Affirmations
You may or may not have heard of neuroplasticity which is your brains ability to modify, adapt and change throughout your life, even after trauma. We have on average between 60,000 - 90,000 thoughts a day, and some of those thoughts feel stronger and more stubborn than others. Some of those thoughts are helpful, and some really aren’t.
Throughout my recovery I’ve had various unhelpful thoughts;
I’m not as good as I used to be.
I’m broken and defective.
No one will ever love me, I am unloveable (I actually believed this from a very early age)
I’m just a burden on everyone I love…
The list goes on and on. An antidote to this negative self talk is using positive affirmations to help rewire your brain.
“Anything is possible if you believe you deserve it"“, Shirley Maclaine.
Here is an example affirmation.
May I be strong
May I be healthy
May I live with ease
May (someone else) be strong
May (someone else) by healthy
May (someone else) live with ease
May the world be strong
May the world by healthy
May it survive with ease
Helpful Tools
You actually can do this yourself. Think of a a thought that doesn’t help you and then think of the antidote. “I am unloveable” could become “I am worthy of love” or “I love myself and I am loveable”.
I bought a book called by Louise Hay called Heal Your Body which has affirmations for when you experience pain in your body. The belief being that pain can be manifested in our bodies by our thoughts.
Another option could be to sit still for 30 seconds and feel into a part of your body that feels sore or uneasy. Ask that part of your body what it wants you to know and see if anything comes up. I find this way easier with some gentle music in the background.
Buy a set of Oracle card. My friends gifted me this beautiful set that I use everyday. It gives me a mantra to focus on for the day.
And short of that google, Positive Affirmations… tonnes come up! See what stands out to you.
To add some extra oomph to your affirmations, try saying them out loud, and if you really want a challenge, look in the mirror and say them to yourself.
Tips and Tricks
Try setting yourself a challenge to do this everyday for a week and then notice how you feel, and if it starts to shift. Ideally you do it for a month, but start with a week!
If you want to really make it stick look at yourself in the mirror while you’re doing it. My old Chiropractor in Wellington told me to look at myself in the mirror and say “I love you because you are loveable”. I can’t express in words how uneasy this made me feel in my body. I would cringe, breathe shallowly and even felt a sense of disgust, under the feeling of stupidity. BUT I persisted and now I can look at myself in the mirror and talk to myself. This re-wiring of the brain, and body is totally possible.
I hope this helps!