Anxiety and Compassion Fatigue: How Animal Advocates Can Catch More ZZZs

You’ve been running on fumes all day—fielding angry calls from the public, caring for yet another sick kitten, or lying awake worrying about the ones you couldn’t save. You finally crawl into bed, only to find that your brain won’t shut off. Instead of drifting into peaceful sleep, you’re replaying the day’s events or worrying about what tomorrow will bring.

Sound familiar?

Anxiety and sleep are closely connected, especially for those of us in animal welfare. It’s a vicious cycle: stress and secondary trauma keep you awake, and poor sleep leaves you even more anxious and less able to cope the following day. The good news? With a little patience, time, and tools, you can begin to break this cycle.

How Anxiety Interferes with Sleep in Animal Welfare

When your head hits the pillow, the floodgates often open:

• “Did I miss something in that adoption contract?”

• “Was euthanasia really the right call?”

• “What if that injured stray didn’t survive the night?”

• “Am I doing enough?”

  
  

Compassion fatigue and anxiety can cause you to lie awake, tossing and turning. They can also wake you in the middle of the night—leaving you staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m.—or prevent you from reaching the deep, restorative sleep your body desperately needs. Without it, you wake up exhausted, lethargic, and more vulnerable to stress.

How Lack of Sleep Fuels Anxiety

Fun fact: Sleep and anxiety feed off each other. When you’re not getting enough rest, your brain struggles to regulate emotions and manage stress. That means irritability increases, patience decreases, and compassion fatigue feels heavier than ever. Over time, sleep deprivation makes you more reactive to trauma triggers and less resilient overall, which is exactly the opposite of what animal advocates need.

Breaking the Cycle: Rest for the Weary

Whether you have to get up throughout the night to bottle feed a kitten or you’re an on-call animal control officer, sleep can feel elusive. People in animal welfare are often chronically sleep deprived. Even when you clock out, your brain may not get the message. But good sleep isn’t a luxury; it’s an essential form of self-care in this field. In fact, according to the National Sleep Foundation, making good quality sleep (seven to nine hours) a priority can improve many aspects of health and well-being, especially mental health, relationships with others, and efficiency in the workplace. Here are some ways to reclaim your rest:

Create a Calming Bedtime Ritual

Scrolling through rescue pleas on social media until you pass out doesn’t count. Instead, create a ritual that signals to your body: it’s safe to rest. Try a warm shower, gentle stretching, listening to calming music, or a guided relaxation exercise. (You can find a few of the latter in my virtual calming room.)

Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Don’t blame the messenger here, but yes, even on weekends. Going to bed and waking up at the same time helps regulate your body’s internal clock and improves sleep quality over time.

Ditch the Screens

This one hurts my soul as well, but blue light from phones and tablets suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep. Try to shut down screens an hour before bed. If you need your phone, use it only to listen to calming audio—not to check one more email or message.

Create a Sleep Sanctuary

Your bedroom should feel like a safe retreat. Keep it dark, cool, and quiet. Use blackout curtains, white noise, or earplugs if needed. Think of it as your personal sanctuary, the place where you, the caregiver, finally get to be cared for.

Watch What You Eat and Drink

Caffeine (and yes, that includes afternoon coffee runs) can sabotage sleep. Alcohol may help you doze off but it actually disrupts deep rest, not to mention acts as a depressant in the brain. Try to avoid heavy meals before bedtime. Instead, choose a light snack like fruit or nuts with a small glass of water or non-caffeinated herbal tea.

Move Your Body

Exercise reduces anxiety and improves sleep. It doesn’t have to be intense; a walk with your dog or an at-home yoga practice counts! Just try not to do any heavy work outs right before bed, such as weight lifting.

Limit Naps

Curling up in the cat room or catching some ZZZs in an empty kennel might be tempting (and sometimes necessary!), but long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. Keep them short if you struggle to fall asleep at night.

Manage Daytime Stress

You can’t avoid stress in animal welfare, or life itself, but you can build a toolbox for managing it. Journaling, mindfulness, yoga, or simply stepping outside for fresh air can all help. Even five minutes of intentional breathing can lower anxiety levels. For a guided breathwork video, check out my virtual calming room.

Ask for Help When Needed

If you’ve tried everything and still can’t find relief, it may be time to seek professional support. Talking with a mental health counselor who specializes in anxiety, compassion fatigue, or sleep disorders is a good place to start.

Sleep isn’t just about resting; it’s about building resilience. In animal welfare, where compassion fatigue, grief, and trauma are often part of the job, protecting your sleep should be a priority. Your mind, body, and even the animals you care, for will thank you for it.

-By Jennifer Blough, LPC