What do you do when someone on your team stops caring – and what if that person is you?

Caring is a part of who we are. If you’ve stopped caring, it is a coping strategy in response to stress. Not caring means you have built a wall to protect yourself. Maybe you’ve been hurt and are shielding yourself from further pain. Or perhaps you are exhausted from too many demands and expectations of others. Maybe you’re burned out from being pulled in too many directions and are simply backing away.

If this is a person on your team, treat it as an opportunity to explore this with them. If it is you, explore these issues with yourself. Remember that there is a legitimate reason that you stopped caring. There’s no sense judging yourself for it, but by all means, get to the bottom of it so you can open your heart and move forward with compassion. Life is more enjoyable and fulfilling when you bring yourself back to a caring place. And be sure you get there in a caring way.