with CS, BO, and CF” (p.6).

What is burnout? According to Maslach & Leiter (2005),

 “Burnout is someone mismatches falls into six categories including “workload (too much work, not enough resources); control (micromanagement), lack of influence, (accountability without power); reward(not enough pay, acknowledgement, or satisfaction, fairness); fairness (discrimination, favouritism); community(isolation, conflict, disrespect); and values (ethical conflicts, meaningless tasks)” (p.44).

What is compassion fatigue? Lluch et al. (2022) defined, “The concept of compassion fatigue was first introduced by Jonson to characterize a state of reduced capacity for compassion as a consequence of exhaustion caused by contact with the suffering of others” (p.2).

What is the difference between BO and CF? Adams et al. (2008) discussed, “BO, which is defined as ‘‘a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in emotionally demanding situation’’ (Pines and Aronson, 1988), is not directly related to exposure to traumatic material” (cited in Rossi, et al. 2012, p.1). 

What factors in your personal/professional context contribute to BO/CF?

Johnson et al. (2005) answered:

 The amount of stress a person experiences at work is likely to be a result of the interaction of a number of factors such as the type of work they are doing (their occupation), the presence of work stressors, the amount of support they receive both at work and at home and the coping mechanisms they use to deal with stress. (p.179).

In what way do the inventories help you analyse these factors? As a trauma therapist specialising in criminal, suicide, family violence, mental health grief and addiction, I refer to the Ikigai concept to analyse these actors because it covers all my factors including stress, support and my ability to work on the intense work. As seen in figure 1, Eatough (2021) explained, “Japanese Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means your ‘reason for being.’ ‘Iki’ in Japanese means ‘life,’ and ‘gai’ describes value or worth.

Figure 1. Ikigai, a Japanese concept meaning “A reason for being”

What is an intervention that would prevent or combat BO/CF in your context? Maslach & Leiter (2005) suggested, “There are two paths to banishing burnout: the individual path, and the organizational path” (p.46). As a director at my own company and therapist, I refer to self-care including Zen mindfulness, gardening, seeing my own therapists, going gym and checking my Ikigai at the individual level. I have regular meetings with my three supervisors, peer support groups and professional meetings at the organizational level. The Ikigai is the almost perfect concept for me to maintain my well-being by recognizing the sense of my identity, compassion, professionalism and belongings in the community as similar withy the essence of Wairuatanga.

From this essay, I found prevention is significantly the key to avoiding getting both BO and CF. I realized that I want to research more about the similarities and differences between Maori and Japanese spirituality and philosophy in the future.

References

Department of Labour. (2023).Healthy Work,Managing stress and fatigue in the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Service, Wellington, New Zealand.

Department of Labour. (2023). Features of New Zealand small businesses that may affect stress and fatigue [Table 5.1]. The Occupational Safety and Health Service, Wellington, New Zealand.

Eatough, E. (2021, May 7). What is ikigai and how can it change my life? Better up. https://www.betterup.com/blog/what-is-ikigai

Johnson, S., Cooper, C., Cartwright, S., Donald, I., Taylor, P. & Millet, C. (2005). "The experience of work‐related stress across occupations". Journal of Managerial Psychology, 20, (2),178-187. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940510579803

Lluch, C., Galiana, L., Doménech, P.& Sansó, N. (2022). The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Compassion Satisfaction in Healthcare Personnel: A Systematic Review of the Literature Published during the First Year of the Pandemic. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 10(2), 1-41. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10020364

Maslach, C. & Leiter, M.P. (2005). Reversing Burnout,How to rekindle your passion for your work. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 3 (4), 43-49.

Rossi, A., Cetrano, G., Pertile, R., Rabbi, L., Donisi, V., Grigoletti, L., Curtolo, C., Tansella, M., Thornicroft, G., & Amaddeo, F. (2012). Burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction among staff in community-based mental health services. Psychiatry Research, 200(2-3), 933–938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2012.07.029