What Are FSU Comfort Critters?
FSU Comfort Critters Affirmation Cards as a fun and FSU-themed tool that faculty can share with students and colleagues. Each small card has its own affirmation and cheerful FSU-themed design.
These cards are more than cute designs; Research shows affirmations can positively impact anyone, across all ages and generations (Cascio et al., 2016; Cohen & Sherman, 2014; Escobar-Soler et al., 2023; Sherman et al., 2021)
Comfort Critters card decks will be provided to all attendees of the Fall 2025 Faculty Recharge launch reception on September 24th. Click here to RSVP for the launch reception and learn more about the semester-long Faculty Recharge Wellness Series.
How to use FSU Comfort Critters:
Use your cards as daily reminders of strengths, possibilities, and resilience:
- Place cards around your office as daily affirmations for students who stop by
- Share with student researchers in labs as small encouragements
- Offer to new students who may be adjusting to campus life
- Keep a set for yourself as quick resilience boosters during the day
- Share with your children or family as fun and kid-friendly encouragement
Affirmations Research References
- Cascio, C. N., O'Donnell, M. B., Tinney, F. J., Lieberman, M. D., Taylor, S. E., Strecher, V. J., & Falk, E. B. (2016). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 11(4), 621–629. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsv136
- Cohen, G. L., & Sherman, D. K. (2014). The psychology of change: self-affirmation and social psychological intervention. Annual review of psychology, 65, 333–371. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115137
- Escobar-Soler, C., Berrios, R., Peñaloza-Díaz, G., Melis-Rivera, C., Caqueo-Urízar, A., Ponce-Correa, F., & Flores, J. (2023). Effectiveness of Self-Affirmation Interventions in Educational Settings: A Meta-Analysis. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 12(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12010003
- Sherman, D. K., Lokande, E., Müller, D., & Cohen, G. L. (2021). Self‑affirmation interventions: Effects that persist through time. Clinical Social Psychology Review. https://labs.psych.ucsb.edu/sherman/david/sites/labs.psych.ucsb.edu.sherman.david/files/pubs/sherman.lokande.muller.cohen_.2021.sa_.pdf
Comfort Critters were designed by the Institute for Trauma & Resilience Studies at the FSU College of Social Work, and are dedicated to all FSU students, staff, and faculty who have faced challenges with courage and grace.