Affirmations are the new trend in self-help, but what are they really helpful for? The answer is, everything. Seriously! They’re good for a wide range of things from daily motivation to helping to cope with anxiety… Pinterest will be able to point you in the right direction in no time… but that’s not why we’re here today. 
Reciting affirmations is the practice of positive thinking & self empowerment by using key phrases as psychological reinforcement…
As some of you may know, I’ve been battling a few mental health issues since my mid-teens, including but not limited to seasonal depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Most of you probably don’t know this though, because life on social media is different from real life. As transparent as I try to be with my blog family and followers there are some things I choose to deal with “behind the scenes”. My mental health being one of them. I’m choosing to, kind of, open up about this now because recently, despite the great weather we are having I’ve been in a low, a very low, low. The way I’ve been coping with that low has inspired me to write this post to help others that experience anxiety.
For over a decade I’ve been coping with my anxiety (sans medication for the vast majority, mind you) and I’ve always been able to keep myself “good” enough to maintain life. As of late, that hasn’t been as easy task. Since I’m stubborn as all hell and refuse to go back on antidepressants every again, I turned to affirmations to cope with anxiety.
At first I was so unbelievably skeptical, wondering if they really work at all… but after the last week of my life I am able to say with certainty that they do.
Before you go, if you’d like to jump on the affirmation train or want more to add to your current collection, don’t forget to subscribe to my emails for monthly affirmation emails beginning next month…
A few of my favorites…
Repeat them to yourself everyday until you believe what you’re saying… the power of through is so strong.
- This too shall pass
- I’ve picked myself up before, I can do it again
- My current situation will not break me
- My anxiety does not control me
- I am enough
- Something wonderful is coming for me
- I am able to solve any problem I may face
- Everything will be okay
- Today’s low does not define me
- I am not alone
Why?
After reading this list you may wonder to yourself “what do affirmations do for anxiety?”
Let me tell you…
- The positivity that comes with repeating powerful affirmations will help to counter the negativity you’re feeling from your anxiety
- They will provide a distraction from the feelings of anxiety, by giving you something to focus on.
- Affirmations force you to remember to think positively
Speak your positive truths into existence. Comment your favorite affirmation to cope with anxiety below and be sure to subscribe to my emails for monthly affirmation emails beginning next month!
You are more than enough.
xo,
Ash
You’re totally right. Affirmations are a nice reminder to let things roll off your back and to move onto something else. XOXO.
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I’ve been battling severe OCD and anxiety/depression since 5th grade. I definitely understand slipping into very low lows. It’s hard for people who don’t experience it to relate and it’s refreshing to hear someone else talk about it. For a long time I felt embarrassed and bottled everything in so people wouldn’t know. Ive gotten a lot better as the years went on with telling people because there are times I come off as rude or distant because I’m not around and I crawl under a rock for a period of time. I think also it makes me feel vulnerable and exposed sometimes if people know because I think it’s all they see then, but it’s not. There’s so much more to people. I’ve never tried the positive affirmations and that sounds like a really good idea. I do try to come up with positives to having mental health issues. I really do think it makes you a stronger person because you’ve already experienced rock bottom and I think experiencing that for the first time is the scariest thing in the world. If you can pick yourself up after being in that place, it’s a sign of a very strong person. I think people with mental health issues tend to be intelligent (that’s just my opinion) because their brains are so active and tapping into parts that other people may not be able to. Anyways, hearing that other people experience it too makes you feel like you’re not alone and feeling alone is one of the worst feelings.
Jill I’m so happy to hear that this post helped you! And I completely agree with your intelligence theory- if it’s not intelligence we certainly all have a wild imagination and therefore an overflow of creativity. I find that writing helps me to overcome a ton of my issues related to mental health. Know if you ever need to talk I’m only an email or a direct message away. I agree that it is very hard to open up about mental illness, I’m trying to do it and it’s hard, you’re scared of rejection because you’ve opened up and been rejected… tides are turning now and people see mental illness for what it is. The stigma is ending and all of us being open about who we are will only help that. Stay strong 🖤
What a wonderful piece. I’ve dealt with my own anxiety issues over the years but only recently begun opening up about it to a close few. It’s inspiring to hear you talking about this in such a public forum.