Are Your Choices Hurting Your Soul? Understanding and Healing Moral Injury
“Moral injury is a huge cause of burnout when people are in roles or relationships that challenge their inner moral compass, forcing them to keep doing things they know are wrong due to fear or coercion.” - Dr. Ashleigh Moreland
Hey guys! I'm Dr. Ashleigh Moreland, and today I want to discuss a topic that is deeply personal and incredibly relevant to many of us—moral injury. This concept, although not widely understood, has a significant impact on our emotional and spiritual well-being. If you've ever found yourself in a position where your choices conflicted with your values, you've likely experienced moral injury.
In our latest podcast episode [watch here or listen here], we unpacked the complexities of moral injury and its profound effects. Here, I want to expand on that conversation by offering practical tools, real-life scenarios, and tangible coaching elements to help you recognise and heal from moral injury.
Understanding Moral Injury
Moral injury occurs when we engage in actions or make decisions that contradict our core values and beliefs. This internal conflict can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and helplessness, severely impacting our mental health and overall quality of life.
Real-Life Scenarios of Moral Injury
To better understand moral injury, let's look at a few scenarios:
Workplace Conflicts: Imagine a manager who is forced to implement policies that are unfair or harmful to their team. This manager knows these policies are wrong but feels powerless to change them due to job constraints or fear of losing their position. Over time, this dissonance can lead to severe burnout and moral injury.
Relationship Dilemmas: Consider someone who stays in an abusive relationship out of fear of being alone or because they believe it’s best for their children. This person might be fully aware of the harm being done yet feel trapped by their circumstances, leading to deep emotional wounds.
Societal Pressures: Think about the widespread pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic to conform to certain behaviours for the greater good. Many people faced moral dilemmas, feeling coerced into actions that went against what was right for them as individuals.
Practical Tools for Healing Moral Injury
Healing from moral injury involves reconnecting with your core values and learning to make choices that align with your true self. Here are some practical tools to guide you on this journey:
1. Self-Reflection and Awareness
Start by reflecting on your values and beliefs. Ask yourself:
What principles are non-negotiable for me?
When have I felt most aligned with my values?
What situations have caused me to act against my beliefs?
Keeping a journal can be incredibly helpful. Write down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to moral injury. This practice can bring clarity and awareness to your internal conflicts.
2. Setting Boundaries
Boundaries are essential in protecting your mental and emotional well-being. Identify areas in your life where you need to set or reinforce boundaries. This could be in your workplace, relationships, or personal life.
For example, if your job requires you to act against your values, consider what boundaries you can set to protect yourself. This might involve having honest conversations with your superiors or seeking alternative employment opportunities.
3. Seeking Support
You don't have to navigate moral injury alone. Reach out to trusted friends, family members, or a therapist who can offer support and guidance. Sharing your experiences with others can provide relief and new perspectives. One of the most empowering things you can do is surround yourself by others who are committed to making more aligned decisions and seek therapy (to overcome the barriers to your personal empowerment) and coaching (to equip you with the skills and resources to actually live differently).
Joining a supportive community, like our Heart-Centred Healing Hub on Facebook, can also be incredibly beneficial. In this group, you'll find like-minded individuals who are committed to personal growth and healing. We provide a safe space to share experiences, offer support, and access valuable resources.
4. Mindfulness and Meditation
Practicing mindfulness can help you stay grounded and present, making it easier to recognise and address moral injury. Regular meditation can also aid in processing emotions and reducing stress.
Try incorporating mindfulness practices into your daily routine. This could be as simple as taking a few minutes each day to sit quietly and focus on your breath, or engaging in a mindful activity like pilates or walking in nature. Honestly, we have 2 pink chairs set up facing out a window, and simply just sitting in the chair with no phone, no book, no distractions and staring out the window INTO THE DISTANCE (this is actually important - we look at things close up so often that our eyes need to look into the distance to activate our brains differently). See how long you can sit before the impulsive urge to get up and go (flight) response kicks in. Aim to extend it each time!
5. Professional Coaching
Working with a coach can provide tailored guidance and support as you navigate moral injury. In our Rise and Thrive program, we focus on helping you reconnect with your true self, set meaningful goals, and develop strategies to overcome internal conflicts.
Through this program, you'll learn how to align your actions with your values, build resilience, and create a life that feels authentic and fulfilling. Many of our participants have found profound healing and empowerment through Rise and Thrive.
The Power of Self-Empowerment
One of the most important aspects of healing moral injury is reclaiming your sense of self-empowerment. When you make choices that honour your values, you strengthen your connection to your true self. This process involves recognising your worth and believing in your ability to make decisions that reflect your inner truth.
1. Identifying Your Core Values
Spend time identifying and understanding your core values. These are the guiding principles that shape your decisions and actions. Ask yourself:
What do I stand for?
What qualities do I admire in others?
What makes me feel fulfilled and at peace?
By clearly defining your values, you can use them as a compass to guide your decisions and actions.
2. Making Value-Aligned Choices
Once you've identified your core values, practise making choices that align with them. This might require difficult conversations or significant changes in your life, but the long-term benefits are profound.
For example, if honesty is a core value, commit to being truthful in all your interactions, even when it's challenging. If compassion is important to you, look for ways to incorporate kindness and understanding into your daily life.
3. Developing Resilience
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity and continue moving forward. Building resilience involves:
Embracing Challenges: View challenges as opportunities for growth and learning.
Practising Self-Care: Prioritise your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Maintaining a Positive Mindset: Focus on your strengths and accomplishments, rather than dwelling on failures or setbacks.
Real-Life Application: A Case Study
Let's look at a hypothetical case study to illustrate how these tools can be applied in real life.
Case Study: Sarah's Moral Injury at Work
Sarah is a dedicated nurse who has always prioritised patient care. Recently, her hospital implemented new policies that she believes compromise patient safety. Sarah feels morally conflicted and stressed, leading to burnout and emotional distress.
Step 1: Self-Reflection and Awareness
Sarah starts by reflecting on her core values: compassion, integrity, and patient advocacy. She recognises that the new policies conflict with these values, causing her moral injury.
Step 2: Setting Boundaries
Sarah decides to set boundaries by voicing her concerns to her superiors. She gathers evidence to support her stance and requests a meeting to discuss the impact of the new policies.
Step 3: Seeking Support
Sarah reaches out to her colleagues and finds that many of them share her concerns. Together, they form a support group to advocate for better policies. She also joins our Heart-Centred Healing Hub for additional support and resources.
Step 4: Mindfulness and Meditation
To manage her stress, Sarah incorporates mindfulness practices into her daily routine. She starts each day with a brief meditation session and practices deep breathing exercises during her shifts.
Step 5: Professional Coaching
Sarah enrols in the Rise and Thrive program to receive personalised coaching. Through the program, she learns strategies to align her actions with her values, build resilience, and advocate for her patients effectively.
Conclusion
Moral injury can have a profound impact on our lives, but by understanding and addressing it, we can heal and thrive. Through self-reflection, setting boundaries, seeking support, practising mindfulness, and engaging in professional coaching, you can align your actions with your values and reclaim your sense of self-empowerment.
If you're experiencing moral injury, I encourage you to join our Heart-Centred Healing Hub on Facebook. Here, you'll find a supportive community and valuable resources to aid in your healing journey. Additionally, consider enrolling in our Rise and Thrive program for comprehensive coaching and support.
Remember, healing is possible, and you have the power to make choices that honour your true self.
With wellness in mind [and body, and spirit],
Dr. Ashleigh Moreland
Watch Episode 71 of the Re-MIND Podcast here:
