“Most people, even if they don’t blame themselves for their current circumstances, tend to immediately go into problem-solving mode in such situations. We are likely to spend enormous amounts of time and energy dealing with the crisis, making doctors appointments, calling insurance companies, and so on. Although all this is certainly necessary, it’s also very important to recognize that these experiences take a lot out of us emotionally. We need to stop for a breath or two and acknowledge that we’re having a hard time, and that our pain is deserving of a kind, caring response. Otherwise, our suffering will go unattended, and feelings of stress and worry will only mount. We risk getting burned out, exhausted, and overwhelmed, because we’re spending all our energy trying to fix external problems without remembering to refresh ourselves internally.”