In an interview with Dr. Bill Nash, Katherine Brown-Saltzman recalls a time she mustered the energy to attend church while experiencing intense burnout at work as a nurse. During church, they read a story that spoke of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Katherine had heard this religious teaching her entire life, but on this day, she heard the story in an entirely new way.

"I was the loaf and the fish, and there was only so much of me. It was not infinity – it was limited," Katherine expressed. "Some days I have baskets of bread to give and some days I had crumbs, and that is okay."

By connecting her personal experience to this teaching, Katherine found understanding of how her own ability to give to others might at times be limited, and on this day, it served as a source of strength and hope to help her overcome feelings of burnout at work.

For many, religious rituals, practices, and teachings provide hope and a sense of purpose. This is because, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health, religion gives people something to believe in provides a sense of structure, and typically offers a community of people to connect with over similar beliefs.

Someone can be spiritual but not religious and still experience many mental health benefits. Both are associated with positive outcomes in an individual's life, such as increased self-esteem, quality of life, and psychological wellbeing.¹ A strong sense of spiritual wellness can lead to better self-care and a strong sense of purpose. Religious beliefs also often address existential questions about the purpose and meaning of life, concepts that can be challenged by traumatic events.

As providers and professionals, it is important to remember that maintaining a hopeful perspective may be challenging for those who have experienced trauma and/or adverse childhood experiences. This is because trauma can disrupt one's worldview, constrict options for future success, adversely affect one's meaning and purpose in life, and damage optimism about a positive future.² Finding ways to maintain hope, through religion, spirituality, or a personal sense of purpose gives us a way to move beyond our challenges. It allows us to focus on what is possible rather than what is wrong and perhaps even make the most out of the challenges and limitations we may face in life."

¹ https://doi.org/10.4081/hpr.2020.8234

² https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/185/1-2/97/5524307?login=true