Affirmations for Stress Relief
I first came across affirmations way back in the 1980s (that sounds like centuries ago, doesn’t it!) during a “Positive Thinking” weekend workshop.
The positive statements (or, affirmations) became an immediate, practical way to relieve work stress and to motivate me; supercharging me with belief in my ability to succeed.
Over the years, affirmations have also helped me to consider areas of my personal life that were off balance, and they guided me towards making healthy changes.
Positive Affirmations to De-Stress & Relax – available here on Insight Timer
How Do Affirmations Help In Reducing Stress
I’ve found that affirmations act as a “pattern interrupt”, reducing the mind chatter which is often responsible for fueling the flames of stress.
When stress is unavoidable, like trying to meet a deadline, or worrying about a partner or a family member, the mind can get carried away with thoughts that are often not true, not helpful, or both.
Stopping The Hamster Wheel
Notice if negative thoughts are a familiar mental pattern. Do you often revert to the same negative thoughts when you’re under stress—thoughts of fear, or anger, or not feeling worthy.
Spinning in those habitual thought patterns tends to create even more stress, as we choose to believe limiting thoughts instead of questioning their relevance.
Pausing the hamster wheel of the mind to question those thoughts or beliefs, puts some distance between the mind and the stressful event. Stepping back like this helps us to acknowledge the reality of the stressful situation and at the same time to see it with more perspective, more clarity, more hope.
Identify And Erode
Once you identify negative thoughts, you can consciously replace them with new and useful, positive alternatives, either right there in the moment as the thought arises, or by bringing affirmations into a regular meditation practice.
Through these proven techniques, we can eventually erode the habitual, negative patterns of the mind, and ultimately rewire the brain. Powerful!
Top 5 Affirmations For Stress Relief
Here are some examples of affirmation statements that can not only reduce or remove stress, but can also have a long-lasting impact when the words strongly reflect how we most want to be, or how we truly want to live.
As stress is caused by many different things, the affirmation could be comforting, as in,
“Everything will be okay.”
Encouraging:
“Deep down, I know I can do this.”
Kind to yourself:
“I’m doing my best and that’s more than enough.”
Grounding:
“I am calm, capable, and centered.”
An affirmation could bring perspective, helping to distance yourself from the stress:
“This emotion/situation is temporary and I will transcend it.”
Yoga Nidra Affirmations For CALM – available here on Insight Timer
Yoga Nidra And Affirmations
When I first started working with Yoga Nidra meditation, I was delighted to discover that I had inadvertently been using “sankalpa”, or intention, for years as part of my meditation and positive thinking practice.
The guided meditation style of Yoga Nidra holds affirmations at its very core. Not only is Yoga Nidra renowned as a stress eraser and as a way to improve sleep, at a deeper level Yoga Nidra also uses affirmations as a compass, guiding us towards meaningful and joyful life choices.
Tip: Affirmations work best through repetition, so I often place my written affirmations where I can see them—at my desk, on my bathroom mirror—as a reminder that my heartfelt wishes are more relevant than stress.
What If I’m New To Affirmations … Where Do I Start?
Experiment, adjust, and give it time to work. Repetition is key, as it’s through a regular practice that we can reframe our reactions and begin to rewire neural pathways, creating healthy and useful responses to stressful situations.
Aslo, remember that it doesn’t have to be “perfect”—if you don’t know what words to use, start with a general positive statement and it will evolve into your own personal affirmation.
Please enjoy my affirmation meditations here on Insight Timer, the leading meditation app for stress release. (Also available on other platforms here, wherever you may play your music)
Simply closing your eyes and listening to these short meditations can create the mind shift you might be looking for, to reset your mind and to bring a fresh, new, perspective to your day ahead.
Happy Meditating!
You may also enjoy this Insight Timer article on Affirmations for Stress Relief