In a recent article for Times Higher Education, Andrew Woon (Queen Mary University of London) explains how increasing numbers of academics are dealing with compassion fatigue. Woon explains that compassion fatigue consists of feelings of depersonalization and disconnection that diminish one’s ability to empathize with themselves or others. For educators, diminished job satisfaction and growing personal and work responsibilities are triggering this phenomenon and making it difficult for them to express compassion in the classroom, which in turn negatively impacts students. The author encourages to universities invest in compassion-related training, introduce self-assessment tools so that staff can monitor their satisfaction levels, and organize wellness and mindfulness activities to build more inclusive and empowering work environments.
