It’s that time of year again: New Year’s resolutions and all the good (and bad) feelings that come with them. Some people love making them, while others dread it. Yet, the practice of making resolutions at the start of each new trip around the sun has been going on since ancient times.
We all know that 2021 was a challenging year. So, many folks are approaching 2022 with caution. But amid all the negativity, it’s important to remember that good things are always happening in our lives. It can be difficult to see them when we’re constantly bombarded by negative news and events, but they’re there!
Sometimes, we’re so focused on the undesirable qualities and habits that we want to eradicate that our resolutions backfire, making the issues we struggle with even more difficult. So this year, instead of making plans to erase your bad habits, why not focus on adding to the good things in your life by adopting positive affirmations instead? This blog post is packed with ten affirming phrases you can repeat throughout your day or share with friends for encouragement this new year!
What Are Positive Affirmations?
The start of a new year is the perfect time to set your intentions for the coming months. And what better way to do that than with the help of positive affirmations? You’ve probably heard this term more than once, but what exactly are “positive affirmations”?
Affirmations are words or statements that mean you are declaring something true, whether positive or negative. Unfortunately, most of us are much more familiar with negative affirmations than positive ones. For example, how many times have you said or thought things about yourself like, “I’ll never be able to do this,” “I am not a creative person,” “I am really dumb!”
Words are powerful, and these types of negative affirmations are not harmless. In fact, they are self-limiting and downright unhealthy.
However, on the flip side, positive affirmations about yourself or your circumstances can elevate your self-image, improve your health, and rewire your brain so that you experience more peace, joy, and happiness in your life.
Is it as easy as it sounds? Actually, it is. In fact, it’s just as simple as reciting negative affirmations. The thing that makes it difficult is that it’s unfamiliar. However, once you get in the habit, you’ll begin to notice subtle improvements in your daily life that were not there before. Whether you want to lose weight, get fit, make money online, or something entirely different, positive affirmations can be a powerful tool throughout your life.
How Do You Do Positive Affirmations?
According to Ronald Alexander Ph.D., the best way to do positive affirmations is to speak them out loud at least three times a day for around five minutes. He suggests doing the first round while getting ready in the morning, so you can look at yourself in the mirror while reciting the positive statement.
Other experts encourage people to write out their positive affirmations in a journal each day to solidify the words—whether you feel like you mean it or not. Then, as you continue doing this over and over, your mind starts to believe the words you are telling yourself.
From New Year’s Resolutions to New Year’s Affirmations
If you’re fed up with the futility of last year’s resolutions, maybe this year is the time to switch things up a bit. Of course, you can easily do this with anything you would like to change about yourself or your circumstances, but here are ten resolutions-turned-affirmations to get you started on a new journey in your life—starting today!
1. Resolution: I Will Lose Weight
Affirmation: I Will Give My Body the Nourishment It Needs for Optimum Health
Eating nutritionally deficient foods may fill you up, but it will also fill you out and leave your body starving for essential vitamins and minerals. Processed foods and foods that contain high amounts of sugar and unhealthy fats fall into this category. However, resolving to lose weight doesn’t make them any less easy to resist. In some cases, it drives you to eat even more.
To look and feel your best, Focus on nourishing your body. Everyone deserves to eat and is entitled to feel nourished and satiated by what they consume. Affirming that you will care for yourself in this way can make it much easier to replace unhealthy indulgences with wholesome foods like whole grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables.
2. Resolution: I Will Quit Smoking
Affirmation: I Will Give Myself the Gift of Better Breathing
We all know that smoking is unhealthy, not to mention expensive. But it’s also a tough habit to break. If you’re tried unsuccessfully in the past to give up cigarettes, maybe it was your mindset.
Taking something away feels like deprivation (especially something as firmly entrenched as smoking). Combatting this habit requires something equally powerful to replace it. So whatever your “why” is, that’s what you should be using as your affirmation. Of course, you don’t need to use the phrase we’ve listed either—you should definitely come up with one that fits you. That might be “My lungs are healthy enough to run a 5k” or “My kids are going to have me around for a very long time.”
3. Resolution: I Will Quit Drinking (Or Drugging)
Affirmation: I Have a Rich, Full, and Happy Sober Lifestyle
Like smoking, quitting other addictive habits can be incredibly challenging physically and mentally. If you want to overcome something as big as substance abuse, you need to replace the “quit” part with lots of affirmations that support a sober and satisfying life.
In this case, you might want to arm yourself with several affirmations. Here are a few examples:
My life is free of alcohol and drugs.
I respect my body and deserve to be healthy.
I am capable and can do anything I set my mind to.
I am worthy of happiness and peace.
I am fully present in my life these days.
