Self-talk is a powerful thing. Many people are guilty of negative self-talk, like when you give yourself a hard time for eating the entire sleeve of cookies. The way you talk to yourself can be damaging, but it can also be positive and healing if you take control. Learn and use stress and anxiety affirmations for meditations and quick stress relief throughout the day.

What Are Affirmations, and Do They Work?

An affirmation is a positive statement you make to yourself regarding your abilities, your current situation, or your inherent traits. People turn to affirmations for several reasons: to counteract negative thoughts, to manage depression, to boost self-esteem, and to reduce anxiety and stress.

Research suggests that positive affirmations trigger the reward center in the brain. Practiced regularly, repeated affirmations become a habit that actually changes your brain and improves your outlook on life.

An affirmation is also a way to stop negative thoughts in their tracks. With practice, you can take control over those thoughts, change them, and reframe your perspective to be more positive.

How to Destress at Work

For many people, work is a primary source of stress. You might not have time for other stress-relief strategies, like walking or meditation, but a quick review of positive, stress-busting affirmations can help.

Find a few quiet moments to repeat affirmations as you focus on your breathing and block out other thoughts. Do this alone if possible, but if not, simply turn inward for a moment and focus on your thoughts. Try these affirmations for quick stress relief at work:

• I am capable of getting through difficult situations.
• I am good at my job and can solve this problem.
• I will not focus on what I cannot control.
• I am doing the best I can right now.
• I am strong and resilient.

Nighttime Anxiety Affirmations

When you’re tired but too stressed to sleep, turn to your anxiety mantras and a guided meditation to soothe your mind. Some thoughts that can help you relax and reduce anxiety include:

• I am safe and not under threat.
• As I breathe out, anxiety leaves my body.
• I can overcome anything.
• I am relaxed and sleepy.
• I am making improvements every day.
• I am enough.

Create Your Own Affirmations

Use any affirmation that works for you, but also consider writing personalized statements that really resonate. Start by identifying your negative thoughts. Look for patterns, which will give you an idea of what you need to reverse to design more positive thoughts.

When writing a new affirmation, keep it realistic, or you won’t believe it. For instance, “I am a kind person” is more believable and realistic than “I am a wonderful person.” Write affirmations in the present tense, not the future. Make sure they are about you because you cannot control anyone else’s behaviors or thoughts.

Your words have power. Change your self-talk to change your mood and your mind. Use guided meditations to combine positive affirmations with mindfulness for the ultimate tool to battle stress and anxiety.