Are you one of those people that absorbs the energy of other people? Guess what – me too. There are people, places, situations and habits that I find so draining. Sometimes it is something or someone that you love…and yet, you still find yourself drained. If this is you – this article has been written with you in mind!
Over the past few years I have connected with a part of my soul that wants to serve the world and my communities. This has meant that I volunteer for several organisations and I moved into the non-profit sector and paid work. My strong belief is that there is a finite amount of funding and resources that goes into social causes and issues which are close to my heart. Working in the non-profit sector and volunteering and teaching yoga is a dream come true for me. I get to pursue my passion and act for social justice in a teaching capacity, volunteering capacity and get paid to do this as well. HOWEVER, it has meant that I take on board confronting situations that I see and ruminate about it and yes, sometimes feel helpless and overwhelmed.
Ironic…particularly when I am a teacher talking about boundaries and self-care and have amazing tools, yet failed to see recently that I had lost my boundaries recently and dipping into this area of vicarious trauma.
What is vicarious trauma? It is experiencing trauma after witnessing and hearing traumatic situations other people experience. One way to explain it is – second hand accounts or trauma that leave you/me/people feeling stressed, highly strung, sad, anxious, afraid long after the experience has occurred.
I thought my boundaries were better.
I thought I had better self awareness.
I didn’t realise that I was dipping…
Sooo this goes back to meditation and yoga and how these practices and tools can support you. I am always reminded by life’s situations and circumstances to reconnect to my practices that ground me. It is usually when life picks up and I am busy that I have let my practice slip, that my energy goes, and I feel overwhelmed by life.
This is your reminder to connect back into the people, places, practices, yoga and meditation tools that support you to feel grounded in life ever changing.
Keep practicing. xo
Thank you for sharing your experiences with vicarious trauma and the reminder to prioritize self-care and boundaries. It’s inspiring to hear about your passion for social justice and your work in the non-profit sector. Keep up the great work and keep practicing self-care!
founder of balance thy life