Your thoughts are incredibly powerful! Think about the placebo effect; if you think you’re receiving medicine that works it can make you feel better, without it being medicine. But this also works the other way around; if you’re having anxious thoughts in certain situations, these thoughts can make you feel even more anxious. They will alert your body to go into an alert state, and you might end up in a vicious circle that is difficult to step out of. Your thoughts affect your body and how you feel.
Positive affirmations
To train your mind to look at situations and challenges more positively, affirmations can help. Affirmations are short sentences or statements that you repeat to yourself (preferably aloud) every day. Maybe you already do this unconsciously, for example by saying “I can do this” to yourself in a difficult situation. But also think of phrases like “I am enough” or “I am strong enough to carry on”. It can be anything! It may feel a bit crazy at first to say this out loud to yourself, but know that you can be your cheerleader! After all, you would also say this to a friend, right? Then why not say it to yourself! And, the more you say this to yourself, the more you believe it. That is the power of your thoughts.
Your anxious thoughts against a positive affirmation
When you notice anxious thoughts arise in certain situations, you can write those down for yourself to gain more insight into them. For example, anxious thoughts at work such as “Others can do this better than me”, or “I’ll never be as good at my job as my colleague”. Or, when you’re in the supermarket “I’m going to have a panic attack”, or “I’m going crazy”. To counter those thoughts you can use a positive affirmation. This can help you the next time you’re in a similar situation.
When you practice positive affirmations, your anxious thoughts and feelings won’t suddenly disappear and they don’t have to. All you’re feelings are valid. Precisely by feeling them, you create space to use your affirmations.
Examples of affirmations for anxiety
- I can handle this situation
- I am strong enough to work on my anxiety
- I will be brave today
- I know anxiety is temporary
- The anxiety will pass
- I trust that I can do this
- I feel calm and relaxed
- I have proven I can do this before
- I will let go of my negative thoughts
- I am grateful that I can am moving forward in my recovery
- Through my brave efforts, I keep getting further
- I make room for relaxation in my life
Tips when using affirmations
- Choose the affirmations that give you strength and that make you feel something. Those are probably the most helpful for you!
- Write down your affirmations and hang them in plain sight or turn on a daily reminder in NiceDay.
- Each time you see your affirmation, speak it out loud to yourself for the greatest effect.
- Formulate your affirmations positively and avoid words like “no”, “not”, “none” or “never”. Your brain does not recognize these words. The thought “I’m not having a panic attack” might still make you anxious. It is better to use “I can handle this situation”.
NiceDay
Are you ready to get started with affirmations? Choose an affirmation that gives you strength and set a daily reminder in NiceDay with the affirmation in the title, so that you are often reminded of this. Download the NiceDay-app here.
