I am someone who has had anxiety my entire life. As a child I didn't know that that was what it was and therefore I had no tools to work on or with it.
Through the years I have smothered it, lived with it and buried it, only for it to claw its way back into my life until I learned how to declutter and cope with it.
Due to wonderful and necessary changes I have made in my life these past few years, anxiety rarely stops by and if it does the stays have gotten shorter and shorter with every visit.
Even though I have reduced my anxiety tremendously by tending to the root cause of it; be it my past traumas or demons, I do still experience it every once in a while. But learning what triggers it and eliminating things that do, I've become a bit of a Spiderman detecting it a mile a way, which enables me to tap into my toolbox to keep it under control before it flares up.
Before going any further though, I do want to make one thing clear - I am NOT a professional, I am NOT a doctor and if you suffer from anxiety, please go see someone - at least once in your lifetime.
Now that being said, I do think that you can learn to notice what, when and who triggers you, and therefore you have control on whether you allow that trigger into your life or not. We're all (well I'm assuming most of us are) grown ass humans and if somethings gonna feel like crap I think we can establish that that isn't good for our wellbeing.
But there are surroundings that are mandatory, unexpected or just random situations that can trigger anxiety regardless of us being prepared of "anything".
That's why I want to introduce affirmations that you can use to prepare your brain and help you work through those icky dark moments. Some of these you can refer back to in the thick of it, to remind yourself that you are not your anxiety.
Affirmations can be written down on your phone so you have them with you everywhere you go, or post-its that can be placed throughout a chosen environment. Reading, saying, and repeating affirmations will cause them to be more effective. They are designed to encourage positive, happy feelings, thoughts and attitudes.
Think of it as going to the gym for your mind.
Another piece of advice for affirmations is to keep them short, encouraging, and positive, using “I” statements that fit your personality.
If "I am a beautiful unicorn" doesn't feel right than that might not be the one you want to write down and use.
Here are a few examples of Affirmations to get you started.
General Affirmations
I am a successful person.
I am confident in everything that I do.
I am doing the best I can.
I choose to be happy.
I am in perfect health.
I am resilient; I will get through this difficult time.
I believe in myself.
I accept myself.
I love myself.
Affirmations for Anxiety
I choose to feel calm.
I choose positive and nurturing thoughts.
I am right where I need to be.
I do the best that I can.
I forgive myself.
I release the past.
I look forward to a happy bright future.
I am safe.
I inhale the good and exhale the bad.
I am brave.
I am strong.
I will be OK.
Specifically Targeted Affirmations
I am not my anxiety.
I am currently reducing my anxiety.
I focus my energy on my values, not my anxiety.
I have the strength to move beyond my anxiety.
I am in charge of my breathing.
I cultivate inner calm.
I will survive. (I have survived my anxiety before. I will survive now)
I am patient.
I take things one step at a time/I take things one day at a time.
I am present in this moment.
I am not in danger; I am just uncomfortable; this too will pass.
Although affirmations do work, they are not an immediate cure-all. They take time, patience and commitment. There must be a willingness to say and repeat your affirmations of choice every day.
Learning to identify negative thoughts is important for your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Notice the thought and correct it as soon as possible. Change the negative tone to something positive.
And even though positive thinking is wonderful, I want to encourage you to practice your affirmations however it suits you best.
Trying to convince yourself of unrealistic affirmations can actually causes more anxiety, which can leave you more exhausted and frustrated.
Set yourself up to succeed in life, even if you live with anxiety. Clean up your environment mentally and/or physically to practice affirmations in a positive setting and whether you repeat them in you mind, write them down in you phone, mumbled them out loud, or tattoo them on your body, positive affirmations can be the difference between living in chaos or living in calmness.
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