January 21, 2022
top trending topics
✨ Connect deeper & find commonalities with your spouse.
❤️ Your spouse can develop empathy. Here’s how to help.
💻 Wondering why your husband watches porn? The reason isn’t you!
👥 So you wanna know if opposite-sex friends are ok? Find out here.
🏅 Make it a priority to put your spouse first this year.
tips & tricks for growth
feeling compassion fatigue? you’re not alone!
Have you ever felt like you’ve cared so much you just can’t anymore? Like you’re exhausted from taking care of others? Even if you’ve never heard of compassion fatigue, you may be familiar with what it is. Maybe more familiar than you’d like.
Compassion fatigue is rooted in caring for others.
It would be easy to confuse compassion fatigue with burnout, but they’re a bit different.
Compassion fatigue occurs because of the emotional strain of supporting those who are suffering from something traumatic. It is rooted in caring for others. It’s not just a workplace thing, but it can co-exist with burnout, especially for those in service professions.
Look for these symptoms:
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Physical and psychological exhaustion
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Feeling helpless, hopeless, or powerless
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A decreased sense of personal and professional accomplishment
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A change in your worldview or spirituality
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Drastic shifts in mood
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A dramatic withdrawal from social connections
Since compassion fatigue affects your mental and physical health, it also impacts the quality of your relationships with your partner, children, friends, and co-workers.
in-laws: they’re not always likable
They’re like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. They might blow through boundaries. Your in-laws might meddle in your marriage. You might even be having a hard time living with your in-laws. Possibly, they’re totally toxic. This isn’t about any of those things.
Sometimes, your in-laws are just difficult to get along with. But you want to try to have a good relationship with them.
After a few years of marriage (or less), you soon realize saying “yes” to forever with your spouse really did mean saying “yes” to forever with their family, as well as uncomfortable holidays and long weekends filled with awkward situations and tension for as long as you both shall live.
You want to like your in-laws. You’ve tried to like them. But you don’t.
The truth is, you may never like your in-laws. And that’s totally fine. You don’t have to. It’s just important to keep the drama and the tension to a minimum as much as you can for the sake of your spouse and your children (if you have them). Even though you formed a new family when you were married, your in-laws are the reason you have your spouse and a new family to begin with.
If nothing else, try to respect them for giving you your spouse.
what we’re lovin’
This week’s picks come from Chris Ownby, a husband, #GirlDad of 2, and our Research Strategist here at First Things First! He’s always researching & reading so he’s come across some great things. Take a peek at his recommendations for this week because they are just THAT GOOD. Check ’em out 👀:
🍵 Chei-man Tea– My wife and I have often relaxed together after a long day with a warm cup of this absolutely wonderful chai tea blend. You won’t be disappointed!
📲 All Trails App– A fun thing we like to do is look up random nearby trails and then go exploring! Easy to use app for a fun adventure with your spouse.
🎧 Small Things Often Podcast– These are short but uber practical podcast episodes by the renowned Gottman Institute. Easily shareable and provides some great points of conversation.
share the love
Know a friend who would love reading all the relationship goodness we’ve packed in here? Go ahead and share it with them!