Never did I ever think I would spend my mornings looking at myself in the mirror and saying positive statements to myself aloud. Things like, “You are beautiful. You are kind. You are strong…”
You might be laughing at these cheesy statements, but now more than ever saying daily affirmations is quite common amongst people of all ages. People write their own affirmations, find ones online that they resonate with, listen to podcasts of someone else saying them, or do whatever their heart desires to find statements that they want to believe and accept.
Personally, I began doing affirmations a couple of months ago when the pandemic hit. One of my close friends is a big believer in affirmations, so I asked her for help and advice on how to go about adding affirmations into my morning routine. She told me to take some time to write out a list of what I want to speak into existence each morning. I made it quite personal, thinking about all of my insecurities and what I want myself to remember each and every day. My friend told me she says her affirmations to herself while brushing her teeth everyday, that way it’s just part of her morning routine and not an added chore on top of everything else that’s going on in her life.
Since adding affirmations to my daily routine, I do feel happier and more positive. Do I actually say them every single day? Nope. In fact, I haven’t said them in quite a while because life and school have taken priority over my mental health these past couple of weeks. What’s important to remember about mental health practices like affirmations is this: you may fall off of them and that’s completely okay. Just note that this fall-off happened and try to get back into the swing of things when you can. Nobody is perfect, and adding something new into a routine can take a while before it feels normal and natural.
Affirmations are not for everyone, but if you wake up feeling negative and/or with a bad mindset to start your day off – why not give them a try? Another tip is to also say some affirmations right before you fall asleep. Maybe about how you are going to sleep soundly and be well-rested the following day. Doing this made a very dramatic change in how I feel when I wake up each morning. I wake up excited to start my day and ready to be productive. Instead of saying, “Wow I’m so tired today. I didn’t get enough sleep”, I say, “I slept like an angel last night and I am ready for the new day that’s ahead of me”. Remember, everything’s mind over matter.
If you want to read more about affirmations and how to have an amazing morning routine, I recommend the book (which I’m currently reading) titled, The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) by Hal Elrod. This book is extremely helpful if you feel you want to lead a more meaningful, happy life. Elrod has great tips and tricks that can lead you down a path towards success in both your mental health journey and towards overall happiness in life.