Positive Affirmations Doing More Damage than Good

Positive affirmations are wonderful if you are using them correctly. If you're doing them wrong, then they can actually causing you more distress than trying to sooth you. I will provide some tips and example affirmations to help you when feeling anxiety, stress, anger, etc, to not have a negative effect. Most people don't quite understand why they are feeling this way and use affirmations to dismiss what you're body is trying to tell you. Our bodies talk to us in different ways and emotions is one of them. Listening to your body while you feel these emotions and recognize it helps the brain to know that you understand what your body is trying to tell you. Saying that you are safe while your body is nervous is creating a false sense of security and causes your brain to not understand. It's basically giving you mixed signals. Blanket affirmations can lead to the invalidation of real emotional struggles, suggesting that discomfort or sadness are simply things you can "think away". I recommend pivoting to more grounded and growth oriented statements.

Examples

"I am completely fearless." Instead, use "I am learning how to handle this situation better than I did last time."

"I am safe." But my body is feeling nervous or is in distress. "It makes sense that I am nervous right now." or "My body i just reacting to stress, and it will pass."

I hope these affirmations give you some ideas on how to change what you are saying. You may say any positive affirmations when your body is happy and is not in distress. It's only when your body is trying to tell you something. The goal is to say the affirmations to acknowledge what is going on instead of pushing it down, to not dismiss the body, not disconnecting from the body and mind connection, focusing on the present, and if-fermations, and pair with action.