The Power of Mommy Affirmation
Silence is rare for moms, but even through the noise of motherhood, moms hear their inner voice loud and clear. Sometimes I even catch my inner voice speaking out loud and not just in my head. š That gets pretty interesting if Iām not the only one in the room. Seriously though, our inner voice is actually a really important aspect of our health. Our inner voice is the source of our emotions and our mood. Ultimately, the way we talk to ourselves affects our every thought, decision, and move we make as moms. Moms can choose to view themselves in a positive light or they can choose to view themselves negatively. Studies show that those who are able to master positive self talk are more productive and experience less stress, depression and anxiety. Simply using positive self-talk instead of negative self talk improves our mental health and gives us a healthy, positive mindset. One easy way to practice positive self talk is by using the power of mommy affirmations.
What is an affirmation?
An affirmation is a simple statement intended to reprogram and create change in the individual using them. Affirmations serve many purposes. They can be reminders, goals and motivating statements. Usually affirmations are positive statements which promote a positive inner voice. Affirmations strengthen our beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. Using positive affirmations on a daily basis is important because celebrating yourself for what you do well is a way to build self-confidence and confidence bleeds into every aspect of your life. Being confident in our capabilities and talents gives us a growth mindset so that we can face our fears.
Why do moms need affirmation?
Moms need affirmation because our inner voice, also known as our subconscious mind, plays a significant role in the outcome of events in our lives. What moms believe about themselves can, to some extent, come true. (Lively, 2014) When we feel good about ourselves and have a positive attitude we attract positive outcomes. On the opposite spectrum, when we feel bad about ourselves and talk negatively to ourselves, we attract negative outcomes. Negative self-talk leads us to self-defeating behavior. (Lively, 2014) This phenomenon is often referred to in psychology as the ālaw of attractionā. What we believe to be true comes true, whether it is good or bad.
āAffirmations are like seed planted in soil. Poor soil, poor growth. Rich soil, abundant growth. The more you choose to think thoughts that make you feel good, the quicker the affirmations work.ā -Louise Hay
How to create your own affirmation
There are many different ways to practice self-affirmation. Many people just write simple statements and put them up around their homes so that they frequently read and recite them out loud. You can also do a daily devotion in a journal where you privately focus on one or two affirmations and goals for yourself. You can also write a letter to your future self that can help you use your affirmations as a means to track progress on achieving your goals. However you choose to approach self affirmation make sure you include these 4 components in your affirmations.
#1 Create first person affirmations
Use the pronouns āIā or āI amā. Using first person pronouns gives the statement an identity specific to you.
Sample affirmation
Instead of this: āIn this home we are capable of achieving greatnessā
Say this: I trust myself to make deliberate parental decisions.
Or this: I am capable of concentrating and finishing tasks.
#2 Create positive affirmations
Avoid negative connotations in your statements by skipping the words ānoā or āneverā
Sample affirmation:
Instead of this: āI will not harm my body because I want to experience the natural beauty of the world around meā
Say this: āMy body is beautiful and using it to experience the natural beauty around me is a gift.ā
#3 Create emotional affirmations
Our emotions and our actions have a symbiotic relationship. The way we feel is directly associated with our actions. If you can evoke your emotions through affirmation then you are more likely to experience that affirmation statement.
Sample Affirmation
Instead of this: āI will exercise this week.ā
Say this: āI feel energized, motivated and vibrant when I exercise.ā
Or say this: Taking care of myself is a responsibility I will model to my children without guilt.
#4 Create present tense affirmations
One way to address the good, the bad and the ugly of the present moment is to use affirmation to define the present moment. Affirming the present moment addresses who you are and what you believe in the present. By acknowledging our present day selves we unleash the possibilities of our future self.
Sample Affirmation
Instead of this: āI am eating a healthy diet so that I can feel sexyā
Say this: āI am capable of anything and that is what makes me sexy.ā
āI am stronger than my strongest excuse.ā -Unknown
Write an affirming letter to your future self
One cool thing you can do to create a little self-love through affirmation is by writing a letter to your future self. You can use this 90 day letter writing prompt to help you get started or just simply grab a piece of white printer paper and your favorite gel pen. Letters are like miniature time capsules so be sure to use detail and be specific. Describe your feelings about your social life, spiritual beliefs, intellectual habits or endeavors, financial circumstances, career status and achievements, environmental habits, emotional wellness, and your physical health. When I do this exercise, I always make sure to include things I want to change, remember, or be thankful for in the future. After you write your letter, tuck it away and come back to it after 90 days. Reading the letter you wrote yourself after 3 months
If writing a letter isnāt your cup of tea, you can also create your own mom affirmations on post it notes or purchase these fun (and affordable) pre-made printable sets of positive mom affirmations from a fellow mom entrepreneur. Simply create or print and post a few up in places that you frequent. When you see the affirmation, say it out loud to yourself three times. The more you are able to recite positive affirmations about the work you do as a mother the less chaos and defeat you will feel. Shifting away from negative self-talk by using positive self-affirmation will release you from the burden of mom guilt and catapult you towards the joys of motherhood.
Kelly
The Mom Coachā¢
āStart Living, Stop Existingā
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Happy Holidays From My Family to Yours.
References:
The Military Wife and Mom Blog. (No date) How positive affirmations change my mindset on the really hard mom days. Retrieved from https://themilitarywifeandmom.com/brilliant-positive-affirmations-for-moms/
Morris, S.Y. (2016, December 19) Healthline. What are the benefits of self-talk? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/self-talk#getting-started
Lively, K.J. (2014, March 12) Psychology Today. Affirmations: The why, what, how and what if? Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smart-relationships/201403/affirmations-the-why-what-how-and-what-if