Positive Affirmations
Written by: Hannah Kochany BSW (cand.)
Positive Affirmations to Help Relieve Your Anxiety
Calming down when you feel your anxiety bubbling up can often appear to be quite difficult. Anxiety can come along with feeling nervous, restless or tense, rapidly breathing, lack of concentration, feeling weak or tired, and so much more. As frustrating as these symptoms may be, there are many ways of coping with anxiety symptoms, including ones that can be used regularly to help manage them long term. One way of assisting with these feelings of anxiety and leading into a change, is a form of positive self-talk called affirmations.
Positive affirmations are phrases you can say and repeat to yourself (aloud or not) whenever needed, that can be used to overcome negative thoughts during a difficult situation. Affirmations give you the chance to feel your emotions however heavy they are, while reminding yourself you have the power and control to rise above any that don’t serve and support your overall well-being. They give you motivation, pull forward your courage, strength, and resilience, and help you see that you are capable of changing your negative thinking patterns that, in this case may cause some anxiety, and help you replace them with a positive outlook. Affirmations can help provide you with some inner peace, regardless of what is happening to/for and around you.
This blog will provide you with lists that are filled with affirmations that can be used to help with your stress, worry, and anxiety and are extremely beneficial when partnered with deep breathing or other relaxation techniques.
Positive affirmations to calm down quickly
- “I am safe, and I am in control”
- “I am strong”
- “I trust myself”
- “I am capable”
- “This feeling is only temporary”
- “I have done this before; I can do it again”
- “I am loved and accepted”
- “I will take things one day at a time”
- “This too shall pass”
Positive affirmations for general anxiety
- “I am filling my mind with positivity”
- “As I clear my mind, I am regaining control”
- “I am healing”
- “I am at peace”
- “All is well in my world”
- “I have everything I need”
- “I give myself permission to feel without judgment”
- “The peace that I need is inside me”
- “All problems have solutions”
- “It is only a thought and thoughts can be changed”
Positive affirmations for long-term anxiety relief
- “I am enough”
- “I am doing my very best, and my best is enough”
- “I am releasing the past and embracing my present”
- “I can handle whatever comes my way”
- “Wherever I go, I am well and can do it”
- “Inner peace is my goal”
- “Wherever I go I carry my peace with me”
- “I am resilient”
- “I look forward to a bright and happy future”
- “I am right where I need to be”
- “I am not my anxiety”
- “I will focus my energy on my values and not my anxiety”
- “I have the courage to live my dreams”
Positive affirmations for intense fear and/or panic attacks
- “I am safe”
- “My anxiety is uncomfortable but not dangerous”
- “I am brave”
- “I can and will move past this moment”
- “As I breathe, I am calm and relaxed:
- “My body is my ally”
- “I have survived my anxiety before and will continue to survive it”
- “My body is calm”
- “All is well”
- “My feelings are not in control of me”
- “I breathe in relaxation; and breathe out tension and stress”
- “I will overcome this”
- “I am relaxing each part of my body”
- “I am stronger than any feelings of panic”
Positive affirmations for social anxiety
- “I know what I am doing and so I act with confidence”
- “I am safe in the company of others”
- “I am prepared and ready for this situation”
- “I like myself and that is all I need”
- “I feel ease when talking with others”
- “I do not have to prove myself to anyone”
- “The presence of others doesn’t affect my capability to do this”
Positive affirmations for performance anxiety
- “I enjoy doing this and am good at it”
- “Day by day, minute to minute”
- “I will focus on the joy”
Positive affirmations for anticipatory anxiety
- “I am here, I am now, and I am okay”
- “I can handle what is to come”
- “I am safe here and now”
- “I have always handled whatever happens”
- “There is beauty in my surroundings”
- “There is time to prepare and decide”
Give some affirmations from this list a try and see which ones help you. Maybe you can create your own, or maybe you can rephrase some of these affirmations to apply to you and your life. Write them down and focus on their meanings, say them aloud, or record them and play them back throughout the day. Put them on sticky notes around your desk at home or even on your bathroom mirror. Pick one and repeat it throughout the day.
There are so many ways to practice positive affirmations. Take the chance to get some control back over your thought patterns and emotions, especially when you feel like your anxiety might be building up. Encourage your optimism and confidence in yourself by refocusing the way you see anxiety provoking situations and leave your worrisome thoughts aside.