Positive affirmations for anxiety can be a simple, yet effective way to engage in self-help. It can be hard to manage anxiety, especially those unhelpful and negative thoughts that might cloud your mind. However, positive affirmations can be a tool to help you manage those anxious thoughts and feelings. In this blog, we’ll share over fifty positive affirmations to help you manage anxiety symptoms.
What are Positive Affirmations?
Simply put, these are short positive statements that you repeat to overcome negative and unhelpful thoughts. Positive affirmations are a means of positive self-talk to help you feel at ease and in control. You can use these statements to remind yourself of your values, self-worth, strength, and power.
This makes positive affirmations an ideal self-care tool for managing anxiety symptoms. You can use these statements to recognise and challenge anxiety-ridden thoughts. If you use positive affirmations regularly, you can benefit from long-term changes that target the fear and worry that arises from anxiety.
It’s important to note that positive affirmations are one tool. They can help you better manage your anxiety symptoms and empower you to make positive changes. However, remember that professional support is still necessary when managing an anxiety disorder.
The Evidence for Positive Affirmations
Positive affirmations are more than a simple self-help trend. This practice comes from a widely accepted and well-established psychological theory known as self-affirmation theory. In the 1980s, Claude Steele found that we use self-affirmation to protect our sense of self when facing threats, such as failures and criticism.
Before we dive into the affirmations, let’s unpack self-affirmation theory.
Self-Integrity
In self-affirmation theory, our self-integrity is the way we view ourselves as good, moral beings who act according to the norms around us. But, what exactly defines this self-integrity? That’s our sense of self, a unique combination of the roles, values, and beliefs we hold in life. For example, self-integrity for someone could be being a good student who values academic success and considers themselves to be a helpful member of society.
Threats to Our Self-Integrity
This is where self-affirmation theory becomes important. Ultimately, when we face a threat, like failure or criticism, this causes us to feel uncomfortable. That’s because one of the core aspects that make up our sense of self is being ‘threatened’. However, self-affirmation theory proposes that we protect ourselves from such threats by affirming our positive traits in another aspect of the self.
For example, for a good student who values academic success, a low grade would be distressing. Self-affirmation theory suggests this student would focus on other values in their life to recover from this. This could be focusing on being a good child or engaging in charity work because being helpful is one of their core aspects of self. Self-affirmations are used to restore our self-worth and self-concept.
Positive Affirmations as Self-Affirmation
You can self-affirm by focusing on personal values, and positive attributes, and by engaging in activities or behaviours that align with your values. This allows you to develop a strong sense of self across your roles, values, and beliefs that will help you manage ‘threats’.
Positive affirmations are a practical way to reaffirm our sense of self. These statements are like self-praises that we can use to acknowledge that we are acting in alignment with our core values. For anxiety, this can be an incredibly important way to overcome your fears and worries. Affirmations can help you see beyond your current worries and feel closer to other, stronger parts of yourself. It’s a good reminder of your self-worth, power, and capabilities.
52 Positive Affirmations for Anxiety Relief
15 Affirmations for Overcoming Anxiety
Anxiety can be an overpowering feeling. If you live with an anxiety disorder, this constant anxiety can leave you feeling unable to cope. These positive affirmations are good for reminding yourself that you are more than the feeling of anxiety. You can use them to establish trust with yourself and to calm yourself down when you get overwhelmed.
- Everything will be okay
- I am not defined by my anxiety
- I will get through this
- I am capable of managing my anxiety
- I am strong enough to handle whatever comes my way
- I am stronger than my anxiety
- I am in control of my thoughts and emotions
- I trust in my ability to overcome anxious thoughts and feelings
- These feelings are temporary
- I release all tension and anxiety from my mind and body
- I am letting go of fear and embracing peace
- It’s okay to feel anxious and I am still strong
- I am breathing deeply and calmly
- I am safe and protected
- My anxiety cannot harm me
10 Positive Affirmations for Mindfulness and Calm
Being present and grounded in the current moment can help you to feel calm. This can be especially helpful if you’re struggling with overthinking. You can clear those cluttered, anxious thoughts by using these affirmations to stay mindful. These are reminders to help you recognise that your thoughts and feelings do not define you. You can find relief in the present moment and focus on the valuable things in your life.
- My thoughts aren’t facts, just thoughts
- My anxiety is not me, but an emotion
- Today is a new day
- I am peaceful and calm
- My mind is clear and focused
- I am present in this moment
- I appreciate the beauty of life
- I am at peace with my mind, body, and soul
- This moment is beautiful and important
- I am more than my anxiety
9 Affirmations for Developing Resilience Towards Anixety
Positive affirmations are good for promoting long-term change when used regularly. You can use affirmations to develop resilience toward those anxious thoughts and feelings. These affirmations aim to remind you of your ability to cope, how strong you are, and that you have the tools to tackle that anxiety. This can help you to reduce the anxiety that arises from particular thoughts or experiences.
- I am resilient and strong
- I have overcome my fears before
- I have the power to focus on the positive
- I have the tools to cope with my anxiety
- I am learning how to handle these feelings
- I trust in my ability to overcome anxiety
- I will emerge from anxiety feeling strong and confident
- I am not alone in my struggle
- I am confident in my abilities and trust my instincts
18 Positive Affirmations for Self-Love and Acceptance
Whether you experience anxiety in certain situations or live with it as a long-term condition, it can make you feel small or unworthy. It’s important to remember that you are loved, valued, and deserve respect and care despite your anxiety. You don’t need to heal or get better to take good care of yourself or recognise all your positive qualities. These affirmations can help you develop self-love and acceptance without feeling like you have to be free of anxiety to be enough.
- I am worthy of love, despite my anxiety
- I deserve respect and acceptance
- I am allowed to take care of myself
- I am allowed to feel anxious
- I treat myself with kindness and patience
- I am worthy of peace and relaxation
- I trust my self-care tools and my power
- I am surrounded by love and support
- I am valuable even with my anxiety
- My anxiety does not dim my light
- I am bright and capable
- I accept myself as I am
- I am enough just as I am
- I love myself and feel good about life
- I deserve happiness and peace of mind
- I deserve the best life has to offer
- I am allowed to make mistakes
- I love myself more today than yesterday
How to Use Positive Affirmations for Managing Anxiety
For the best results, positive affirmations should be used regularly. You can make this easier by making them part of your daily routines. Many like to use affirmations first thing in the morning or just before bed.
If you feel awkward saying these to yourself out loud, don’t worry. There are a few ways to use positive affirmations:
- Write them down on flashcards and read them daily
- Repeat one affirmation in your head if you need to calm down or stay present
- Use sticky notes to put these affirmations around the house as reminders
- Find affirmation apps that will send you a notification or text message
- Write these affirmations down a few times in a notebook
- Record and listen to positive affirmations or listen to existing affirmation videos
- Pair with other self-care tools such as walks, breathing exercises, or meditation
