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Attention: I talk about my story and struggles including self-harm. Only continue if it is safe for you
I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD in 2015. I decided that I wanted to try natural healing before trying medications
Affirmations for anxiety and depression were part of that healing process
I fully believe in a holistic approach to health
Not one thing will fix all your problems alone
But affirmations are powerful for the mindset
My mental habits were harmful and destructive
I hated myself and everything about me
Affirmations for anxiety and depression help you change those mental habits to ones that are healthier
This was a several year process for me
I am just being upfront and honest
I did not see a change until I realized there was a BIG change
Try not to get discouraged
And start small
What are affirmations?
Affirmations are statements about life that you want to be true but don’t think that they are yet
They are the process of creating a new mental habit
I struggled with anxiety and depression for most of my life
I started in middle school, and it got bad fast.
The worse I got, the more people left me, which only made me worse
It got to the point when my first thought when those waves of emotional pain came was I needed to find a blade
I had unintentionally learned that the physical pain lessened the emotional pain, and created a habit
Throughout my healing journey, breaking habits that I made during that time was extremely hard
Affirmations work the same way
When things happen in your life, your reaction is a habit
If you look in the mirror and the first thought is “god, I’m ugly”
That is a habit
It is easier to replace a habit than it is to just break one
So affirmations help you replace those habits that harm you with ones that build you up stronger
After time, the hateful thoughts and actions start to disappear
I used more than affirmations to defeat my self harm, but it was an easier option to start with
When you first start affirmations, you may feel a lot of resistance
Your mind will think of these statements as lies for a long time
You’ll hear the 21 day rule
As someone who has walked this path before, it will likely take longer than 21 days
Don’t go into this will a time frame of expected success
Take it one day at a time
Then you’ll realize the change one day in the future
This is a slow process
But you got this!
How do affirmations work?
Affirmations are statements that help you change your mental habits and identity
The subconscious mind is powerful but doesn’t have the ability to tell the truth apart from a lie
The more something is repeated out loud, in your head, or in writing
The more the subconscious believes it and changes your thoughts and identity
When struggling with anxiety and depression, those thoughts were so harmful
I hated myself and saw negatives even when there weren’t any
I stressed about things that did not happen yet and probably never would happen
And I pushed people I loved away because I did not see how it was possible to love me
Those things were part of my identity, and affirmations were a powerful tool to change the narrative
I spent a little time every day going through affirmations that I wanted to be true, but I didn’t believe
I had a process to make it easier
- Take a three deep breaths
- Name three things that I was thankful for
- Repeat the affirmations I was working with three times
- Take three more deep breaths
When you start, have a quick and simple process like that
The easier it is, the less likely you are to skip it
My process took less than 5 minutes
What can affirmations do for my anxiety and depression?
Affirmations are a slow change
That is good and bad
It will take a long time to notice a different
But the change will last longer
I did my 5 minute process most days, and I started noticing a difference after a year or more
I didn’t even know if affirmations could help my anxiety or depression
You’ll see people use the 21 day rule, but it took longer for me
There was a lot of mental resistance to work through
Not only did I have to learn mental habits…
I had to unlearn many as well
Affirmations is not the fix all for anxiety and depression, but they made the process of healing smoother
You are going to struggle with any goal that doesn’t align with your identity
When anxiety and depression rule that identity, affirmations help you unlearn those mental habits so make room for the life you want
So think of affirmations as one brick of your foundation
Alone it isn’t going to do a lot
But it is a great place to start
And creates something amazing when you add more and more bricks
I gave you some examples of affirmations for anxiety and depression below
You can take them word for word, or use them as inspiration
Remember that resistance will happen before change happens
29 Affirmations for Anxiety and Depression
- Everything is working out for my greatest good
- I have survived every bad day, and this will be no different
- I am powerful in this moment
- I have the power to change my thoughts
- I forgive myself for everything
- I am creating a future of freedom
- I am loved
- I love myself deeply
- I let the thoughts that don’t serve me go
- I have compassion for myself
- I deserve every good thing that I want
- I live in love, joy, and peace
- I do not have to prove myself to anyone
- The past is over, and I learned how to be better without judgment
- I welcome love and miracles in my life
- I am in the process of positive change
- I listen to my body with love and compassion
- I choose happiness today
- I am in charge of my feelings and my life
- I am at home in my body and mind
- I set myself free from guilt of the past
- I set myself free of fear of the future
- I can survive and thrive in any situation
- I am a gift for the people around me
- I believe people when they say they love me
- I take time to care for myself every day
- Every victory is worth celebrating
- My best looks different every day, but it is always good enough
- I am a survivor
Remember that depression and anxiety are serious conditions
Do not face this alone and remember you can always get help
What if I don’t have the energy for my affirmations?
One of the major symptoms I got from my depression and anxiety is lack of energy
They jsut destroy it!
To the point where even things like showers and brushing your teeth feel like immense tasks.
So what do you do when you just don’t have the energy for affirmations
Just because it isn’t physical doesn’t mean its not an issue
Mental exhaustion is very real!
The first thing I recommend it giving yourself grace
This is not easy and let’s not pretend it is.
Second thing I recommend is creating a plan when you are feeling okay
Maybe you normally do 10 affirmations for a total of 5 minutes in the morning normally
If you don’t have the energy, shoot for 1 or 2 affirmations instead
Take a deep breath in, and then state them with the exhale
Another option is to repeat the affirmations if your mind
It isn’t as strong but that’s ok!
5% is better than 0%
That is a concept I have had to work really hard on
I tend to be an “all or nothing” kind of person
I was that student that had a MELTDOWN over getting a problem wrong on my homework
Perfectionism is a terrible partner with depression
But at the end of the day, 5% really is better than 0%
Make a plan for when you are having a hard day, week, or month
Have that plan written down and easy to access.
You don’t want to do any thinking or decision making when you are having an episode
Do the best you can and don’t quit!
Conclusion
At the end of the day, depression and anxiety are very real and very difficult to live with
I spent years running from it and struggling with it
Affirmations are powerful, but they are not a stand alone
They are one piece to your weapon against your illnesses
Since they don’t require a lot of work or energy, affirmations for anxiety and depression may be a great place to start your road to healing
They can do amazing things, but are not likely to cure your depression or anxiety
They are just a tool
And they are a slow working tool
If you are using affirmations for anxiety and depression, chances are that you have many beliefs that will have to be unlearned before the affirmations make a noticeable difference
I am not trying to discourage you from using them in your life!
But I do want to be transparent and give real expectations
It took over a year for me to notice a change when I started
And that included the countless times I fell off the bandwagon and had to start again
Even with those times I stopped, they still did help in time
I use them more now than I did because every time I heal one belief that doesn’t serve me, another seems to surface
The road to healing from our past and becoming stronger never ends
There will always be something to heal from
But you will get better at it with time
I can honestly say that I went from being high risk from my depression to my doctor not being concerned at all
Even with that, I still struggle from time to time
I still have anxiety attacks sometimes
They just happen less often and are shorter lasting
I still struggle with depression sometimes
But recover in hours instead of weeks or months now
If you are just starting your journey, realize that there is no one size fits all
I encourage you to find a professional that can help you
Be picky choosing one though
I chose wrong and it set me back
If you can’t run, walk
If you can’t walk, crawl
Don’t be afraid to rest when needed
But never stop