Sunday, February 27, 2011

Affirmations

We've all heard the expression "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Well, I would argue that that is not true and that we are often the biggest culprits of hurting ourselves with words. How many times have you said to yourself "I can't do anything right" or "I'll never be able to do this" when attempting something new or challenging? Or said to yourself "I'm too fat" or "I'm not good enough" when looking in the mirror. These words, spoken to ourselves, gradually chip away at our self-esteem, confidence and energy. They become part of who we are and hold us back from becoming our best selves.

A wonderful way to counteract our inclination towards negativity are Affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements that we repeat to ourselves. Over time, affirmations help us to feel content in the present and to reach our goals in the future. Affirmations should be written in a positive form and set in the present. For example, if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and telling yourself that you will never get everything done, close your eyes and imagine how it would feel if you were calm and in control. What would things look like if you had "everything done"? Once this vision is firmly in your mind, create an affirmation that is a reflection of the image and feeling. Possible affirmations could be "My mind is calm." , "I am in control." or "All that I do is enough." Write this affirmation and post it somewhere that you can see and then repeat it to yourself throughout the day. Affirmations can be used in every area of your life and you will be amazed at the power of positive thinking.

by Kristi Hallman, LCSW-C

Kristi can be reached at kristi@kristihallman.com or (301)712-9015 ext. 1012

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