It is amazing how simple letters, arranged in a certain way, can hold immense power. Numerous quotes from people around the world attempt to capture the significance of this phenomenon. Betty Eadie once said:
“If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. In our thoughts and words, we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths. Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts. We can always replace negative with positive.”
It is often obvious how the words we speak to others affect them, but it is frequently overlooked—or even unknown—how the words we say to ourselves (and about ourselves) have a profound impact on our mental health.
One fascinating study was conducted by a Japanese scientist named Masaru Emoto, who claimed that the molecular structure of water could be influenced by human emotions, thoughts, and words. According to Emoto, when water was exposed to different emotions and words, it resulted in distinct formations in the ice crystals formed after freezing. When the water was exposed to positive emotions and words, it supposedly created aesthetically pleasing, symmetrical crystals. However, when exposed to negative emotions and words, the resulting crystals were disorganized and chaotic in appearance.
Water is the principal chemical component of our bodies, making up about 60–70% of our physical being. Considering the possibility that our words could influence such a significant portion of our makeup, we might be more mindful of the language we use—not just with others, but also about ourselves.
Positive Affirmations
One way to speak beneficial words about ourselves is by employing positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are statements we say to ourselves to replace negative thoughts. This practice can help improve how we feel about ourselves and support good mental health. Here are some ways positive affirmations can benefit us:
- Research shows that positive thinking can rewire your brain, influencing how you feel and think about various things, including yourself.
- Positive affirmations can help you build new, uplifting thought patterns that influence your actions.
- They encourage you to create a better perception of yourself and your surroundings.
- They help lower stress levels.
- They assist in reducing worry, fear, and anxiety.
- They improve overall quality of life.
- They foster feelings of harmony, happiness, and optimism.
- Positive affirmations can also help boost self-confidence.
It’s also not difficult to see why they work, even if they feel forced at first. Many times in life we are faced with situations that teach us to be negative. Many mental health conditions do that as well. Affirmations create a positive thought pattern that force us to reframe our mindset each and every day.
Ways to Incorporate Positive Affirmations
Use positive affirmations. These are a great way to improve our mental health because they are free to use, can be practiced anywhere, are customizable to our preferences, and can be tailored to fit our unique needs. Here are some ideas on how to incorporate positive affirmations into your daily life:
- Think of things you like about yourself. These can serve as your affirmations. Start your affirmations with the phrase “I am,” followed by a positive statement about yourself. If you cannot think of many positive things at first, begin with traits you aspire to have. For example: “I am kind,” “I am smart,” “I am strong,” etc. Repeat these affirmations silently or aloud.
- Say them in the morning. When you wake up, your brain is fresh. Use this time to feed yourself a dose of positivity to guide your day.
- Look in the mirror. Look yourself in the eye, stand up straight, and state positive things about yourself with courage and confidence.
- Add affirmations to meditation. There is no right or wrong way to meditate, but one way to elevate your practice is by combining it with positive affirmations. Try using something tangible during your meditation, such as a beaded necklace. For each affirmation, take a deep breath in and out as you move to the next bead. Aim to make it through the entire set of beads. You might be surprised by how many positive things you can say about yourself!
- Use before bed. As you lay down to sleep, softly repeat your affirmations with your eyes closed while taking slow, deep breaths.
- Try journaling. Write your affirmations on paper to give them a more concrete feel. When you’ve finished listing your “I am” affirmations, sign your name at the bottom of the page as if you were signing a contract. Just as signing your name on important documents signifies acknowledgment and agreement, this act solidifies your commitment to believing in all the wonderful qualities you’ve listed.
- Use sticky notes. Place sticky notes in places you frequently visit, such as the dashboard of your car, your bathroom mirror, the refrigerator door, your closet, or your office desk. When you see these notes, it’s almost impossible not to read them. This is a great way to “fake it until you make it.”
Positive affirmations may feel silly at first. But if you continue to use them and integrate them into your daily life, they can be a lifestyle change with long lasting benefits.
Skycloud Mental Health is Now Accepting New Patients!
Skycloud Mental Health is a group of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners and one licensed Clinical Social Worker who provide telehealth services to qualified patients in Oregon (13+), Washington (13+), Minnesota (18+), Arizona (13+), Utah (13+), and New Mexico (16+) with in-office appointments available in Clackamas, OR; Seattle, WA; Sandy, UT; Layton, UT. We are now accepting new patients for medication management with intake appointments available this week.
To see if we are a good fit for your mental health needs, go to our website http://www.skycloudhealth.com and click Schedule Now.