Affirmations for Mental Health

by Beth Paruszkiewicz

What are Affirmations?

Positive affirmations are defined as words or short phrases that we repeat to ourselves that can help us identify our goals and values. They should reflect who we want to be or what we want for ourselves in the present. The use of affirmations to help achieve self-empowerment is a major part of not only the therapeutic process but is also something that can be part of life-long self-care. Affirmations can help improve self-confidence, happiness, energy, gratitude and acceptance. Using daily affirmations, whether spoken or written, can help you reframe your thoughts to be mindful of the present. This allows you to not only focus on the positive, but they can also allow you to greatly reduce the impact of fears, worry, anxiety and self-doubt. Research suggests affirmations work because they stimulate neural activities that promote change in the brain. Besides helping you focus on your goals for better mental health, affirmations can directly influence how you think and feel on a daily basis. In their book, Words Can Change Your Brain, neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Newberg and communications expert Mark Robert Waldman stated, “a single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.”

The Benefits of using Affirmations:

There are many benefits of using daily affirmations. Some of the benefits include helping yourself boost your mood and self-confidence to start your day. By starting the day in an optimistic way, even when we don’t necessarily feel like it, help refocus our thoughts and attitude. Sometimes you have to “Fake it ‘till you make it” when using affirmations but ultimately, this is helping rewire pathways in the brain. When this happens, your “default” response to stress, anxiety, worry, etc. becomes much healthier overall. Another benefit of using affirmations is that they reinforce positive beliefs about yourself in the present. They can increase your capacity to accept yourself, both strengths and challenges alike. They can remind you of just how capable your actually are. Sometimes you have to be your biggest cheerleader. This means that you’re basically selling yourself to you! When you practice this, your brain starts to believe that you can overcome obstacles, fears, stress, and doubts in a much healthier way. When you’re training your brain to do this, it’s like practicing a sport learning a musical instrument. The more you do it, the easier it becomes to not only believe these things about yourself, but to actually put them into practice. An additional and very important benefit of using affirmations is that they can help people who struggle with overthinking, negative self-talk and intrusive thoughts. When we flood ourselves with negative self-talk and doubt, we can actually increase our chances of making poor decisions based on those very stressful thoughts. These are what threaten our abilities to believe in ourselves. Individuals who deal with these things often tell themselves, “Nothing ever goes right for me” or “I can’t do anything right.” Repeatedly telling yourself these things may eventually cause their manifestation. Imagine if you reframed those thoughts and changed the wording of what you tell yourself. Imagine what you’re capable of manifesting if you tell yourself “I can handle this” and “Even if it’s difficult, I can manage things.” Reframing things that we use to self-sabotage can be quite powerful. Sometimes, it’s as simple as positive thoughts translate into positive actions. You truly can control your own narrative.

A List of Helpful Affirmations:

Affirmations can come from any source that inspires you. Whether it’s from a mental health professional, friends, family, books, or even social media, any word or phrase that resonates with you as meaningful and helpful can be an affirmation. The following is a list of some affirmations that you may want to use when feeling less motivated or confident about yourself or if you’re facing a difficult situation:

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Acceptance does not require approval.
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I can reframe this feeling / situation.
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I have to deal with life on life’s terms.

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I can adapt.
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I’m ok with that.
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I can handle things.
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If I’m not changing, I’m choosing.
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If being hard on myself worked, I would’ve done it already.

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I deserve this.
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I’m going to expect the best in this situation.

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I’m improving every day.
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I’m an amazing person.
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I am a capable person.
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I will not give others power over my emotions.

I’m in control of my feelings and reactions to others.

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I trust myself.
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I must protect my peace.
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I’m relaxed and at peace.
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I’m doing my best with what I have.
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My efforts help me succeed.
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I have faith in my capabilities.
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How to Use Affirmations:

Affirmations should ideally be used daily. Remember, practicing something, even just for a few minutes, is progress. There’s not a cookie cutter way to use affirmations. You have to figure out what works best for you. Start by picking out something that you want to begin “highlighting” about yourself (a specific quality or trait, for example) or you may want to focus on a specific concern or difficult issue you’re dealing with. Focus on the positive of whatever you’ve selected and start processing what outcome you’d like to achieve, be it emotional, physical, etc. It’s important to be remember that affirmations are meant to acknowledge what you’re feeling or going through and how difficult it is, then help you get through the other side of that challenge.

You may want to memorize a few words or phrases that can be repeated throughout the day to give you a boost. Often, people like to write affirmations down on sticky notes or something they can put up that’s easily within their line of sight in their home, office, etc. You may want to keep a “gratitude journal” which is an on-going list of things your feel grateful for day to day. It’s nice to go back and read these from time to time to help remind yourself about the good things in life. You can even start a text or email group with friends and family with daily affirmations. This helps people feel connected and it reminds you that you’re not alone in dealing with uncomfortable feelings or situations. Some individuals even like to listen to recordings of affirmations, either through social media (like YouTube) or downloading them onto a phone or tablet. You may even want to record yourself. Think of an affirmation as a daily vitamin for your self-esteem. You have to be your OWN biggest champion!

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