Episode 11: Caution Fatigue with Heather Erickson

Caution! We are in the middle of a world pandemic, if you didn’t already know. There are warning signs everywhere about what we need to do to protect ourselves and others. But did you know that being warned of danger over and over again can lead to a phenomenon called “Caution Fatigue”? We can also experience another challenge called “Compassion Fatigue” especially those who care for others such as parents, teachers, and frontline workers.
In this episode we talk with Heather Erickson, the Director of Behavioral Health Services at Amery Hospital and Clinic, on the subject of Caution Fatigue and how it is different from Compassion Fatigue. Heather shares how to recognize and name what we are experiencing and how to work through these feelings.
Key takeaways

• A little bit on the work she does
• Her definition of caution fatigue
• Biology behind compassion fatigue and how it affects the brain
• How the pandemic has affected healthcare workers in general
• What trauma is
• How trauma/caution fatigue affects the body
• How is compassion fatigue similar/different from caution fatigue
• How caution/compassion fatigue affects the emotions
• How stuffing emotions affects the body
• How caution/compassion fatigue affects relationships
• How to show compassion towards others
• Practical things you can do to be mindful and focus on the present
• Her message for the listeners

Heather Erickson Bio:
Heather Erickson has been working in the mental health field for the last 18 years. She holds a Masters Degree in social work and has always enjoyed positions that have involved both clinical work with patients/clients as well as system/program development and oversight. She has spent the last 5 years as the Director of Behavioral Health Services at HealthPartners’ Amery Hospital & Clinic in Amery, WI. She has recently become interested in the science of our fight-of-flight system – both how/what activates it, and how we can work to effectively intervene to allow our parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems to work together most effectively when faced with complex issues or concerns, such as that of COVID-19. Heather is also interested in organizational resilience and wellness, and has made this a major focus in her current position given the toll of COVID-19 on the healthcare workforce.