Ep. 26: Coping with Intrusive Thoughts

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In this episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I get real about one of the hardest parts of working in animal welfare and activism: intrusive thoughts. Whether it’s replaying images of suffering animals, obsessing over cases, or feeling stuck in grief, these thoughts can haunt you, especially at night.

I break down why our brains struggle with intrusive thoughts, especially when empathy and repeated trauma are involved. We explore how the nervous system reacts to ongoing secondary trauma and why traditional cognitive strategies may not always work when the suffering we witness is happening right now.

I share practical coping strategies to help you manage these thoughts without denying the reality of animal suffering. I divide them into bottom-up techniques (body-focused) and top-down techniques (mind-focused), including:

• Grounding in the present
• Redirecting with intention
• Extended exhale breathing
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• The STOP skill 
• Postpone your worry

These tools are not about “fixing” the world or stopping the thoughts entirely—they’re about protecting your mental health, calming your nervous system, and building resilience so you can continue doing the work you care about without losing yourself to it.

Resources mentioned:

Jason Stephenson's Guided Sleep Meditations

Relax and Rejuvenate with Jason Stephenson

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