Do you ever feel you have a ton of things to do?
Your mind can’t settle; you are unsure of what to do and feel stuck.
And if you had your way, you would love to stay in bed all day, not face the world and wish “the bad stuff” would disappear.
I have. And it sucks.
And that’s why I am talking about affirmations today. How they can help you refocus, feel better about yourself, and move forward.
After the sudden deaths of my brother in 1997 and my cousin in 1995, I was lost. I would spend days with my head down, locked in solitary grief, trying to get through the day.
Seeing the pain and confusion, I was going through and knowing I used to enjoy reading; my cousin brought me a copy of the book Acts of Faith: Daily Meditations for People of Colour by Iyanla Vanzan.
His gift changed everything.
And kickstarted my healing journey of using affirmations to help me feel better, my mind clearer and finally enjoy life again.
Even though there were some things I couldn’t change, strange as it seems, reading the daily passages and affirmations from this book made a difference inside me.
For the first time in a very long time, instead of dwelling on all the things I felt unhappy with, I found comfort in waking up and reading something inspirational that nourished my mind.
Physically, the tension and tightness in my body were still there. However, reading the daily passage and doing the affirmations helped lift my spirits, and I felt better!
And since then, meditation, reading inspirational books and using affirmations have become crucial to my spiritual self-care.
And as you can see, I now create my own to help you start your day in a more positive frame of mind and love yourself more.
So, if you are new to affirmations or wondering what they are and how you can use them to help you move forward, here’s a quick introduction.
What are affirmations?
Based on personal experience, I like to say affirmations are a set of simple well-intended words, positive statements or phrases we lovingly repeat to ourselves.
Saying these phrases help soothe your spirit and reminds you to release negative thoughts, be kinder, and be more loving to yourself.
How do affirmations work?
Although short, these phases have the strength to change the negative thought cycle going through our heads, reaffirm our self-belief and restore our confidence.
I know it sounds far-fetched.
However, words have power.
For example, say you were verbally criticised at work. I bet that even if the incident happened two years ago, you remember what was said and how you felt.
Conversely, compare this with how you felt when your manager complimented you for a well-done job.
Which felt better?
If you’re anything like me, receiving criticism may have spurred you to put in more effort in the short term to prove the person wrong, but receiving praise and acknowledgement inspires self-belief more in the long run.
And that’s how affirmations work.
You say “positive, well-meaning phrases or statements, written and spoken in the present tense to yourself”. Saying these phrases primes your brain and reminds you of your intentions and aspirations for change.
Now that we have a basic idea of what affirmations are and how I use them let’s practice.
How Do You Start Saying Affirmations?
To get the most out of using affirmations to nurture your mind, here’s a simple process I follow which might also work for you.
- Make sure you feel comfortable.
- I invite you to take a few moments to notice your posture.
- Get a sense of what parts of your body are touching the surface you are resting on, and
- See if you can lengthen your spine.
- Lower your shoulders, gently open and close your mouth three times, tuck your chin in slightly and notice if anything feels different in how you are now sitting or resting.
Once you feel more settled in your body, take three full breaths in and out through your nose, which mentally prepares you to say the affirmations.
- You can say the 21 Timely Affirmations aloud or quietly to yourself, with as much feeling and emotion as possible.
- For example, you can read them out loud as if speaking to a large assembly, whisper them to yourself and everything in between!
- After you’ve spoken the affirmations, pause to notice which affirmation or affirmations stood out the most. Use that insight as a prompt to focus your thoughts throughout the day.
Ok? Finally, let’s start!
Here are the 21 Timely Affirmations to Nurture Your Mind
Every day, I give myself space to dance with my soul and love my body more
- May all beings on this Earth and planes of existence be blessed with a joyful and peaceful heart
- Even when I feel crappy, may I always remember to love and be kind to myself
- Every breath I take is a gift, and I am grateful for its calming and centring powers throughout the day.
- It is becoming easier for me to create space during the day to rest my mind and energise my body, and soul
- It gets easier every day for me to smile and see the beauty in my heart
- I give myself permission to mindfully enjoy eating my meals.
- I am beginning to allow myself more time to rest and find what nourishes my mind.
- I give myself the gift of peace and an open heart, even when life throws a curve ball and others test my patience.
- Every morning when I wake, it gets easier to look in the mirror and acknowledge how powerful, and treat myself with kindness
- Whenever I feel stuck, I take time to exhale and ask my heart what do you need to feel loved and supported
- I give myself permission to speak kindly to myself, even when I make a mistake
- It gets easier for me to release my fears and allow my inner muse to be my guide
- Every day, I grow stronger in my desire to live a more peaceful life
- I give thanks for my strength and beauty
- I cherish quiet time
- I find it easier to love myself more and more every day
- I am becoming happier and calmer every day
- I am grateful for a quiet mind
- Drinking more water is a gift I give to myself
- I am abundantly blessed and savour the moments when I notice I am anxious and then affectionately breathe j-o-y into my heart.
Next Steps — Daily Action
I appreciate saying 21 affirmations every day is a lot to do!
After reading this list, I encourage you to pick your favourite and say it aloud whenever you need a boost of tender reassurance, whether it be when you wake up, throughout the day, or at other times.
Practice this for the next seven days, and my hope is you’ll start to feel better and quiet your mind
I would love to hear what affirmation resonated with you the most!
Please feel free to let me know in the comments.
Photo by Fey Marin on Unsplash Thank you.
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