Trail Posts Blog

We’ve all heard it, we've all said it: “Everyone’s too busy these days.” It’s become almost fashionable to declare that busyness is bad... a badge of burnout or a sign that we’ve lost touch with what matters. But here’s the truth: not all busyness is bad.

When someone you love is going through cancer, you don’t just sit on the sidelines — you’re in the thick of it, navigating appointments, emotions, and daily life adjustments. But here’s something caregivers often overlook: carrying the weight of someone else’s suffering can take a toll on you, too. That toll has a name: secondary traumatic stress. And if you’ve ever felt completely wrung out after supporting your loved one, you already know what it feels like. Let’

You signed up to care for patients, not to carry the weight of their suffering home in your pockets. Yet if you’ve worked in oncology for any length of time, you know it’s nearly impossible not to absorb some of the pain, fear, and loss you witness every day. It’s part of being human — and part of what makes you a compassionate professional. But it also has a name: secondary traumatic stress.