Affirmations for Anxiety
What is anxiety?
While everyone experiences worry and stress to a degree, having anxiety means you experience frequent persistent intense worry. (source).
And according to Mayo Clinic, these feelings of anxiety are sudden, frequent, and can easily escalate into panic attacks.
Plus your feelings of anxiety also interfere with normal life and are difficult to control and the anxiety is out of proportion with the perceived danger,
Anxiety also varies and includes:
- generalized anxiety or GAD,
- social anxiety disorder,
- obsessive compressive disorder,
- panic attacks and
- PTSD,
- specific phobias, or fear.
Sometimes one can have more than one type of anxiety as well.
What also concerning is that anxiety disorders are very common affecting 240 million people across the globe, according to the WHO, Per data published in The Recovery Village. And according to the Anxiety and depression association of America, anxiety affects 40 million adults in the US every year.
And that is why it is so important to learn ways to manage anxiety including practicing daily affirmations.
It is important to note that while affirmations and self-care are important ways to improve feelings of anxiety, seeking professional care is always recommended.
What are the signs of anxiety?
While anxiety starts in the mind, anxiety can manifest as physical symptoms such as the following (Source):
- sweating
- chest pain and shortness of breathe
- fast and heavy breathing
- gastrointestinal problesm
- sleeplessness
- increased heart rate
- feeling weak and tired
- trembling
- irritation and nervousness
What are affirmations?
Affirmations are short positive phrases that you say out loud to affirm yourself and refute negative thoughts that cause anxiety.
Affirmations for anxiety are a powerful way to send yourself positive messages and encourage positive thoughts as often as you like to calm your mind and fight the fears that fuel anxiety and panic attacks.
Sometimes anxiety comes from worrying about future events, and saying affirmations helps to keep one grounded in the present moment.
I know it may be hard for some people to see how this can help improve your mindset and even improve anxiety.
And I know, at first, you may feel silly saying some affirmations but I am here to say they work.
The messages you send to your brain are the ones that get noticed and the ones that stick.
It’s true, what you tell yourself often enough is what your brain believes. Say something often enough and your brain will believe it.
So would you rather believe some bad things about yourself or something that empowers you?
Of course, you would choose empowerment.
And affirmations while they may at first feel corny to you are very empowering.
Also for all anxiety suffers, learning as many ways as possible to cope is very helpful because mental health issues require many different ways to manage.
So affirmations are another tool to help you out with your anxiety.
Do positive affirmations for anxiety work?
Some people may doubt the power of affirmations.
But when applied correctly, affirmations are a powerful tool to improve mental health.
You see, affirmations help to manifest positive outcomes when you express what you want and wish for, and what you value as if it were already true. Saying it as if it were is very powerful. That is how you speak positivity to your subconscious mind, where 95 percent of your thinking is happening without you even realizing it.
The key is saying and believing in these positive statements when you say them.
A 2016 study published in the Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience shows that affirmations work.
And a 2015 study found that affirmations led to increased activities in areas of the brain such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the brain’s reward system, the posterior cingulate, the medial prefrontal cortex regions, the self-processing areas of the brain.
According to this research, these regions become more active with affirmations and help to counter negative messages and perceived threats, and reinforce self-competence by reflecting on sources of self-worth such as their personal values.
So, yes, when you are having negative thoughts, and fears, repeating positive mantras may help you feel calmer and more positive.
You see affirmations are a form of positive self-talk that helps change the way you think with enough repetition.
And eventually repeating these short positive affirmations help the brain to develop new neural pathways. And that is where the power of affirmations for anxiety is.
And the result is inner peace, and reduced anxiety.
How to use affirmations for anxiety
It is best to say affirmations daily and as many times as possible.
For best results saying affirmations a few times throughout the day may help you see results faster.
Using present tense and active voice including ” I am statements” makes affirmations feel actionable and that is very powerful.
It is also important to make affirmations a part of your daily life and include them in your routines, such as your morning and night routines.
Also, you should choose affirmations that express your values.
The affirmations should also be realistic statements that you can actually achieve.
Write down affirmations and place them in places you will see them easily. That way you are reminded often to say these statements to empower your thinking throughout the day.
You can write your affirmations on sticky notes and keep them in prominent places around the house or office so you can see them often.