4. Resolution: I Will Stop Being Lazy and Work Out Every Day
Affirmation: I Enjoy Feeling Strong and in Control of My Body
It’s a well-known fact that exercise contributes to good health. Physical activity improves blood circulation, which in turn delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells in your body. When you exercise regularly, your skin will radiate a healthy glow, and you will feel better mentally and physically. Whether you join the gym, start walking, or take dance classes, moving your body has multiple benefits.
But exercise often feels like a chore. And there’s nothing very positive about implying you are a lazy person. So instead, focus on the perks that movement can bring you, not the work it entails. Think about the mood boost, how good you feel about yourself when you are fit, or how strong you are getting every day. It’s a powerful feeling to master your own body. Use that sense of control to your advantage.
5. Resolution: I Will Get Over My Anxiety
Affirmation: I Am Calm and Peaceful as I Go About My Day
If you have anxiety issues, you already know that the more you focus on your fears, the worse it gets. So the last things you should put in your affirmation are words like anxiety, fear, nervousness, or panic.
Instead, you’ll want to use as many “opposite words” as possible when it comes to anxiety. And you should choose a phrase or mantra that feels calming to you, whatever that is. Here are some antonyms to anxiety to get you started:
Courage
Confidence
Bravery
Lightheartedness
Relaxation
Faith
Tranquility
Safety
Peacefulness
6. Resolution: I Will Control My Temper
Affirmation: I Am Stoic and Unruffled No Matter What Comes My Way
Some people are more reactive and easily irritated than others. If anger or rage has gotten the best of you, you already know that it is no fun. Anger is like a poison that destroys you from the inside out, so it’s natural to want to control it. But trying to ignore your anger can also result in
depression and even sickness.
The thing about anger is that trying to control it is not the greatest strategy. In many cases, all it does is push it down temporarily until it rears its ugly head again and your temper is worse than ever. The antidote to anger is to discover what causes it for you in the first place. Sometimes, it’s a sense that things are unfair or unjust. Other times, you are hypersensitive and easy to provoke. Instead of resolving to control it, Affirm how you would prefer to feel instead.
7. Resolution: I Will Stop Getting Bad Grades
Affirmation: I Am Bright and Intelligent, and I Enjoy Learning
Some people really struggle in school. Getting bad grades could be the result of many things. Maybe you’re not getting enough sleep, perhaps you don’t understand the material being taught, or you just really hate studying. Whatever the reason, if your bad grades are bothering you, it’s time to take action.
Often, when students fall behind or are failing in school, there’s a snowball effect. They are usually telling themselves things like “I can’t do this,” “I will never understand math,” or worse—” I am just stupid.” You need to nip that kind of negative self-talk in the bud if you want to succeed, and the way to do that is to change your words. So whatever it is you are telling yourself that’s keeping you from being a successful student, start using positive affirmations and see how quickly your grades improve.
8. Resolution: I Will Make More Money
Affirmation: I Am Constantly Learning New Skills That Will Help Me Achieve Financial Security
There’s nothing wrong with making more money. It’s one of the top goals on everyone’s list. The problem with this resolution is that it is super-vague. Just saying you’re going to make more money is not specific enough. You’ve got to drill down a little deeper with some believable details.
Are there things you can do to actually make more money? For example, can you go back to school, acquire some new skills in your trade, or pick up more hours at work? Perhaps you want to start a blog and make money from it. Focus on the tangible actions you can take to achieve your goal of making more money. In this way, this resolution-turned-affirmation becomes more of a game plan rather than an obscure desire.
9. Resolution: I Will Stop Overspending
Affirmation: I Am Disciplined When It Comes To Spending and Saving
Foolish spending is a habit that may have you singing as you do it but regretting it in the long run. This is a negative behavior that could lead to debt that may cause you to lose your peace of mind and possessions. It’s a habit that should be addressed as soon as possible, so why not start now?
To save more and spend less, make a conscious effort to educate yourself on financial matters and create a budget that you can stick to. Focusing on the idea that your spending habits are under control and that you know how to master your finances will help you achieve just that.
10. Resolution: I Will Stop Slacking and Make Something of Myself
Affirmation: I Am Joyfully Discovering Who I Am and What I Want Out of Life
“Making something of yourself” is a common New Year’s resolution that rarely works. One reason for the failure of this sweeping statement is that it’s usually based on the expectations that other people have of you as opposed to the actual desires you have for yourself.
Instead of criticizing or berating yourself for not being more successful or accomplished at this stage of your life, put some of that effort into discovering who you are and what makes you tick. Get a journal and start listing everything you like and dislike, the things you would like to do and see, the occupations you might be interested in, etc. In other words, discover yourself. You’re a unique human being with many hidden talents just waiting to be uncovered.
