Staff Share Messages About Gratitude and Self-Care Through New, Interactive Display
A new, interactive exhibit on the Pike highlights the importance of employee wellness by inviting Brigham staff to express what they’re grateful for and share ways they practice self-care.
Studies have shown that cultivating gratitude — that is, taking a moment to notice and appreciate what’s good in your life — is linked to better well-being. Staff can visit the display, known informally as the Wellness Wall, to share their own reflections or read others’ contributions for inspiration.
The first messages posted on the two-sided exhibit, which will be up through June 1, represented a diverse range of perspectives — thought-provoking, personal, light-hearted, simple and more.
In reflecting on what makes them feel grateful, one staff member acknowledged their “co-workers for their support and encouragement.” The writer added, “I could not do this without them.”
Another employee posted, “I’m very grateful for my last successful operation!”
The exhibit was the brainchild of Kayla Methot, BSN, RN, a Labor & Delivery nurse on CWN 5, who first conceived of the idea after reflecting on her own journey to cultivate gratitude and practice self-care after an especially difficult year, personally and professionally.
“It’s just been so cool to see how the project has blossomed into something so big that everybody can participate in,” Methot said.
In addition to the unprecedented challenges of being a health care professional during the pandemic, Methot noticed her own health was deteriorating last year. She was eventually hospitalized and diagnosed with lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease. To help improve her quality of life, she began practicing yoga. In January, she enrolled in a yearlong yoga-teacher training program.
Methot, who was the first person to post a message on the Wellness Wall, shared her favorite self-care quote: “The better you take care of the tree, the better the fruit it can provide.”
She reflected on this quote again when she stopped by the exhibit again later in the day to see the newest contributions.
“When I left work and walked by it with my co-workers, just seeing the wall and how many people posted something on it was really special,” she said. “Reading what people wrote and knowing that I played a part in it — my heart feels so full. I want people to care for themselves, and if we can help each other, it’s going to help all of us on this journey together.”
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