The 10 Best Self-Affirmation Activities You Should Try!

After a stressful day, I lose the energy to do anything, much less something nice for others. Lately, though, I’ve begun to realize that not doing any kind of self-soothing after a stressful day was taking a toll on me that I couldn’t predict. While it didn’t immediately occur to me, as days went by, my sleep schedule became a mess, I often overreacted, and my emotions were in disarray.

Not only this, but I realized that the negative voice in my mind became louder than usual. And I was left with more stress than I could handle. This is something that I think you can relate to as well, right?

People often say, “Think positive…” “Believe everything is OK…” and whatnot. But it is like that; easier said than done! Creating a positive mindset doesn’t come suddenly and it takes a lot of practice and patience to develop positive thinking.

Among those positive thinking practices, there is one that I’ve always found easy to implement. Self-affirmation activities. Affirmations might seem like a very small place to start but once you get the hang of it, they can help boost your daily confidence, reduce your fear of failure, and even strengthen your positive mindset.

Today, we’re exploring the 10 best self-affirmation activities that all adults and students can partake in to create healthy and positive thinking.

Before you check out the self-affirmation exercises, take a look at what self-affirmation is and how it benefits you.

Self-Affirmation: What it Means & How it Helps

The human brain is made to adapt and change with thoughts and experiences. This is called neuroplasticity. Self-affirmation is one of the neuroplasticity exercises that you can use to create positive self-talk and bring healthy changes to your thinking process.

To affirm means to “…state a fact”. Self-affirmations are essentially statements that you create or use, to maintain a positive self-worth attitude and talk.

Self-affirmations relied on your sense of self. When you feel your sense of self-falling, you can quickly use self-affirmations to maintain your worth. These are also statements that you can use as reminders to yourself, your goals, your worth, and your values.

In a 2015 review, it was found that using self-affirmations helped increase the brain’s reward center, triggering the release of feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins – just like a good workout does! It was also shown that using affirmations also helps motivate you to act when you might not in any other situation.

Best Self-Affirmation Activities for Adults

1. Positive Affirmation List

The first self-affirmation activity you can try is very simple. All you have to do is create a positive affirmation list! Take a pen and paper, and list all the positive affirmations you’re likely to use.

You can also break them down into social, emotional, physical, or intellectual categories. Here are some positive affirmations you can add;

• I am strong, fit, and healthy
• I work out every day
• I eat a healthy diet every day
• I love myself
• I have a strong sense of self-esteem

2. Affirmation Posters

Another self-affirmation exercise I have for you is affirmation posters. You can self-create some affirmation posters using your favorite affirmations and hang them in your home or at your office desk. Here’s an example; you can use an affirmation that says, “I choose activities that make me feel good” or “I am a good team leader” etc.

3. Creating Own Affirmations

There could be times when positive affirmations that you take from motivational posters might not work for you. When this happens, you can create some positive affirmations just for yourself. Self-affirmations work when you can relate to them. Try to create your own affirmations based on your dreams, goals, and values.

4. Say it Out Loud

Another self-affirmation activity that works best for me is saying the affirmations out loud. It’s OK to recite the affirmations in your mind, there’s nothing wrong with it, but there could be times when the thoughts in your mind are too loud to hush. Here, you can say your affirmations out loud. When you say it out loud, you bring your brain’s attention to your new thoughts.

5. “I am…” Self-Affirmation Exercise

Now, this positive self-affirmation exercise is something you can try alone or in a group. In this simple exercise, complete the sentence, “I am…” with a thought that comes to your mind. This positive validation exercise can help increase your confidence and boost your self-esteem. If this isn’t something up your alley, try “Today, I am going to…” These sentence completion exercises can help you better understand your thoughts and motivations.

6. Mindful Meditation Affirmations

Mindful meditation is a great way to bring your attention to your present, but combining this practice with self-affirmations can reinforce your sense of self and even reduce your stress. Instead of sitting with your thoughts or in silence, try to recite an affirmation during your meditation session. Keep going until your meditation ends.

7. Sticky Note Reminders

This is a fun self-affirmation activity that all adults and even students can try. It’s normal to change your affirmations every week or month. When goals can change, so can affirmations! Using sticky note affirmations can allow you to keep track of your new affirmations. I have one on my bathroom mirror and one on my work desk. You can put these sticky self-affirmations where you can daily look at them and reaffirm yourself.

8. Journaling Your Affirmations

Now, we know all the benefits of journaling but did you know that you can use journaling as a self-affirmation activity? With a journal, you can keep track of all your thoughts and affirmations in one place. It could also come in handy if you want to keep a record of your affirmations and how they made you feel. This is a great way to encourage yourself and your positive thinking.

8. Having an Affirmation Day

Just like you can take a mental health day off, you can treat yourself to a self-affirmation day! What to do during this day? Well, you can refresh your sticky note affirmations, create affirmation posters, or create a routine to recite your favorite affirmations.

9. Affirmation Songs

Did you know that you can use songs as self-affirmations as well? “Happy” by Pharrell Williams and “Roar” by Katy Perry are great songs you can use as affirmations. Not only adults but this activity can benefit young children too! If you’re listening to self-affirming songs, then pay attention to the lyrics and be mindful of what is being sung.  

What Next?

Stress is, sadly, a part of our lives but practicing self-affirmation activities can be a great workout for your mind to distract it from the negative thoughts and the negative consequences of stress. The above-listed self-affirmations exercises might help you regain control of your mind, thoughts, and goals when you’re under stress.

Even then, if you’re unable to cope with stress, it is recommended that you connect with a professional counselor who can help you control your negative thoughts and provide ample tools and support to regain your sense of self and worth.

I hope you found this article helpful and insightful. For more, you can write to us at info@calmsage.com or DM us on social media. You can also share your favorite self-affirmation and affirmation activities in the comments below.

Take Care!