Reflective Workbook · Course 1 — Healing the Healers

Worksheet 1

Relational Integrity Self-Assessment

Rate the current health of each relationship from 1 (severely strained / starved) to 10 (healthy and nourished). Be honest — this is a baseline, not a grade. Slide each marker.

Self self-awareness, self-compassion, honesty about limits

5

Patients boundaried presence — neither merged nor detached

5

Team trust, psychological safety, mutual support

5

Home & Transcendent family, meaning, faith

5

Which domain scored lowest? That is where strain is concentrated right now — and likely where small, deliberate investment will return the most.

What does your lowest-scoring domain need from you this month?

Module 1 · Understanding Burnout

Naming It Honestly

1. Stress is over-engagement; burnout is disengagement. Which describes you more right now, and what specifically tells you that? 2. Where do you fall across burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress? What have you been exposed to that you may be carrying? 3. What messages from your healthcare culture have shaped your beliefs about rest, limits, and asking for help?

Module 2 · The Neuroscience of Exhaustion

Mapping Your Nervous System

1. On the polyvagal ladder, where do you spend most of your working day — ventral (safe/social), sympathetic (mobilized), or dorsal (shutdown)? And at home? 2. What are your earliest body signals of hyperarousal, and how long do they take to settle after a shift? 3. Choose ONE nervous-system recovery cue to practice daily this week (extended exhale, humming, gentle movement, nature, safe connection). Which, and when?

Module 3 · Recognizing Warning Signs

Five-Domain Warning Scan

Check any sign you are noticing right now. Two or more domains flashing means it's time to act.

Emotional

Irritability / short fuse Dread before shifts Cynicism about patients/work Flatness / loss of satisfaction

Physical

Fatigue sleep doesn't fix Headaches / muscle tension Frequent minor illness Appetite / sleep changes

Cognitive

Trouble concentrating More small errors Decision fatigue Memory slips

Relational

Withdrawing from people Short with family Nothing left to give at home Loss of interest / intimacy

Spiritual

Loss of purpose/meaning Hard to pray / be still Anger or distance from God Going through the motions

Who in your life notices your depletion before you do — and how will you invite their honest feedback?

Module 4 · Healing Emotional Capacity

The Seven Types of Rest

Check the kinds of rest you are most deficient in. You can't repay one type with another.

Physical (sleep, stillness) Mental (quieting the mind) Sensory (screens, noise, light) Emotional (space to feel) Social (restorative company) Creative (beauty, play) Spiritual (meaning, connection) — and how I'll supply it →

One boundary I've been avoiding — and the fear that keeps me from setting it: Rewrite one harsh thing you say to yourself in the voice you'd use for a struggling colleague you respect:

Module 5 · Trauma-Informed Self-Care

My Self-Care Plan (built on SAMHSA's six principles)

Safety — what would make my body and days feel 10% safer and more predictable? Trust & Choice — what self-care will I author for myself, rather than impose? Peer support & collaboration — who is my co-regulating partner, and how will I reach them? Nourishment & movement — one kind, sustainable physical practice I'll keep: Meaning — what reminds me why I entered this work?

✛ Optional Faith Integration

What spiritual practice restores your sense of safety and meaning — and how will you protect it as a true Sabbath rhythm? Optional; the plan above stands on its own for all learners.

Module 6 · Capstone of Course 1

My Resilience Charter

A one-page commitment from your present, clearer self to your future, tired self. Revisit it quarterly.

My non-negotiable rest (what I will protect no matter the pressure): My daily protective habits (small enough to survive a bad week): My relational anchors (the people and community who hold me steady): My three personal red flags — and my pre-decided response to each: One change to my actual circumstances (not just my coping) that would make this work sustainable: Why caring for myself matters — my reasons, in my own words: Signed:

You did meaningful work here.

Save or print this workbook to keep, then carry one small commitment into the week ahead. The next courses in the series build on exactly this foundation.

Continue the series →

Emotional Exhaustion, Burnout & Compassion Fatigue