The quiet weight of medical communication: How to cope with the emotional toll of sensitive content

Not long ago, I was working on a patient booklet for families navigating a rare, progressive condition. The message was clear: there’s no cure, and the focus is on managing symptoms and planning ahead.

I’d worked on plenty of patient-facing content before. But this one stuck with me. Maybe because the target audience included parents of young children.

I found myself rereading certain sentences more than usual. Sitting with the weight of them. Questioning how to be both accurate and kind.

I finished the job and moved on, but the emotional residue stayed with me.

The emotional toll of this work doesn’t always show up when we expect it. And we don’t talk about it nearly enough.

Behind the words, there’s a weight

Medical writing and translation are often seen as precise, technical work. And sure, sometimes it is a 50-page protocol or a batch of SmPC updates.

But other times, we’re the ones:

• Translating end-of-life care resources.

• Writing educational material about pregnancy loss.

• Adapting stories from patients living with advanced cancer.

The impact is real. You might feel it during the work, or after. You might not recognize it at all until a few days later when you’re suddenly short on patience or more tired than usual.

That’s not a personal failing – it’s a signal.

It’s not just emotionally draining – it’s mentally exhausting too

Sensitive content often comes with a heavier cognitive load. You're not just converting information – you’re making constant judgment calls:

• Is this too clinical for the target audience?

• Should I soften this phrase for cultural sensitivity?

• Will this terminology sound too cold, or too casual?

For both translators and writers, the emotional intensity combines with decision fatigue, especially when dealing with personal stories, mental health materials, or pediatric conditions.

This can make what should be a “short job” feel much longer and more exhausting.

“Just get on with it” doesn’t always work

 Many of us power through. That’s the freelancer’s default setting, right?

But when you regularly work with heavy topics and tight deadlines – especially on your own – it builds up. And if you’ve ever found yourself emotionally stuck on a paragraph, or avoiding a project that feels too close to home, you’ve seen it in action.

So how can we manage this better? How can we stay grounded when our work carries emotional weight?

1. Acknowledge that it is heavy work

We’re not being dramatic. Reading about late-stage ALS or miscarriage ten times to get the tone right does affect you.

Say it out loud. Or write it in your project notes: “This one hit hard.”

Awareness is step one – it gives you a chance to respond instead of just absorb.

2. Pay attention to triggers (and patterns)

 Some topics might hit closer to home than others. Maybe your parent had the condition you’re writing about. Or you had a hard time with infertility and now you’re translating IVF brochures.

You don’t have to avoid these topics forever, but being aware helps. You can plan for more breaks. Or politely decline if it feels like too much.

Your well-being matters more than being “resilient at all costs.”

3. Create distance with small rituals

 Some projects blur the line between our work and personal emotions. But you can build tiny buffers:

• Set boundaries with time: Don’t do these jobs late at night if you can help it.

• Work in sprints: 25-minute chunks with breaks between.

• Use a closing ritual: Walk, shower, cook – something physical to mark “this job is done.”

Your brain and nervous system need that reset.

4. Be thoughtful about how we tell hard stories

This one’s especially relevant for writers, but it applies to translators too: how we frame difficult topics matters.

Are we telling patient stories with dignity, or tipping into pity? Is the language inclusive, accurate, and kind? Are we reinforcing fear or stigma unintentionally?

Sometimes the emotional discomfort isn’t just from the topic – it’s from ethical tension.

Trust your gut if something feels “off,” and speak up if you can.

5. Don’t work alone (even if you’re a one-person business)

 Find people who “get” this kind of work.That might be:

• A friend you can voice note after a tough job.

• A Slack group where others have dealt with similar content.

• A mentoring community that acknowledges the invisible weight we carry.

Sometimes you just need someone to say, “Yeah, I’ve been there. It’s a lot.”

6. Watch for delayed reactions

You might finish a project and feel fine, only to have emotions surface a few days later.

This is totally normal. Our work often echoes back later, especially if we didn’t have time to process it properly at the time.

Leave space in your schedule when you can. Avoid stacking three emotional projects in a row.

Your future self will thank you.

7. Protect your energy long-term

If this kind of work is part of your career, you need long-term coping strategies.

Take proper breaks – real ones. Mix emotionally heavy content with more neutral or technical jobs.

Say no to a project you don’t have the emotional bandwidth for. Design your week so that not every day feels like a mountain.

And don't forget to pause long enough to say: That story really stayed with me.

The very qualities that make us good at this job – sensitivity, precision, care – also make us vulnerable to its weight. But we can learn to carry it more intentionally. You're not weak for feeling it. You’re strong for noticing.