At their core, positive affirmations are empowering statements that you can say to yourself with the intention of fostering self-belief, optimism, and resilience. They can shift our focus from negative thoughts, which often fuel emotional upheaval, to a perspective filled with hope and self-assurance.
When faced with stressful situations or unexpected emotional triggers, it’s common to experience negative self-talk. This negative chatter can amplify our emotional responses and make it harder to bounce back. Positive affirmations come to the rescue by helping rewire our brains.
In this article I wanted to share with you what positive affirmations are, how they can help with emotional regulation and provide you with 10 beautiful affirmations that you can use next time you’re in need for some self-soothing.
What Are Positive Affirmations?
Positive affirmations are concise, empowering statements that individuals use to challenge and control self-sabotaging, negative thoughts. They act as reminders and reassurances, encouraging a more optimistic outlook and bolstering self-confidence.
By regularly repeating these statements, either out loud or silently to oneself, individuals aim to promote positive change in their lives and shift their mindset toward a more constructive, self-supportive direction.
In essence, positive affirmations are tools for self-empowerment. They foster a belief in personal abilities and potentials.
Whether it’s about personal growth, professional aspirations, health, or relationships, these affirmations serve as motivational nudges, steering one’s thoughts away from doubt and negativity and towards a vision of positive outcomes and self-worth.
How Do Positive Affirmations Work?
Positive affirmations operate on the premise that our beliefs shape our reality, both in how we perceive the world and how we feel and behave. By repeatedly focusing on empowering and positive beliefs, we can reshape our thought patterns, thereby influencing our behaviors, habits, and actions.
Louise Hay, a prominent figure in the world of self-help, was an avid advocate for the transformative power of affirmations. In her book “You Can Heal Your Life,” Hay posits that our physical and emotional challenges are often manifestations of underlying negative beliefs and patterns of thought.
According to her, by identifying and replacing these negative beliefs with positive affirmations, we can address the root cause of our challenges and pave the way for healing and growth.
Hay’s work emphasizes the interconnectedness of mind, body, and well-being. By affirming positive beliefs about oneself and one’s circumstances, one can initiate a cascade of positive changes in various aspects of life.
The mechanism behind the effectiveness of positive affirmations is further supported by research in cognitive psychology. A study published in “Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience” in 2016 showed that self-affirmation activities can affect the brain’s medial prefrontal cortex, the area involved in self-related processing.
This implies that positive affirmations can change the way our brains process information about ourselves, allowing for better emotional regulation.
When individuals practice affirmations consistently, they challenge and combat negative self-talk and cognitive biases, gradually making positive thoughts more automatic. Over time, this can reshape one’s mindset, leading to a more optimistic outlook and proactive behavior.
How Can Positive Affirmations Help With Emotional Regulation?
Positive affirmations can play a pivotal role in emotional regulation by influencing how we perceive, interpret, and respond to our emotions.
Often times, when we get in a funk or get emotionally triggered, our mind goes wild:
“Oh my gosh, this can’t be happening, oh nonono. I have no idea how I’m going to handle this, this is too stressful. I am loosing my mind. Aaagghhhh!”
This negative self-talk further adds to our feeling of stress, anxiety, or worry. Then, we might get stuck in this loop of negativity. We have negative thoughts, so we feel more negative emotions, and as a result we think more negative thoughts.
When we introduce a positive affirmation, we put a buffer in this automatic process. We consciously choose to intervene and change how we feel. Instead of going deeper into our anxious feelings, we focus on cultivating peace and calmness.
Here’s how positive affirmations can help:
- Counteracting Negative Self-talk: One of the most significant challenges to emotional regulation is the presence of negative self-talk – those internal, critical voices that magnify stress and doubt. Positive affirmations act as a counterweight, helping to replace these detrimental messages with supportive ones. Over time, by consistently reinforcing positive beliefs, we can shift our default response from negative to positive, aiding in emotional balance.
- Enhancing Self-worth: Emotions can often be influenced by how we perceive our value or worth. Positive affirmations focus on strengthening self-belief and self-worth. By regularly affirming our value and abilities, we’re less likely to be overwhelmed by emotions tied to feelings of inadequacy.
- Redirecting Focus: Emotional regulation sometimes requires a shift in perspective, focusing on solutions rather than problems. Positive affirmations can facilitate this shift, emphasizing growth, learning, and potential. When facing challenges, having a mindset geared towards solutions and positive outcomes can significantly help in managing emotional responses.
- Building Resilience: Life is replete with setbacks. Positive affirmations foster resilience by reinforcing beliefs in one’s ability to overcome challenges. This resilient mindset can help individuals navigate emotional ups and downs more effectively, viewing challenges as temporary and surmountable.
- Grounding and Mindfulness: The act of reciting positive affirmations can be a grounding exercise, helping individuals remain present and connected to the moment. This mindfulness can create a buffer against overwhelming emotions, granting a space to recognize, process, and respond to emotions in a balanced manner.
- Reinforcing Neural Pathways: Repetition of positive affirmations can reinforce neural pathways associated with positive thinking. The brain has a certain plasticity, meaning it can change and adapt. The more we engage in a particular thought pattern (like positive affirmations), the stronger those neural pathways become, making it easier over time to regulate negative emotional responses.
10 Positive Affirmations for Emotional Regulation
Next time you find yourself in emotional distress, try using one of the below affirmations. Remember: repetition is key. The more often you do it, the better these affirmations will work.
You can say these affirmations either out loud or in your mind. Really focus on the words that you’re saying and no need to rush – say them slowly, trying to feel into the calming and positive emotions you wish to bring about.
- Balanced Emotions: “I am in control of my emotions, and each day it becomes easier to maintain balance.”
- Self-awareness: “I recognize my feelings without judgment and give myself permission to process them.”
- Stress Management: “Every breath I take calms me and every exhale releases tension.”
- Resilience: “Challenges are temporary, and I have the strength to navigate through them with grace.”
- Self-belief: “I trust in my ability to handle whatever comes my way.” or “I trust in my ability to handle this situation/challenge.”
- Mindfulness: “I am present in this moment and acknowledge my feelings with patience.”
- Growth Mindset: “Every experience, positive or negative, contributes to my growth.”
- Self-compassion: “I treat myself with kindness and understanding, especially during difficult moments.”
- Optimism: “Every challenge I face is an opportunity for growth and understanding.”
- Acceptance: “I accept my emotions without trying to push them away, knowing they are a part of my human experience.”
Try this out for yourself!
I really hope that these positive affirmations for emotional regulation help you self-soothe and bring about emotional balance in moments of distress.
Ever since I learned about Louise Hay and her book “You Can Heal Your Life” at the age of 13, affirmations became part of my life. I’ve never looked back!
In case you’d like to further learn about this topic, check out these 5 great books to help you regulate your emotions. Additionally, if you struggle with survival mode and being stuck in a fight-or-flight state, these grounding techniques might help you.