“I am going to have an amazing day today.”

We have all heard of Affirmations and may have used them in the past, or enjoyed them in social media memes. There is a good reason why we see them so often; they have the power to give us an instant and subliminal boost of feel good hormones! This can really make a big difference in both small and big ways.
I wonder how many of us have actually embraced them as a tool to combat anxiety, stress or overwhelm though? 

If you haven’t used affirmation as a process of improving your mood and disposition, you are in for a real treat!

Ways to Use Daily Affirmations 

An affirmation is nothing more then a positive statement you repeat to yourself to get into a positive mindset. 

1- Write Them in Your Journal Each Day

When you write down affirmations, it is good to have them in a permanent place to reference. Having a page in your journal dedicated to collecting and creating an easy reference to all your favorite positive affirmations is pretty handy. It also provides way to have access to them, even when you feel down and can’t think up any for yourself.
The act of writing them adds to their power. Using more then one of our senses will establish the thought more deeply in your mind and memory. It is also very effective to say them out loud, using still another of your senses to anchor the positivity in your memory.
I like to choose one for each day to set the mood, and one or more that applies to special circumstances that are in the forefront of my life.

Activity:
Every morning when you write in your journal, write down at least one positive affirmation that pertains to something occurring that day, or that will help your mindset for what you have coming up. Writing it down is going to help you use it efficiently, along with saying it out loud to yourself.

2- Keep Digital Copies of Your Affirmations

It is also a good idea to have your favorite affirmations in other places, to be used any time you need them. Maybe you keep your journal at home, but you might need a quick, positive affirmation while you are at work or running errands. Try to keep a digital copy of them on your phone, so that you can reference them at any time. This really helps in those unexpected situations.
I also like to put them at the top of my reminders or any checklists I have for daily tasks. It helps to keep me from feeling overwhelmed when that list is long!

3- Set a Timer for Using the Affirmations

Having a hard time remembering to use your affirmations each day? Set a timer! This can be a timer that goes off at the same time each day, like shortly before you get ready for work, or in the evenings around bedtime. You can also have different timers each day depending on what your schedule looks like.
If you would like to really add some kick, record the sound of a common noise you hear frequently such as the microwave or stove timer. Over time, this will automatically trigger you to mentally recite an affirmation….without even thinking about it!

4- Use Event-Specific Affirmations

There might be times in your life when you need a positive attitude about a certain situation that is causing you stress or anxiety. For example, if you have a big oral presentation coming up soon at work or school, you might be worried about all the things that could potentially go wrong. Instead of focusing on those, focus on something positive. Create affirmations that help you understand you are capable of performing this challenge. Remind yourself that you are prepared, and that you are brave and strong.

5- Make sure the affirmations you choose are only for yourself, and not others.

These are all about you and your own mindset. They should not reflect any other person in your life. They are personal and private, and you don’t need to feel like you need to share them with anyone.
Also, they should only be About You, not other people. One huge source of anxiety and stress for a lot of people is how we react to the mindset of others. We have no power over what other people do or think. We do, however have a great abundance of power over our own thoughts, actions and reactions. Using affirmations is the first big step towards being in control of our own mood and mindset!

Share one of your favorite Affirmations in the comments!