What is anxiety?
Everyone feels anxious at some point in their lives. For some people, anxiety is categorized as feeling very stressed or worried prior to an event, test, or in response to different situations in life. However, anxiety can also be defined as a diagnosed disorder or mental illness, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) where someone experiences excessive worry, even if there’s no concrete reason why they should be concerned. For example, they may frequently worry about a natural disaster like a tornado, even if they live in a city where there’s never been a tornado or even a warning of one.
Affirmations for anxiety
Affirmations are reciting positive phrases to yourself, either out loud or writing them down, to soothe your stress or build up your mindset to tackle it in the future. They should not be used as your only coping skill for negative thoughts because you still need to process those, but affirmations can help combat the frequent negative thoughts that run on a loop in your mind.
According to VeryWell Mind, “Positive affirmations are a great tool for reprogramming your unconscious mind from negative thinking to positive. The idea is to take positive statements of what you would like to see manifested and repeat them enough so that they’re part of your way of thinking and seeing the world.”
Here are some examples of affirmations you can use to ease your anxiety:
· I am doing the best I can.
· My anxiety does not define me, it’s not who I am.
· I will be okay. I will not feel like this forever.
· I am safe, I am calm, I am okay.
· I forgive myself completely and those who have hurt me, even if they haven’t asked for forgiveness.
· I am strong and resilient.
· I am enough and I don’t need to be anything more than myself.
Don’t Judge
We all judge ourselves, and while we want to limit judging ourselves in general this is especially important when practicing affirmations. There are a few reasons for this: First, it’s not uncommon that thinking or voicing positive affirmations will trigger that critical voice that may be in your head, which can try to counteract the positive things we want ourselves to think. Second, we may question if we really mean our affirmations, and wonder if we are doing it right. These are all normal and typical reactions as well do something different. Instead of judging ourselves, ask: Who can I lean on? Who can you share your struggle with that can support you and reinforce the positive things you are learning about yourself?
Why should you go to therapy for your anxiety?
One sign that therapy can be helpful for your anxiety is when it’s really hard to believe positive things about yourself. When that happens, there is often a need for more expert professional help that can help you overcome your negative thinking.
There are so many ways to treat and cope with anxiety and stress like medication, journaling, exercise, meditating, and more. However, one of the best things you can do for your overall health and wellbeing is anxiety therapy. Therapists specialize in all sorts of mental health and mental illness-related topics, so it’s important to find the right therapist for you.
Helpful tips to remember for therapy:
· It may take some time to find a therapist you connect with. Be patient with yourself and the process, and it’s completely normal to feel awkward or uncomfortable for the first few sessions. Having a one-sided conversation and opening up about yourself may not feel natural, and that’s okay.
· Follow through with what your therapist recommends. Based on what you tell your therapist, they’re going to suggest you implement specific things in your routine or as part of your treatment plan. Some of those things may not be easy, for example, they may ask you to have a difficult conversation with a loved one about boundaries. But you just have to trust that it will help you in the long run.