Affirmations are powerful phrases you can use to shift your thoughts in a more positive, helpful, and

motivational direction. When practiced on a daily basis, affirmations can alter your mindset. At first glance,

it may not seem so apparent that these short and simple statements are as effective as they are, but part of what makes them so powerful is that one can easily memorize and recite them.

When it comes to positive affirmations, the key is repetition. Soon, you won't need any convincing as to why these phrases work so well, as you will be busy convincing yourself that you are capable of calming your anxious thoughts - one positive affirmation at a time.

Why Do Positive Affirmations Work?

As you go throughout your day, your conscious mind works continuously to process emotions and thoughts, attempting to make sense of the world around you. While all this happens, your subconscious mind retrieves all that information and stores it. This means that your mindset and self-beliefs are kept in your unconscious mind, and your unconscious mind controls 95% of your brain activity, including your habits, behaviors, and thought patterns.

Affirmations are a way to break up these current unhelpful patterns by reprogramming your subconscious

mind, which is constantly turning into to hear what you have to say. An anxious mind causes you to

underestimate how much control you have over changing negative thoughts because it is always busy

overestimating the likelihood of negative situations. But if you change the way you speak to yourself through positive affirmations, you can change the way you feel and think!

Techniques for Creating Positive Affirmations

Be specific - Choose a statement that you resonate with because if you cannot connect with the words,

saying them will be ineffectual.

Keep it present - Say your affirmation in the present tense, as if it were already true. To do this, you can

start your affirmation with "I am" and include an action word, such as one that ends in "-ing." For example, "I am releasing my mind of unhelpful thoughts."

Don't force it - You may already know that calming your anxious thinking is what you want to work on, only

you are having trouble coming up with the "right" phrase. Don't stress over it! Your affirmation doesn't have an eloquent or original quote. Books and internet sites are great resources for finding an affirmation that speaks to

you and what you need. The most important thing is that you connect with it on some level, and it inspires and encourages you to keep believing what you say.

Here are 10 positive affirmations that can help calm anxious thinking:

"It's only a thought, and I can change it!"

"I forgive myself for that mistake, and now I am free."

"I am loved. I am safe."

"I am worthy of love and happiness in life."

"I'm glad that I tried it even though it didn't work out as planned."

"I love and approve myself just the way I am."

"It's OK to speak up for myself."

"I do not have to prove myself to anyone."

"The past is over."

"I forgive myself for not being perfect."