Last month, I spoke to Nadja Taranzcewski of ConsciousU about the tricky kind of burnout hat comes from a loss of meaning, and why it was exploring my relationship to money, of all things, that helped move me from that burnout and identity crisis towards what feels like my calling in life: to help people and collectives liberate their creative, transformative potential by leaning into precisely the parts of ourselves that we’re the least fond of - our shadow. You can read a summary of our conversation or watch the full version here ..read more

The covid pandemic has been one many ongoing and connected crises that that demonstrate two human responses to crisis. The first is defensive — a fear-fuelled retreat into control, shoring up resources, separateness, some form of shut-down/escapism, rigidity or frantic doing, denial, clinging, aversion. The second is open — the crisis becomes an opportunity for creativity, agility, connecting with others and connecting of dots, seeing more clearly, a going-towards. The defensive response, paradoxically, while seemingly being about securing our existence, has the opposite effect of pushing us a ..read more

Altruism is good, right? After all, it’s what, in the world of doing good, we’re here for — we’re here to help, in service of other beings and the planet. Not so fast, says Joan Halifax with her book ‘Standing at the Edge’: There is a dark side to altruism. Continue reading here ..read more

Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash Can compassion make us sick, what are the symptoms, and what can be done about it? That’s what GP turned executive coach Rachel Morris asked me about for this new episode of the podcast You Are Not A Frog. Links to the interview, and more info here ..read more

From the 2017 Meaning Conference in Brighton Vickie Hawkins at Meaning 2017, speaking about MSF’s response to the refugee crisis. ©Clive Andrews However well founded and presented, the most excruciating stories about suffering in the world keep failing to mobilise the scale of action required. Perhaps appealing to solidarity rather than pity could help charities drive identification with their cause more effectively. If anything, it would help right that messed up pow ..read more

©Leela Channer for CAUX-IofC From when I was young, I knew I wanted to ‘do good’ for a living and be an altruist, help others, change the world. Here’s how it went wrong, and what surprised me, in the most personal talk I've ever had the opportunity (a.k.a nerves..) to give, last summer at Tools for Changemakers in Caux. Click here for the talk and transcript ..read more

Against common preconceptions, it is possible to involve ourselves emotionally and keep our sanity when serving people and planet in difficult contexts. In many ways, it’s vital that we do. But the professions in question are ripe with myths about the role of empathy and emotions in our work — at a huge cost. Continue reading on Medium ..read more

Join me for Sustained Compassion— an introduction to the practice and science of overcoming compassion fatigue and its relatives. In October and November, I will be offering a free, 5 week online programme to support you in developing skills to overcome compassion fatigue, caregiver burnout and their relatives. Read more here ..read more

Many of us who’ve committed our lives to a social or humanitarian cause will often be adamant that we see all human beings as equal. The uncomfortable truth is none of us really do. We have biology and culture against us. If our in-built drive to constantly create a different ‘other’ is the problem behind so much of the inequality, inertia and conflict we see in our work and organisations, then what can we do to overcome it? Continue reading on Medium ..read more

In professions routinely confronted with suffering, it is common belief that we have a choice between emotional shutdown and emotional breakdown. But neither is a viable strategy. Neuroscience sheds light on a tried and tested alternative that can be practiced by anyone and transforms how we respond. Empathy can plunge us into emotional distress. So much so that we get fatigued by it or, according to moral philosopher and founder of the Effective Altruism movement Peter Singer, get so trapped in it that our own relief becomes the focus of our ‘altruistic’ efforts. Some would go as far as argui ..read more