7 Affirmations for Daily Positivity
We all need a little positivity in our lives, especially when we find ourselves feeling anxious in certain situations, or just plain stressed out. I’ve been there, I’m still there some days, but I’ve learned to help manage some of that anxiety and stress by bringing positive energy and positive affirmations into my daily routine.
It takes practice and consistency to have these positive affirmations become second nature in the brain. That’s why I tattooed one of these 7 positive affirmations on my inner arm. So I can be reminded every time I look down at my arm. I’m not saying you have to tattoo these affirmations on your body, but hey, I’m a big fan of tattoos and if something resonates with you that much, I say go for it! My tattoos are a visual representation of my life’s journey.
Here are 7 positive affirmations to alleviate some of your anxiety and stress in daily life. Find one that resonates with you, write it down, put it somewhere you can see it, and repeat it out loud to yourself when you feel you need it most.
If you’re looking for a more in-depth approach to positivity and helping reduce your anxiety I love the 3-minute Positivity Workbook by Susan Reynolds. It explores our emotions both negative and positive (and those that cause us anxiety) and helps us to reframe our emotions and bring them into a more positive light.
1. Don’t let the Hard Days Win
There will always be days we think we just can’t do it anymore, and that’s okay. There will always be good and bad days. We just have to remember that when we’re having a hard day, it’s not going to last forever. The trick to that is not letting the hard days win. For those of you wondering, this is my favorite affirmation, and my daily mantra when the going really gets tough. This is also the affirmation I have tattooed on my inner arm. I contribute it to my absolute favorite book series A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. That series alone helped me deal with some of my anxiety as a new mom. (It’s not a self-help book, but a fantasy series. I like to balance my self development books with fun fantasy romance novels.)
2. I Can’t Control Everything
You may have heard of the serenity prayer (or you may have not), either way, it goes…
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Now, you may not be religious, and that’s okay (You can read HERE more about my views and beliefs) but I do love this prayer because it reminds me that most of the things in this life are out of our control. Even though we want to control them. We need to let go of the things we have no control over, look to see what we do have control of (which is ourselves and our thoughts), and learn to change those anxiety-inducing thoughts and emotions.
3. My Breath Grounds Me
You may have heard of the serenity prayer (or you may have not), either way, it goes…
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Now, you may not be religious, and that’s okay, but I do love this prayer because it reminds me that most of the things in this life are out of our control. Even though we want to control them. We need to let go of the things we have no control over, look to see what we do have control of (which is ourselves and our thoughts), and learn to change those anxiety-inducing thoughts and emotions.
4. All of My Emotions Serve a Purpose
Yes, even the negative ones serve a purpose, but in this case when we are in the middle of our anxiety attack, or just feeling too stressed out to function; we need to remember we have certain emotions for a reason. We shouldn’t punish ourselves for having these feelings. It’s kind of like when someone tells you to ‘just relax.’ Most of the time our first instinct is to get more worked up. In these types of situations, we need to give ourselves some grace, and just remind ourselves that the emotions we are having (good or bad) all serve a purpose.
Again, the 3-minute Positivity Workbook by Susan Reynolds is a great place to start learning more about how to understand all of our emotions. Plus, it’s easy to read with small sections about each area of positivity in our lives: emotional positivity, mental positivity, physical positivity, self-positivity, relational positivity, and growth positivity.
5. This Feeling Will Pass
You’ve probably heard of the phrase ‘This too shall pass’ which seems to have origins in several different places. The ones I found were mainly found in biblical texts and folklore. Plus, I guess even Abraham Lincoln used the phrase at one point. Wikipedia says it originated as a Persian adage but was later adopted by the English poet and writer Edward Fitzgerald. Wherever it originated from, the phrase ‘This too shall pass’ refers to the moments in our life, both negative and positive, and how those moments don’t last forever. This is a moment in time, the feeling is here, but it won’t last forever.
6. This Moment Does Not Define Me
You are not defined by this moment, you are not defined by any one moment alone. Don’t let this moment take your energy, don’t let it define who you are. There are ups and downs in life and when we are stressed and having anxiety we need to remember that there is so much more than these feelings we may be having at a certain moment in time.
7. I Am Safe. Or I Am Okay.
I know just a generic “I’m okay” sometimes doesn’t work, but sometimes if you repeat it and feel the actual emotion of being okay. (aka find your happy place) Simply reminding ourselves that we are safe is all we need. With our anxiety running high, we sometimes kick into our flight or fight modes, our adrenaline rushes, our breathing quickens and our heartbeat starts to increase. Deep breaths and a reminder that we are safe can help us return to a calmer mindset.
If you don’t feel safe at that moment in time, then I encourage you to take actionable steps to get to a place you do feel safe. Whether this is a mental feeling of not being safe, or a physical one. Call someone and let them know what is happening. I also encourage you to reach out to a professional.
Changing my mindset about certain situations by using these positive affirmations has been a game-changer for my anxiety and stress levels. I’m hoping you take some of these positive affirmations and implement them into your day when you start to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or even stressed out.
7 Positive Affirmations for Anxiety
- Don’t let the Hard Days Win
- I Can’t Control Everything
- My Breath Grounds Me
- All of My Emotions Serve a Purpose
- This Feeling Will Pass
- This Moment Does Not Define Me
- I Am Safe. I Am Okay
“The way to live in the present is to remember that ‘this too shall pass.’ When you experience joy remembering that ‘this too shall pass’ helps you savor the here and the now. When you experience pain and sorrow, remembering that this ‘too shall pass’ reminds you that grief, like joy, is only temporary.” -Joey Green
