How To Use Positive Affirmation to Lower Stress

Positive affirmations have gotten a bad rap in recent years.  Positive affirmations are sometimes viewed as taking a Pollyanna view of the world by looking at the world through rose colored glasses.  Some harsh realists feel positive affirmation does nothing more than put a shiny coat of paint on an ugly situation.  For some people, this may be true.  But, used correctly, positive affirmation can raise the spirit and give a renewed strength to a down-trodden soul.

Positive affirmations are a great way to state clearly, succinctly and boldly to the world that you have positive, deliberate intentions to carry out a plan.  If a major project at work is keeping you up at nights, it can help to start each new day by stating clearly your goals.  "I will complete the sales projection report today."  "I am prepared to give the speech in front of the Board of Directors today."  "I can finish this project in the time I have remaining."

There is no end to the list of positive affirmations an individual can state.  As long as they are personal, directly related to the problem at hand and realistic, these statements of wished-for facts can help turn dreams into reality.  Stress comes about when we feel a situation has control over us, instead of the other way around.  Positive affirmation give us a chance to shout out loud that we are the masters of our own destiny.

"I can land that job interview with XYZ Company."  "I am the right person for the job."  "I have what it takes."  Stated often enough, these words can become reality.  Just as we can beat ourselves down with derogatory remarks, we can rebuild our strength with the words that make us believe we have already won.

Stress from outside forces can be especially destructive.  We need our positive affirmations the most when negative words are being pounded into our brain.  "You can't do that."  "You aren't good enough."  "You're a loser."  The world sends out these stressful accusations every day.  The way to fight back against these words is with words of our own.  "I can do that."  "I am good enough."  "I'm a winner."

Positive affirmations help us drown out the voices of doubt and despair that can plague our personal lives, our work environments and our relationships.  Whether you believe in the use of positive affirmations for yourself or not, it's clear that negative condemnations abound.  The choice to fight back with actions - and with positive words - gives us the added strength we need to overcome the odds.  Positive affirmations builds us up, giving self-assurance in place of doubt, strength instead of weakness, success instead of failure.

Can you do it?  Yes, you can.