Virginia Sampson

Compassion has significant, positive impacts on all areas of our lives including our personal relationships, our communities, our schools and our businesses. It improves our physical and psychological health. These conclusions are the result of studies conducted by psychologists at Harvard, Berkeley, Stanford and more. Compassion, among other things, connects us to each other in meaningful ways. It is perhaps the glue that holds us all together. Its absence divides us and wounds us. It is contagious. It is the key to professional and business success.

Compassion fatigue or burnout is all too common among healthcare professionals and caregivers. For employers, it results in high employee turnover and health related absences. It also negatively impacts the quality of care provided. On an individual basis, burnout results in, among other things, depression and a sense of isolation. Burnout interferes with the ability of the caregiver to be compassionate and caring when providing care. This can create a huge burden of guilt. There are scientifically based information, strategies and tools for combating compassion fatigue and preventing burnout.

Compassion has major health benefits! One of the best strategies for improving and/or maintaining your physical and psychological health is to practice compassion. Exciting research is being conducted at universities all over the country including UC Berkeley and Stanford into the relationship of compassion and health. There is a mind/body connection and compassion is manifested in our physical bodies. Compassion, among other things, reduces our heart rate, stress and inflammation which is at the root cause of many diseases. In addition, compassion helps us live longer and thrive. It contributes greatly to our overall well-being. There are scientifically based information, strategies and tools for creating better health through compassion.