Another great place to place affirmations is on your bathroom mirror. Stand in front of the mirror and say them out loud and mean them. Look at yourself as you say those” I am statements.”
Really there are no hard rules about how to use affirmations. use them whenever you need them. That’s what matters.
Say affirmations in stressful situations, when you feel self-doubt creeping in, or in new situations. If you have social anxiety and being in a public place or with new people makes you anxious, say affirmations in your mind, or out loud if in a safe place to do.
Also, note the affirmations that resonate with you and that speak to your life, and practice saying those often.
And with time, saying these affirmations will manifest positive changes in your life that will squash anxiety,
Affirmations to calm anxiety fast
1. I have complete control over my mind and my thoughts.
2 . I am a thinker of my thoughts and I can choose different thoughts.
3 . I have the power to calm my mind right now
4. I am in control of my mind.
5. I am calming my mind now.
6. I am strong
7. There is nothing to be afraid of. I know this
8. I am safe. I’m okay. I am breathing deeply.
9. My mind is calming down.
10. There is nothing to be worried about
11. I am letting go right now of my fears and self-doubts
12. I can do anything I put my mind to
13. I believe in my power to change this moment
14. I breathe in calm, I exhale worry and doubt
15. I am safe here; nothing to fear.
16. I am calm, my mind before. I can do it now.
17. I am letting my worries go now
18. I can calm my thoughts and mind if I choose to.
19. I have calmed my mind before I can do it again.
20. I have the power
21. I have what it takes to get through this moment
22. This is only a thought and a thought can be changed.
23. My body is calm
24. Today I choose joy
25. All is well with me and around me.
Affirmations for anxiety relief and management in the long term
1. I can handle anything that comes my way
2. I am letting go right now of my fears and self-doubts
4. I can do anything I put my mind to
5. I am blessed and grateful for all I have
6. I am loved.
7. I am grounded at this moment
8. I choose to be happy
9 I am stronger: I have the power to overcome even at this moment
10. I am unstoppable.
11. I have endless opportunities to start again
12. No perfection is needed, only effort.
13. Everything will fall into place.
14. I am getting better every day.
15. I attract good things and beautiful things to me
16. I am strong I am brave
17. I am enough
18. It’s okay we all make mistakes
19. I embrace the present and release the past
20. I am free of all that was me down
21. I am capable
22. I let go of what I cannot change
23. I have the power to change my thoughts
24. My past doesn’t define me.
25. I welcome peace and miracles into my life
Affirmations for anxiety: Conclusion
Anxiety is a debilitating condition that can steal your joy and self-worth. And one way to keep anxiety in check is to say self-affirming statements to increase your self-esteem.
Affirmations for anxiety are a great way to change negative self-talk and help manage anxiety and encourage new thoughts that are more positive and self-assuring.
To manage and heal anxiety it is important to adopt a holistic care modality.
That means you need to eat healthily and change bad habits such as excessive use of social media. Avoid the use of drugs and alcohol.
You also need to adopt healthy routines. That means regular exercise, and sleeping enough.
And equally important is seeking therapy and care from a mental health doctor.
cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective in calming anxiety.
In addition using affirmations and other mindful practices such as journaling, meditation, and yoga are healthy ways to manage anxiety long term.
So I hope you see how saying or writing some affirming, short self-help statements or affirmations can have a great positive impact on your
mental health and ease anxious thoughts.
It is true. For the most part, anxiety symptoms are tied to low self-esteem and repeating positive statements will rewire your brain for more positivity.
And because anxiety develops in the subconscious mind, over time, repeating affirmations helps to reprogram the mind and change self-defeating thoughts at a subconscious level.
And when you combine affirmations with calming behaviors such as taking deep breaths and focusing on your slow breaths you will easily feel calmer and in control and have a sense of peace.
So next time you feel anxiety creeping in, whether alone or in stressful social situations, repeat a short affirming phrase until you feel calmer and in control.
You can change your anxious thoughts with affirmations and live more joyfully. Your mind is powerful and is always adapting.
Affirmations can help you to live far beyond your comfort zone.
Affirmations for anxiety are a great tool that will help you be more resilient.
They will help you learn to embrace your core values, and become a more positive less fearful person as they help your brain develop new neural pathways that allow you to feel calmer, happier, and in control.
I hope you will develop an affirmations practice and know the power of affirmations to calm anxiety and to make you not only whole again, but better.
