Gratitude: A Self-Care Practice Tracy Kristoff, MA, LMFT

"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

Have you ever noticed that when you say nice words to others, they in turn responded in a more positive tone? Positive affirmations whether said to yourself or heard from another person can change how you are feeling in the moment.

Today I had an opportunity to address Occupational Therapy (OT) students at Purdue University- Indiana. The topic was burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. It is a timely subject for today’s climate. I started off the presentation with some affirmations to encourage the students during their ever-changing school environment. This led us to discussing the roles gratitude and thanksgiving have in rewiring our burned-out brains. Studies suggests that keeping a gratitude journal help people experience more positive emotions overall. It